One Month Old

Eliza is one month old today! Its seemed like both an eternity and an instant of time.

I was hoping that this would be a happy post about what a easy week we've had and how we've been able to loosen our grip just a smidge. Which is all true - I even got my hair cut this week for the first time since I went on bedrest 4 months ago! Oh yeah, that felt good. :) 

But we got news today that Eliza has a moderate sized patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Basically there's a valve in the heart that is open while babies are growing in the womb but is supposed to close at or before birth - hers didn't close and is still open. They are going to treat her this weekend with medication but the medical team thinks it is unlikely that will work. If the medication doesn't work then she will have heart surgery. In addition, this diagnosis delays her feeds yet again. There has been one reason after the next for the last 3 weeks for why she can't start receiving milk. Combine that with her continued lack of weight gain and it starts to get very upsetting and frustrating! I am hoping that she doesn't have to go through surgery again but we will know more on Monday.

Other updates from this week: Eliza is off the ventilator tube and on the CPAP! She has been off for 5 days now. This is amazing because for someone her size they only expected her to make it one day before having to be re-intubated. Too bad that the extubation happened rather traumatically while I was kangarooing with her! Neither baby nor mother enjoyed that much. The video clip is during the moments between the tube being removed and the CPAP being placed. We got to see her precious face!

Eliza with the CPAP. Looks a little like an elephant trunk. :)