One Week...

Savannah is now one week old...as of 2:12am Monday.  She continues to do well.  Cody and Nicole spent a few hours at the hospital with her yesterday.  They said she was wide awake and moving about the ENTIRE time!  Her picc line is now gone!  She does still have her feeding tube, but is making great progress on nursing.  In fact, she only had to be fed 9mL through her feeding tube Monday afternoon!  The rest of the wires are just those monitoring her heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels.  The nurses said she was a little more jaundice, but not enough to put her back under the bili lights yet.  They are hoping to fight it with liquids instead.  She is looking so much better and showing more and more of her cute little personality each day!  We are so lucky and grateful to have her!!!

New bed...and some clothes

Sunday Savannah was moved to one of the regular plastic cradle beds.  The nurses also put pajamas on her!  The whole Klingensmith gang went to visit on Sunday too.  Everyone said Savannah was awake and wide-eyed the entire time she had visitors!  Her weight has been up and down the past few days...Sunday she was at 4lbs 3.5oz.  She is also up to 30mL per feeding.  The nurses told Cody and Nicole that they were also planning on taking her temperature monitor off and removing her picc line during her 10:30pm feeding!

Another Round of Improvements...

Nicole, Mom, Abby, and I arrived at the hospital Saturday morning to find Savannah with a cute pink bow on her head, no more bili lights, and the IV in her hand removed!!! She is also holding her own body temperature pretty well.  The nurse said they have even been giving her the caffeine less often (it helps regulate her breathing).  Savannah has also figured out how to suck on her pacifier very well.  She had a hard time staying awake while we were there because she was getting fed while Nicole was holding her wrapped up in a warmed blanket!  Oh, and the nurse told Nicole that they also wanted her to try to nurse Saturday night (moved up from the thought of next week).  

Saturday night Mom and Abby went to the hospital with Nicole.  They said Savannah was wide awake the entire time they were there...and wide eyed too!  Abby got a really cute picture of it.

Nicole also tried to nurse her for the first time.  Savannah has figured out how to suck and breath...as we could see from the pacifier, but she is struggling to know how to swallow.  They will keep working on it!

Mom and Nicole also wonder if Savannah may be just a little tongue tied.  They said that it appears as though the middle of her tongue pulls in when she tries to stick her tongue out too far.  Nicole was very tongue tied as a baby, so...  Nicole will just keep an eye on it.  But...it is still too early to tell for sure since she hasn't finished developing.  If she is...it can't be too bad because she cries more than Nicole did...and if it isn't too bad...it could just release itself as she continues to develop and use her tongue.  

Here is a cute little video of Nicole taking her temperature:

The nurses were going to give Savannah her first sponge bath Saturday night, but they weren't there for that.

Moving up in the World

I was able to visit Savannah on Friday afternoon while Nicole and Cody were at their house prepping for carpet.  I got there just in time for her to get changed and fed before some more much needed snoozing!  The nurse actually allowed me to change her diaper...I don't think I have ever changed the diaper of a baby that small before.  Boy is she a squirmy little one!  

She finally got her name tag!

She was still on the bililLights Friday.  The funniest thing was that she wiggled enough to push one side of the eye cover up so she could see out.  She'd open her eye and get a little excited that she could see.  Then, she'd close it for a minute...just to do it all over again.  It was like she thought she was getting away with something.  It was so cute.  I should've taken a picture or video...but I didn't.  

Abby did take a couple pictures of her under the bili lights when she went up in the evening though.  She was on her tummy this time!

After her changing and feeding, the nurses informed me that she was going to be moved...so I stuck around for that.  I wanted to know where she would be.  They moved her to the NICU Nursery B.  That is a great move.  It is for the more stable babies that don't need AS much one-on-one attention!  She is making amazing progress.

It is SO hard to leave each time...you just want to stay forever!

More firsts for Nicole

Nicole and I headed back up to the hospital late Thursday evening (May 26th).  She was given her first opportunity to change, bathe, and weigh Savannah. (She lost 7oz.  She was at 3lbs. 15oz.) Then she got to just sit and enjoy holding her.  The nurses are having Nicole hold Savannah up against her skin so she can benefit from the nutrients and warmth of mom!

