No news is good news

Sunday, March 20,2011
Ronald McDonald House

Nic and I made the 1.5 hour drive back home so we could go to Cornerstone Fellowship this morning with the kiddos before taking them back to my parents' house. It was nice to be back in a familiar place and meet with people who love, care about and pray for our Cayleigh Jean. We dropped the kids off after church, kissed them & squeezed them tight and then headed back to San Fran.

We got 'home' and dropped off some more pillows, the rest of my hair accessory materials and some of Juliette's stuff. Then, we hopped in the van and headed to UCSF Children's Hospital. It was exciting...we hadn't seen her since Friday night. To be away from your baby that long, no matter how good of hands she is in, is very hard.

We walked in and I noticed her heartrate was a little high (to me) at 170's but when I got to her crib I see she's wide awake. Their heartrates are normally higher when they are awake and alert..makes sense, so is ours. It was strange walking into the West Wing because the entire first room was empty. No cribs. I asked our nurse, Kelly, if they were cleaning the room and she said that they'd just moved the babies into the back 2 rooms for staffing purposes. I said to her it was a good thing there weren't alot of babies - that means they're healthy. :)

Meanwhile, Cayleigh has on one of those hospital issued white, long sleeved, wrap style shirts. Then I notice she's got an IV in her head again. This time the IV is on the right side - AND they've shaved the front, middle part of her hair. WHY did they have to shave her hair? Last time she had an IV in her head they didn't shave her hair. *sigh*

Cayleigh also had a paper mobile with bright colors on the tubing stretched across her crib. The tubing is used to hang her G-Tube syringe that is used for 'venting'. The venting is basically an open syringe, with the plunger taken out, that collects anything pushed out of the belly - including air. It bubbles when she 'burps'. Its kinda intimidating to figure out how to hold her with the IV in her head and the GTube thing hanging but we figure it out with Kelly helping us.

Juliette is with us and she is excited to see Cayleigh. Her "baby Cay Cay" as she says, was wide awake for quite awhile. Juliette was standing near me as I was holding her, singing to her (by her head) and twirling around. Nic got a little nervous when Juliette grazed my upper arm and was too close to Cayleigh's head so he decided to take her to the cafeteria for pudding.

Around us in the room are 3 other babies. 2 sets of parents are there. Directly across from us are an odler couple with newborn twin girls. One of the girls is in a carseat next to the father on the floor, asleep, and isn't in the NICU. The other girl is behind a nursing screen with the mother and she is the patient.

To our right is a mother and father with a dark blonde baby girl who isn't attached to very many wires. They've got her carseat there which is a sign they are going home soon too. We find out she's 3 weeks old.

Across from her is a little girl baby who is sleeping soundly in her crib.

Back to Cayleigh... as I'm singing to her, holding her and talking her heartrate comes down. She's doing really well according to the nurse. While I'm holding her she does a slight breath holding thing but brings herself right back out of it. She does the breath holding thing while she's straining like she's pooping. I tell her not to do that to mommy again. She agrees not to. :)

Our time doesn't last too long because we've got to get back to the House before 7 (which is shift change..and that lasts to 745 ish which is too late for Juliette to be out) so we put her back in her crib, Juliette prays over her and then daddy and I pray over her. She is half asleep and I tell her I'll see her tomorrow.

Back at the house there is a common room full of people ....most of them are the folks who made dinner tonight. There is a table with 3 bowls of salad, 2 tins ofbaked ziti, some french bread and sodas. I'm elated because I know my husband loves Italian food - and I'm a fan too.

This is pretty much all that happened tonight so far. Right now it's 11 pm and I'm going to be calling to check on her in a few minutes. Juliette is passed out,sound asleep and Nic is watching TV. I won at Dominoes tonight :) (just thought I'd throw that out there)

xoxo

Please pray for Cayleigh
That she digests her feedings well
That she handles increases well
That her heartrate and O2 rate stay within the doctors 'normal' ranges
That she begin swallowing soon
For increased flexibility and movement
That she start crying
and that she can come home soon

Please pray for the kids (Applies to Cayleigh too)
that everything is as normal as possible for them
that they have good behavior
That they are protected by the Lord no matter where they are tonight
and that they know we love them

Please pray for us
That the Lord sustain us, give us strength, faith and peace
That our love for one another continue to grow despite bad times
and that we continue to draw closer to God