Pondering Escape

Jail Bird

Slackin'

We have really been slackin' on the blog lately. Sorry about that! I have been getting in trouble from lots of folks for not updating more often. This stage in the game is pretty torturous because it seems we are just waiting. It is hard to be patient when we've been patient for 3 months, but there is more testing ahead. There is not a huge amount to report. Zoe did make the 5 lb. mark on Thursday night and now weighs 5 lbs. 5 oz. She is getting lots of good fat rolls and has chubby, very kissable cheeks.

She is still on vapotherm and maintaining her oxygen needs. We are just waiting for her to start progressing so we can eventually get her off pressured oxygen and onto a simple nasal canula. We will be sure to take some new pictures and post them. She is getting very cute!

Another Try

On Friday, the docs decided it was time to try Zoe off of the CPAP again. This time, instead of going straight to a regular canula, they put her on a high-flow canula (vapotherm). She's doing well so far and we really hope she doesn't have to go back on CPAP. She really hates it, as you all know, and constantly tries to pull it off of her face. She's persistent for sure.

In other exciting news, Zoe weighs 4 1/2 lbs now. They put her on a longer-term diuretic because she kept retaining fluid and was having to take stronger diuretic. So, her weight gain is steadier now at about an ounce a day. We also started trying to breastfeed once a day and so far she is doing amazingly well. She can actually breathe, suck, and swallow at the same time. That might sound like an easy task, but for preemies, that can be a huge challenge. She must like breathing a lot because she never forgets. It definitely takes a lot of energy for her to work for her food so we limit it to short stretches, but as she gets bigger and has more energy, we will try more often.

We're 80 days into this thing and are finally started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We've got a ways to go, but with Zoe making steady progress, we are getting more excited about the prospect of bringing her home.

A Good Effort

Well, Zoe gave it her all on nasal canula, but it was just too much, too soon. She made it about 24 hours on the canula, before they had to put her back on CPAP. She was very tuckered out after such hard work on the canula and has spent the weekend recuperating. They are hoping that she will just have to be on CPAP for a little while and then they will wean her more slowly next time. We were very proud of her for her effort and we know that her time will come when she no longer needs a lot of support. We will keep you all posted on her progress toward that goal.

Just Hangin' Out

Happy Baby

Zo Bug

Guess What?

We are happy to report that Zoe is now over 4 lbs! 4 lbs. 1.6 oz.! We felt like we would never make it to this point, but she did it. We also had some other exciting news today. The docs had been talking about getting her off CPAP next week; however, this morning when we went to the hospital, they not only had her off CPAP, but they were trying her on nasal canula instead of vapotherm. Vapotherm is still pressurized air, but a step down from CPAP. Nasal canula is just enriched air with oxygen, no pressure. This is a gigantic step for Zoe - it means she is doing all of the work to inflate her lungs. We are trying not to get too excited about this because it is a good possibility she will have to be put on vapotherm when she tires out, but we are really glad they decided to try her on it. She is much more comfortable as she doesn't need to wear the mask and helmet. What a relief for her to get that thing off of her face. We will keep you all posted on how she does off the CPAP. Wish her luck and strong lungs!