Today's Update

Tuesday March 18
9:30 a.m.
Cayman is still puffy. She is on an antibiotic and didn't show any changes with the swelling. They just started her on a diuretic, medicine to help increase her urine output. They hope this will help get rid of the extra fluid her body is retaining. Her only kidney she has is working very well without any problems so that is a relief. Her pain medicine (which is morphine) has been cut back. They hope to keep her less sedated so she'll move around more. Possibly the lack of movement could be making the swelling from going down. It's been fun watching her wiggle. She's been highly sedated for so many days now, that all she does is just lay there, even when she's awake. I watch her videos of when she was first born over and over. She doesn't even seem like the same baby. I have to keep reminding myself that things are not always going to be like this. It is going to get better.

Cayman made a friend last night. A baby boy (Austin) born just yesterday joined her in the NICU. Having a baby in the NICU makes ya surrounded by some of the saddest of times. He's a little sweetheart though. He was transported from a nearby hospital. Everything was going just fine during the labor and suddenly they lost Austin's heartbeat. Austin's daddy said it was only 7 minutes and they had Austin out by C-section. But they don't know how long Austin went without oxygen to his brain. His wife is still at the other hospital recovering and Austin is at U of M.

There is a total of 4 NICU's here at U of M. Two of them are for the more serious cases and the other two are more for the stable babies. Cayman is in one of the more serious one's. One of the little premature babies that has been in the same NICU as Cayman just moved out of it yesterday to one of the less serious one's. Delilah is her name. She was a triple, and her other two siblings passed away. She just had her 3 monthed birthday.

When we came back to the Ronald McDonald last night, we stopped by the kitchen for a snack before bed. There was a girl in there named Rhonda. We started talking and found out she has a baby in the NICU also and she's been here 7 1/2 months with him!! He was born with his intestines in his chest which compromised his lung development. He has a tube that goes into his trachea to help him breath.

1:30 p.m.
They started feeding Cayman today through her G-tube. That's the tube that goes right into her stomach through her belly. I was so excited to see they were using my breast milk.
Her puffiness seems to be down some. She's peeing a lot so the diuretic is working. The doctor came by today and said there's a chance that today or tomorrow her breathing tube will come out. Our hopes are high!!


Here's me swabbing Cayman's lips to keep them moist. Since she's under a heater in her bed we can't put lotion on her because it would burn her skin. So she gets a little dry.



Cayman loves her bunny that Grandpa and Grandma Stamm got her.



I love her feet! They're just like her Daddy's...but she has my ears. :o)



Mommy kisses for Cayman.