Welcome Home, Charlotte Rose!!!!

Charlotte at the Hospital - Day 7

Hurray! We were released from the hospital this morning!! Charlotte had a wonderful night. All her numbers looked good. They removed her oxygen tubing, then her IV, and all her monitoring. And we were able to go home!!!

Charlotte in the Hospital - Day 6

Today is day 6. We should be going home but due to some miscommunication between nurses and doctor, faulty machines monitoring Charlotte, and me not realizing how agressive you must be in order to get things done in a hospital, we should be going home tomorrow. Charlotte is completely off the oxygen and her breathing treatments are every four hours. She is nursing well and awake more often. So, tomorrow we will be reunited as a family.

Charlotte in the Hospital - Day 5

Well, here we are at day 5. She was weaned down to room air this morning and they started to decrease her airflow but her O2 levels started dropping. So, she went back on a low level of oxygen. By dinner they put her back on room air so if she can maintain levels and decrease the rate of flow of room air, she can come home tomorrow! Hurray!!!

Charlotte at the Hospital - Day 4

Here is some video from the fourth day. We just were moved into a private room. Hopefully we will not have to move again. It is so nice and spacious in here. But still would like to go home. Charlotte may have had a defective sensor so maybe we will leave sooner than later.

My Daybook: Week 1

I am praying... for Charlotte to been well, for her to be completely weaned from her oxygen and air, no more cords and tubes and wire, and for the kids to feel safe and happy.

From the kitchen... I don't remember what I ordered for lunch, but I am getting hungry and it will probably come when I am nursing.

From the learning rooms... No school this week, they are learning all about RSV and oxygen levels, respiratory rates and heart rate in a two week old.

Living the Liturgical Year at Home... haven't been able to start anything because I'm not at home. I've been successful with my resolution to not yell. Once we get home I will start the 40 bags in 40 days and 40 miles in 40 days.

I am creating... this daybook ... hopefully I can do this weekly.

I am wearing... black leggings and a black maternity shirt, the only clean clothes I had left. I'm also cold so I have a hospital sheet wrapped around me.

I am going... to hopefully take a nap today.

I am reading... other people's blogs and getting great Lent ideas. I am so happy to have the computer here.

Pondering these words… "anything you need, just ask" It is so nice to have people supporting us during this time. The meals and the visits and the phone calls.

I am hoping... I can receive communion tomorrow and we can go home on Monday.

Noticing that... Charlotte's monitor keeps beeping, deep sleep makes her O2 levels go down...bummer.

Around the house... I hear it is a mess.

One of my favorite things... vasiline, my lips are so chapped from this room.

A few plans for the rest of the week:

• Go home
• Love on my children
• Rest
• Do some Lent activities
• Go to Mass
  

A Picture I am sharing:

Charlotte Back in the Hospital

Charlotte was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday. She had been choking during feedings all weekend and it had been getting worse. Her lips would turn blue during these coughing and choking episodes. She was throwing up, mainly mucus. And I would suction her nose before feedings and get these huge long boogers. Tuesday night her coughing and choking episodes got worse and her breathing was very rapid. We took her to the doctor's office at 8 am. They hooked her up to a pulse/oxy machine. And her oxygen level was at its highest 87. Doctors like us to be above 93. Anything below 90 is not good. So, they gave her a breathing treatment in the office and sent us to the hospital. Ben's job was to watch her to see if she was breathing or it her lips turned blue. He did a great job. Tom met us at the hospital and Charlotte and I went up to the third floor where they were waiting for us. They gave her another breathing treatment, gave her an IV for fluids because she was badly dehydrated, and put her on O2. She has RSV. Everyone in our family probably has it because everyone has been sick since Charlotte had arrive home from the hospital after she was born. But in Charlotte the virus is more than she can handle. So, where there is no cure, they just help her get over with the symptoms with oxygen and fluids and breathing treatments. So, in order to leave the hospital, she needs to be weaned off the oxygen, eating regularly, and down to breathing treatments every 4 hours. Today is day 4 and she is nursing much better and they took her off of IV fluids. When we initially came in she could barely eat for 5 minutes and would vomit afterward. Then we had to bottle feed her breast milk because nursing was so stressful. She is on treatments every 3 hours and initially it was every 2 hours. Weaning her off oxygen has been the most difficult thing to do. We started at 70% and every time they lower that level she needs to be raised again. Here O2 level drops when she is sleeping. So, she has been as low as 30% but she keeps having to go to 40-50% when she is asleep. We will be here at least until Monday. Hopefully, we won't celebrate her turning three weeks in the hospital. More later. Below is video of Day 2 in the hospital. I will try to get some more video today.

Finally!!!

What a perfect Valentine's Day present...to be able to hold your baby sister!! Amelia has not been able to hold Charlotte since she has been home from the hospital. So, there was pure joy on her face today as she held her sister.

Tom, Ben and Joe are still sick and Charlotte and I have managed to remain unscathed. Things are at a stand still though at our house...I am stuck on the couch with leg pain that I am icing and heating.

Charlotte and the Sick Kids

The kids are all sick with a terrible cold and cough. Mia's sickness has turned into a double ear infection. Ben just started tonight and sounds horribly congested. Everyone has been banned from Charlotte. We just had a friend's baby admitted for RSV and really don't want to spend three days in the hospital.

Tickled Pink Charlotte

Charlotte and Bear (days old)

With all the kids we took pictures of them and the bear each month until they were a year to watch them grow. And we still take a picture each year at their birthday.

So, here is Charlotte and Bear!

Sleeping Charlotte

Charlotte is our first baby to take a pacifier. Isn't she beautiful!

Charlotte and the one well kid

Since Charlotte came home both Mia and Joseph have been sick. So, here is Ben enjoying his sister.

Charlotte home from the hospital

Thoughts about and to Charlotte Rose

Charlotte and her many hats

Unlike Amelia, Charlotte has some hair but not a full head, more like her brothers. So, during my nesting phase I made tons of hats because she is a winter baby. And boy do they look cute on her.

The Kids Meet Charlotte Rose

Praise the Lord, the H1N1 ban was lifted from the hospital last week so the kids were able to come visit. They were so excited, especially Amelia who just can't keep her hands off of her. She is so happy to have a little baby and Charlotte being a girl is just an added bonus.

Introducing: Charlotte Rose

Charlotte Rose was born on February 4, 2010 at 6:41pm. She weighs 7lb.14oz and is 21 inches long. Labor started at 10:30 this morning and progressed slowly at home throughout the day. But by 5:20pm things started to speed up rapidly and we arrived at the hospital by 6pm and she was born 41 minutes later.