Glory Be to God

Thursday, February 24 2011

Cayleigh Jean is 1 week old as of 5:31 pm today


I got dressed this morning, looked in the mirror and felt like this is going to be a really special day. I didn't know why, I just felt it in my spirit. And so, Nic, my mother, Juliette & myself made our, twice daily, 1 hour trip up to see our beautiful Cayleigh Jean. It is a chilly day here with a little sprinkling on the way but by no means comparible to what our friends and family on the East coast are experiencing lately - so praises to the Lord for that in itself. I can't imagine trying to make the trip in the snow....especially in California.

We arrive at the hospital just in the nick of time for her feeding! Praises to God that I can now walk upright & a tiny bit faster than I have to date since the surgery. I checked in & got my NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) visitors badge and proceeded up the elevator as Nic parked the car & my mom sat with Juliette in the downstairs lobby area.

To give you a sense of where our beautiful little girl is at you can check out the Patient Pavillion by clicking. It's a very bright, airy place with 3 levels that is specifically for Labor & Delivery, Adult ICU and the NICU. There's a security officer at the front where you have to check in. Each level is locked out by doors that you have to gain access to by calling in through a security camera maintained communicator. It's a beautiful and bright place where you can feel the love of friends and family who come to visit.

I arrived on the 2nd level and checked in again, washed up and headed to Cayleighs new room. She had been moved yesterday to a room 2 doors down from her initial site because they were cleaning the room where she and her 'roommates" were located. I arrive in room 11 and I'm greeted by a very friendly NICU Front Line Supervisor, Sharon, who is a warm, mid 50's black woman that is currently at the 1st 'crib' taking care of a newer arrival. She's training a tall, slim blonde with long straight hair who has a terrific smile. they both say hello to me and I immediately feel at ease. Then I see our nurse-of-the-day, I forget her name, who is an Asian woman about my moms age. She is very, very nice and I feel at ease with her because she seems to know her stuff. She's good at handling all of the wires, tubes, machines and whatnot that my Cayleigh is currently using. As I come in she asks me my name (first time besides TJ that a nurse took the time to care to know) and welcomes me. She asks me if I want to change Cay's diaper and I say yes. I get very excited as I see my baby because her color looks SO good today! I walk to the sink and wash my hands again, running them under hot water because they are too cold, in my opinion, to be handling my baby girl.

I walk to the crib where the nurse is busy checking vitals and she's using the suction thingy for Cayleigh's nose. She tells me she saw a booger and wants it out. I hear her sniffing her own nose & she smiles, looks at me and says she wants to blow it out for her. I smile. She uses a little saline but this thing is being a pain, its pretty high up there. Then, without my saying much, we both seem to notice in tandem that Cay's lips are really, really dry. She tells me she is going to moisturize those precious lips. She asks Ms. Sharon if she has a saline wipe. Ms Sharon hands us the wipe and heads back to Crib 1. I hear her telling the baby girl there that she has 'the most amazing eyes' she's seen. Success! I see the booger suck into the tube - and man was it big. I feel very happy because I figure it was probably bothering Cay but she couldn't do anything about it. Nurse was anticipating her needs and feeling what she felt I thought. She continues and tells me to go ahead and change her. Nic walks in the door just then behind Crib 1's momma and daddy. The mom has had a c-section recently..she and dad are both in street clothes so I know they've been discharged too. Mom has the 1st day sad look on her face and all over her spirit. Dad rubs her back as she sits down and puts her hand through the holes in the isolette. I look at Nic & he says not to stare. I wanted to give her a hug. Instead, I smile and tell her that her baby is beautiful.

Back to Cayleigh, the nurse already has gauze pads wet for me and in the crib to change her. I feel like she anticipated my needs now too. So I change Cay's diapy and she's got alot of pee. A good sign - bowel and urine movements mean the jaundice is flushing out of her system. Nic asks if she's pooped? Nurse checks and says yes, then another supervisor nurse - who we've seen before many times- a middle aged, dark skinned black woman with long braids and glasses comes over. I like her. She's funny. She says "oh yes daddy, she had some BIG poops this morning!". We both smile. She makes me happy. She always wears bright color scrubs and is just as nice as can be. Daddy is happy. He asks "two poops?" and shes says no, just a really big one. :)

Before we change her diaper, I clean Cayleighs cord with alcohol wipes and then put a new diaper, unclosed, on her. Then the nurse comes and uses a tape measurer to see how big her belly is. She weighs 5 lbs 7 ounces today. Jaundice level is down to 12.2 (I think). Only 2.2 before she is in normal range. Her skin looks pink, perfect. I notice that the sucked in part i often see as she inhales between her breast plates (the sternum area) is barely sucked in. She seems to be breathing easier. This enlightens me.

Now it's time to feed Cay. The nurse gets some of my milk and puts it in the syringe. She then begins the procedure of getting Cay out of her plastic bed. The lid raises up by machine. Then there are the cords. My Nic says that only I can manage to get cords severely tangled up without trying... I think my daughter has me beat. The nurse manages to finesse the cords in such a way that Cay is freed, swaddled ever so slightly in a receiving blanket. Its the white one with a pink and blue striped border that all hospitals use. I've taken one of Cayleighs just to smell her when I was in the hospital. Don't tell.

