This is a picture of Richie and I before they took me to the operating room.
So, it turns out that Asher, who was due on October 5th, made his debut on September 13, 2011 at 6:20 p.m. He weighed 6lbs 5oz and was 19 1/4 inches long. HERE HE IS!!!!
Asher was born at 36 weeks and 6 days, just shy of 37 weeks gestation. We knew he was early, but we did not realize he would be considered preterm. The definition of preterm is the birth of a baby less than 37 weeks. After all, Asher was only one day shy of that!! But, as soon as he was born, they noticed he was grunting, which indicated he was having some problems breathing. They took him to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and he was placed on a CPAP machine, which is a type of breathing therapy. A CPAP is just an aid… it was not doing the breathing for Asher, it was simply making it easier for him to breathe. A friend of mine who has experienced this before likened it to a balloon... Asher’s lungs were like a new balloon that didn’t yet have a lot of elasticity (like a new balloon you try blowing up), so he had to work a little harder at getting his lungs inflated. The CPAP was just giving him a little assistance by keeping his lungs a little more inflated so he didn’t have to work as hard at re-inflating them every time he took a breath. Below is a picture of Asher on the CPAP machine. It is the tube you see coming from his nose and going around his head.
The below picture is the first time I was able to see Asher, which was about 12 hours after surgery. It was so hard seeing him with all of the tubes and wires attached to him. They told me I couldn't hold him, that I could only place my hands on him. No rubbing, patting, or anything that would stimulate him. They wanted him to stay calm in order to keep his breathing steady and even. He breaths were at 130 per minute and they said he needed to be below 60.
He was only on the CPAP machine one day before it was taken off and replaced with a nasal cannula.
And he was only on the nasal cannula for one day when he was taken off of oxygen completely. By September 16th he had learned how to breathe on his own with no assistance. His feeding tube was then moved from his mouth to his nose, which is the tube you see taped beneath his nose in the picture below. He was also being given necessary nutrients and fatty lipids through an IV, which is why his hand is taped to the board.
We felt he was progressing so well, but it was at this point that he started having digestive issues. We tried him on formula and on breast milk, but Asher's tummy was not digesting the food he was eating. The doctor ordered a blood test and x-ray, but everything appeared okay. We were told that his stomach was probably just not mature enough yet to know how to digest his food. He was tried at 3, 7, 10, and 12 ml every three hours, before they just stopped feeding altogether. If you are familiar with measurements, which I am not, then you know that there are 30 ml in 1 oz. So you see the very small amount he was being given. They gave his tummy a break and then started him on a special formula. Thankfully he has responded well to this one. (We are still hoping to re-introduce breast milk at some point.) He was started at 12, then 16, 18 and is now at 20 ml every three hours. He has been progressing so well for the last three days. Asher has now been in NICU for 10 days, two of which were spent under the bilirubin lights because of jaundice.
It is wonderful to see Asher progressing in the right direction and he will hopefully get to come home soon. His big brother is so anxious to meet him. Aiden has only gotten to see Asher through the NICU nursery window. Even though it has been rough on all of us, we feel incredibly blessed to see Asher doing so well at this point. And we are so, so thankful for all of the thoughts and prayers being sent our way. I will continue to update you all as we go along, but hopefully soon I will be posting a blog titled "Asher Comes Home!"
We love you sweet baby Asher! You are such a little trooper and we can't imagine our lives now without you!