Just after changing!

First bath by mom...
using cotton balls and warm water.

Just WAY too cute!
She always has her hands or arms near her face.

Nicole just enjoying holding her little princess!

Savannah is doing great and changing each day.  Her personality is making itself more and more prominent all the time!

Worry?

As previously mentioned, Savannah has been given some small amounts of morphine for agitation.  The doctor decided to do an ultrasound of her head and found that she has a little bleeding on the brain...called an intraventicular hemorrhage.  He said it is on the left side of her brain and very superficial (on the outer most layer).  The doctor told them that he is not worried and expects it to heal itself, but that he will keep a close eye...just to be sure.  The doctor told them that NO bleeding on the brain is normal, but that she has it in the normal place for premies...when it is found!  Daniel found a bunch of information in his medical book that he brought for them to read!

Daddy holds Baby

Cody received his first opportunity to hold Savannah when he visited this afternoon (3.5 days after birth)! She was very relaxed and snoozing! 

  

First family photo!

She continues to look better each and every time we see her. She was taken off antibiotics today AND they lessened her use of the C-PAP machine!

FINALLY!

Late last night (Wednesday) Nicole and Mom went to the NICU to find Savannah under Bili Lights.  They said they didn't expect her to be under them for long, but she was a little jaundice.  Here are a couple pictures:

Lovin' the sunglass look!

And FINALLY, Nicole was able to hold her..just shy of 3 days after birth!  They switched all the wires and tubes from her umbilical cord to her hands and feet...allowing her more movement! 



Savannah was very agitated by the C-PAP machine and had to be given a very small dose of Morphine to calm her down.  The nurses said she is full of fight!  However, laying in Nicole's arms, she was calm and happy as could be...for 2 hours!!!

They are hoping to get her off the C-PAP today (Thursday).

Yahhhhh....

Savannah was able to be taken off the ventilator yesterday afternoon about 2pm.  She only had to be on it for about 36 hours.  She was put on a C-Pap machine...so now she looks like Papa Red!!!  She is also able to make some noises now.  Mom and Nicole said they listened to her with the hiccups for about 15 minutes...so cute!  When I got there she was bundled up, warm, and sound asleep.  We almost felt like we were "bugging" her! 

Nicole is being released from the hospital sometime this morning and doing wonderful. She will stay at Dad and Mom's for the next few weeks to make the trip a little easier.

And she has a name...

Savannah Rachelle Lake!
(They are thinking they will call her Savannah Rae.)

I was able to stop back by the hospital after work last night (around 9pm) to see the progress.  She is looking much better and making slow, but steady progress in the right direction!  The doctors hope to have her off the ventilator by this morning.  Nicole said the cutest thing was when her and Cody went to the NICU to see her for the first time together.  She said that when Savannah heard their voices her heart beat raised and she started moving around a bunch!  She said she calmed down after a few minutes, but... what an awesome feeling!  We also thought it very cute and sweet that she shows so much personality...in little ways...while laying there all hooked up!  When you put your finger in her hand, she tries to clasp it.  Also, when you touch the bottom of her foot she either crinkles her toes up like she is trying to clasp your finger or she kicks it away like she is ticklish! We also enjoyed her trying to peek at us...several times she cracked her eyes open at us.  We even had the pleasure of a small grin! Loving it!

Nicole and Savannah

Savannah with Nicole



Savannah with Nicole and Cody

Savannah
She is peeking at us!

We can't wait to be able to hold and cuddle her.  We are just trying to take it all in and loving it!!!

Baby Girl Lake

We received quite the unexpected arrival this morning...Baby Girl Lake!!! Since she was six weeks early, Nicole was sent to Utah Valley Hospital in Provo...where there is a good NICU.

(L-R: Ariel, Daniel, Tiffany, Nicole, Abby, Mom, Cody, Dad, Tim, and Wes)

Cody all prepped and ready to enter the OR

Baby Girl Lake arrived on May 23, 2011 at 2:12am.  She was 4 lbs, 6 oz and 17 inches long.

She gave us a little bit of a scare at first, but she is stable and improving!  She is expected to remain in the hospital for about 4-5 weeks.  Her name has yet to be decided!

Nicole is doing great and feeling well!