Update with A x 2

I’d say an update with Anthony and Aryanna is overdue!  Here’s what they’ve been up to this week.

Anthony

Let’s start with some exciting news—Anthony hit the 3-pound mark this week and he came off phototherapy (jaundice is better—for now anyway)!  His feedings have stayed at 10 ml all week, but for a few days they were fortifying my breast milk with formula to make it higher calorie (24 calories), but his little tummy wasn’t digesting the formula very well.  Today the doctor decided to switch him back to straight breast milk and increased his feedings to 13 ml every 3 hours.  He’s getting IV fluids through a PICC line (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) in his arm but that’s starting to come out so they’d like to get his feedings up so he won’t need that anymore.

Anthony had another brain scan on Thursday and it still showed a grade 4 bleed on the left side and a 3 on the right side, however the bleeding has stopped.  He has also developed some swelling due to fluid not being able to drain because the blood is clogging the ventricles.  He ended up needing a spinal tap yesterday to drain off some of the fluid and they were able to drain 10 ml.  The doctor said sometimes they aren’t able to get any fluid this way, so he was pleased that they were able to drain off some of that fluid.  Please pray that the fluid would start to drain on its own so he won’t end up needing a shunt (a small tube that would run under his skin to drain the fluid from his brain down to his belly).  If it comes to that there’s a possibility he would have to be in Iowa City for a couple of weeks for that procedure.  Overall he’s doing pretty well given the circumstances; he’s such a tough little guy and oh so sweet.  Doesn’t that face just melt your heart?

Aryanna

Aryanna had some exciting news this week as well.  Her heart murmur is gone!  This is something that could come and go, but for now, they’re not hearing it anymore.  Also, by Tuesday she was getting enough nutrition through her feedings that she didn’t need TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition or “Baby Gatorade” as the nurses call it) through her PICC line anymore.  They switched her to just clear fluids and by Friday she didn’t need that either and got her PICC line out!  One less cord and machine to deal with—yay!  Her feedings are up to 20 ml every 3 hours.  She had also been on the 24 calorie fortified milk like Anthony and also wasn’t digesting the formula well so the doctor put her back on straight breast milk yesterday.  Today she started getting calcium powder mixed in with her milk because her alkaline phosphatase levels have been high this week, which means that she isn’t getting enough calcium in her bones (another common preemie problem).  It sounds like the extra calcium should do the trick though.  She continues to make us laugh every time she escapes from her swaddling, pulls her CPAP out of her nose or makes funny faces—I think we’re going to have our hands full with this girl!

Our little escape artist!

Prayer Requests for This Week

• Anthony has another brain scan tomorrow (Monday) to check on the swelling.  Pray that the fluid would start to drain on its own and that he wouldn’t feel any discomfort from the swelling.

• Tomorrow both Anthony and Aryanna have their first eye exam to check for ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity—another common preemie problem).  Pray that the blood vessels in their eyes would be developing normally.

I’ll try to get the blog updated once we know the results of these tests.  I know many of you are following their progress.  We appreciate your continued support and prayers!