I sit down and get ready for the moment I enjoy more than most these days. She brings me my baby and I hold her in my arms. I place her head on my upper arm so I can see her face. Nic sits down next to me and we pray over her. We speak life over our child. I thank the Lord for having her for 1 week today, for the progress we've made, for good color, that she had only 1 ml of residual come back and she's already up to 13 ml on her feedings. The nurse then comes over with the syringe, hooks Cay up and proceeds to hold it. Nic and I look at each other. He reads my mind. He asks whether the nurse is going to have the pump feed the baby. The 30 minute cycle is what she usually gets. We thought the machine would be feeding her. The doctor, I call him Bad Doctor (but thats not nice) is nearby, and he comes over. He says, in very broken english and a thick Asian accent, something to the effect that she doesn't need the machine now. Nurse relays that she doesn't need the machine and that it's acutally better she does it. This way if any air is going to come back it just does - instead of getting into her belly and having it machine pushed back up again in a 'burp'. I think thats solid wisdom and am ok with it. I like her.

A few moments later Cay's feeding is done. During which time I'm working on trying to get her to root by rubbing my finger on the outside corners of her lips. I do this about 10 times then move to the center of her lips. I push with slight pressure, downward and in a rythmatic fashion. This is to simulate a nipple. I learned a bit from the Jennifer (the speech therapist) the other day. I do this a few times as well, then I put my finger in her mouth and begin rubbing the top of her mouth from the inside toward the outside. her little tongue touches my finger a few times. Good job baby girl. Daddy and I are talking to her during this time.

I bring up my facebook to begin speaking the verses my friends and family members have posted on my status. I asked if they knew any Promises from the Lord. The did. :) I read each one out loud to Cayleigh. Then, I begin speaking to her. I take her head in my hand and put her out in front of me. I watch the monitors for a few minutes and make sure she's ok.

I begin praying for her again. By His stripes she is healed. I claim it. I claim life. I say take up your mat and walk. Your faith has healed you. I feel her body tense up and she sort of opens her right eye. I get Holy Spirit goosebumps. At this point i'm just in constant prayer (and for the remaining 30 minutes - daddy didnt get a word in edgewise). I continue repeating that by His stripes She is Healed. That the Lord says to her she is healed this day. That she is to take up her mat and walk. That her faith, our faith, has healed her. I tell her today she will cry. Today she will swallow. Within minutes Nic and I look at each other and we see her swallow. Not once, twice. I keep talking to her. I don't know what I said because the Spirit said it. She winces up her face,several times to cry. She is going to cry today. Nic says her feeding tube looks like its fallnig out - he rubs the tape the holds it on and it doesnt stick. I tell him she isn't going to need the tube anymore. I tell her Fear Not For I am with you. By His Stripes She is Healed. I sing to her. I pray. She continues to wince her face and I feel we are to the very very edge of her making noise. I am told she will cry. During this entire time, she kept at least 1 eye open. At times, both. This is the most coherent she has ever been for me. She is listening to me. I ask her if Jesus is talking to her. She looks like she's staring off to the left. I ask her if she sees Jesus. I tell her that Jesus says she is healed. Today is that day. She will prove doctors wrong. She will baffle them. She is a child of God. She is His and He is her shepard. Though she walks through the valley of the shadows of death she will not fear for he is her shepard and he is all powerful. She's still awake. I have goosebumps almost the entire time. She senses His presence too. When two or more are gathered there also He will be. Then I hear Nic telling me she needs to be put back soon. Twice during the time I had her close on my skin her heart rate decelerated a little bit. When we were speaking to our Lord, she was stable. I tell her that She will be a Testimony to Those who Dont believe. She is healed.

Daddy mentions to me that I hogged her today. I told him we were talking to Jesus. Daddy kisses her sweet head. I tell her to go to sleep and rest because when she wakes up its time to cry. She closes her little eyes. She's tired. I kiss her sweet head. She is amazing.

Nurse comes and takes her to put her back in her plastic bin. I don't feel sad. I tell Nurse we will be back after Jacob & Tayla's science fair today. We will be attending and we are so proud of them. We tell Cayleigh how much we love her. Daddy needs some holding time, I see it in him. Tonight, he will have his time. <3

Daddy leaves to go get the breastmilk out of the van. I'd pumped on the way over and we (he) forgot to bring it in. I tell him ok, and tell the nurse my mom will be coming up. I tell her that she's worse than me. I don't think she hears me. At least I warned her.

We walk downstairs together. We relive her swallowing. We both know it seemed like that cry was going to come out of her several times. I tell him she is healed. I know it.

We get in the elevator and head to the lobby. Nic goes outside and I tell my mom its her turn. She's up like a rabbit and disappears into the elevators. Juliette wants to go up. She can't. but she wants to. I remind her daddy is going to bring in her chocolate milk from the van and all is well.

Today is a good day. Today is a miracle & so is Cayleigh Jean Dulik.