February 22, 2007

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7

Yesterday was a calmer day with just a couple of "hiccups." Kyle has been having trouble with his blood sugar being to high, which the doctors were able to treat successfully with insulin. He also had jaundice,but after phototherapy they were able to clear that up as well. I am healing well from the Cesarean section and able to move around more each day. Unfortunately, yesterday I developed a fever and was not allowed in the NICU to see Kyle for 24 hours. That was tough!

On a positive note, my milk came in yesterday, and the doctors attempted Kyle's first feeding. A healthy sucking and breathing coordination usually forms at around 34 weeks after gestation, allowing a baby to begin breastfeeding or bottle feeding normally. In Kyle's case, he is fed protein, fat, sugar, vitamins, and minerals intravenously. Yesterday, they also attempted to drip breastmilk feedings into his intestines and it went perfectly. The doctors have said there is always a concern that with a baby this little that when they are given a feeding, their organs are not mature enough to move the food through the intestines. It is amazing how precise the doctors in the NICU are with everything. They first attempted 1.8ml of breastmilk, and measure everything that comes out of Kyle to confirm that 1.8ml comes out before they would give him his next feeding. He was able to complete 5 cycles of feedings before we got the news regarding our next obstacle...

Kyle is hanging in there, although the "honeymoon phase" the doctors have warned us of seems to be ending. Kyle's doctor thought he heard a heart murmur today and therefore ordered an EKG. The results just came back and Kyle has a condition called Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). The ductus is a blood vessel connecting the main vessel leading to the lungs (pulmonary artery) to the main vessel of the body (aorta). Its function in the unborn baby is to allow blood to bypass the lungs, since oxygen for the blood comes from the mother and not from breathing air. Normally after birth the ductus closes in the first few hours, but in Kyle's case, this blood vessel has stayed open. The opening of this blood vessel causes too much blood to be pumped into the lungs. This can lead to an increase in fluid in the lungs and makes it harder for the baby to breathe as well as increases the work of the heart. To treat his PDA, the doctors began administering medications and stopped Kyle's feedings. They are going to give him three doses of medicine over a 36 hour period and then repeat the EKG on Saturday to see if the medicine has helped close the ductus. The doctor said that in 70% of cases, the medicine is effective, however, if it does not work, then surgery will be required to close it.

Many people have asked for us to post a picture of Kyle. We have our digital camera down here, but forgot the cord to download the pictures onto the computer. Joe is going to get a cord this weekend so we should have some pictures up soon. Stay tuned!

We continue to be humbled by your thoughts and prayers. So as you pray, know that it is being answered as God gives Kyle more strength for each new day.

Much Love,

Jennifer, Joe, Madison and Kyle