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Aug. 28: Today we learned that Erwin may come off of the ventilator tomorrow and start on Bipap, which is a big step forward. Sylvain changed her diaper today, and she grabbed his arm hairs with some skin and tried to pull them out! Sylvain said that it hurt, she was pulling so hard.
Erwin started Bipap at noon today. She is finally extubated (no more tube going to her lungs), and she is doing most of the work of breathing all on her own. The Bipap looks more impressive, but it is a big step forward. Like usual, Erwin is holding her own and we are spending as much time with her as we can to give her love and support.
Erwin is doing more breathing on her own. I got to hold her for half an hour today while she was being fed by Dad, and it was wonderful. After half an hour she was getting tired, so we put her back in her isolette to rest. I learned how to turn her over today and when she was settled onto her tummy, she raised her head up off of the bed to show off for Dad. She weighed in at 746g today, 2g above her birth weight. Time to celebrate!
We stayed home today and thought about Tavish. We looked at pictures and held each other. We both needed the time to rest and to be close. We called the NICU and Erwin is amazing. She is now on Cpap which means that she is taking all of her breaths by herself. She is now eating 13ml of milk every three hours.
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We came in earlier today and did Erwin's care at 11:00. I got to hold Erwin again today for about half an hour before she got tired. Today was a hard working day for Erwin because they are slowly reducing the pressure of the Cpap so that Erwin can get used to breathing room air. All this extra work is tiring, but by the evening when we called in, she was doing much better and was resting peacefully after a big meal. We love you Erwin!
I (Dad) got to hold Erwin against my chest today. I heard her soft cry and it made my heart beat faster. My mom got to sit with me for about half an hour until Erwin was tired and had to go back in her isolette. Today Erwin got to try breathing on her own with oxygen twice for an hour. Every day I see her she is a bit more lively and more a part of us. Chenoa's milk production is rather prolific. After seeing Erwin and a gap of 4 1/2 hours since the last pump, she produced 310ml. Sophie is very helpful. She does all the cleaning and takes care of the animals. We are starting to do some of the cooking and some housework again. I find it difficult however to gather the energy to do regular tasks like laundry and tidying up the house.
Chenoa got to the NICU at around noon and she read to Erwin and did her care. After the care, Erwin started thrashing around, and Chenoa gathered her arms and legs close to her body held her there and she calmed right down. Then she got to hold her for two hours. Erwin was really calm and relaxed, snuggled between Chenoa's breasts. Chenoa had to have her put back in her isolette after two hours, not because Erwin was tired, but because Chenoa really needed to pump and she was hungry. Before being held, Erwin had hiccups for about 20 minutes. She breathed on her own with oxygen today for 1 1/2 hours!
When I was changing her diaper later on, Erwin started tolook like she was having difficulty breathing, making little convulsions. Frightened, Chenoa and I asked the nurse to look at her. The nurse told me to look in her diaper, and sure enough, all that excercize was just to pass a big stool! What a relief, we thought she could not breathe anymore. After that she stuck out her tongue. Her eyes seem to look in our direction now and she seems to focus on our faces. She is very lively and we love her. She also has started waving her hands around in front of her with her fingers open.
Today we stayed home as we were both over tired. We had a two hour nap in the afternoon and went to bed early. We called the NICU every few hours to check up on Erwin who is doing very well. This reassurance allowed us to have a good night's sleep (interrupted, as always, with midnight milk pumping).
Erwin's thighs are getting rounder! I was able to hold Erwin for 40 minutes. She is getting used to being in my arms. She makes sucking motions with her mouth when she is being fed and wiggled her legs across my tummy. This tickles quite a bit, but I try not to laugh, as this tends to bounce her a little too much, especially when she has a full belly! - Sylvain
Today we noticed that Erwin has regained a pinker colour. She had appeared more pale the last few days. She also looks noticeably longer. Her hat is also too small and is squeezing her head and making it look longer. The nurse got another hat the next size up and Erwin will get it tonight. She was on just oxygen for three hours this morning and this evening.
Erwin spent four hours on just oxygen this morning but she seems to be a little more tired than usual. Her grandmother got to visit her while her Mom was taking care of her and holding her. She is now wearing her new hat which is a little too bit for her and partially covers her eyes sometimes. I think that she is gaining muscles on her arms. The cuddle with Mom went really well and lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes. She really snuggled in. The close contact keeps her temperature just right. After dinner we called the NICU to see how Erwin was doing before going to bed, and the nurse said that she now weighs 944g and measures 27cm! What a girl!