Four Pounds!

Ansel is tipping four pounds two ounces. Six bottle feedings and two tube feedings daily fuel the growth. Tube feedings will terminate this week. An open bed replaced the isolet. Ansel generates his own heat and lays in a flat bed now. Today he received a transfusion, which pinked him up. Homeward bound in two weeks? Maybe. We are five weeks before his due date.

One of the nurses has a crush on Ansel - He is her favorite. She bought him some outfits and really looks after him. Nurses do become attached to the babies.

Living with Grandpa/Grandma Sneddon in Joplin, Kerri enjoys being out of, but close to the hospital. Doctors still regularly treat the wound and kidneys.

Sunday, Great Grandma Wilma visited and held Ansel. Grandma Jeanne (with her cough) looked through the outside window. Four generations....

Progress continues.

Notice: better captions for the pictures will be considered. Credit will be given when we know who it is. Post yours in the comments. (Nobody knows who came up with the first one).





"Mom, I can see up your nose."




Another bottle down.














Family Picture
















"Gee, I wonder what this tastes like?"

Thursday Update

Ansel and Kerri continue to make progress. Bottle feedings have gone from once a day to three times a day, with Ansel eagerly consuming the 35 ccs in each meal. Between feedings, formula is delivered through the feeding tube. Latest weight is 3lbs 11ozs.

Routine tests continue to return good results -- baby retina okay, brain bleeding okay, heart okay. His nasal cannella is only flowing low amounts of O2, and nobody gets excited anymore when Ansel pulls it out. Nurses bundle him to slow down the little traveler - who now wiggles around the ioslet, often piling up in a corner. Doctors are now weaning the steroids which help the lungs.

Activities are gearing up to prepare Ansel to leave the NICU. He gets to learn about the hard life - like regulating his temperature and sleeping on a flat mattress. We hope to bring him home in a few weeks.

Kerri is enjoying life out of the hospital. Her appetite is growing, and she enjoys the fresh air. She still spends lots of time in the NICU, and visits her nurse friends. The healing incision gets packed twice a day - in the morning by a visiting nurse, then in the evening by Cody. She is just as cheerful as always, and thankful.

(Click Picture for Larger View)
I'm Big Enough to Hold Your Hand


I can yell like the big ones!

Goodbye Dear Friends

"... psst - Dad! Check out the babe in isolet #3 -- She's Hot!"


Finished Packing, With View of Heliport Outside Kerri's Room

Tuesday night

Kerri and Cody are getting settled in their new temporary home at Grandma & Grandpa Sneddon's in Joplin. Planning on staying there until Ansel gets out of the hospital, we suspect they are being treated in a royal way by Grandma. Kerri is having a nurse visit daily to care for the incision. The incision has done a lot of healing in the last few days.

Ansel had his first bottle of formula on Monday. Kerri reported that he had it downed in just ten minutes! The doctor was surprised at how well Ansel adjusted to the bottle. At this rate, he will be out of the NICU before we know it. Last weigh in was 3 lbs. 11 ozs.

FLASH - KERRI COMING HOME TONIGHT

FLASH: KERRI COMING HOME TONIGHT

Just received word that Kerri is going to be released sometime today. We will post more details later tonight.

As late as yesterday, Doctors were saying 'one more week'. But is seems that the incision wound has closed enough to release her.

Plans are for her to stay with Jack and Wilma Sneddon in Joplin, to be close to the hospital.

Thursday Night

Thanks everyone for all your support.

Ansel is at 3lbs, 9ozs. Doctors monitor his growth while watching his breathing capability. If he grows too fast, he outstrips lung capacity. They give him a diuretic when they want to slow him down. Kinda sounds like an Oprah diet.

The CPap has been weaned back to two hours a shift, which is 2hours on, 10 off. Ansel is less grumpy without it. Progress points include the many sounds Ansel makes as he clears his passageways. We have a growing boy.

Kerri is done with dialysis! Big step. The ports are to be removed Friday. Kidneys are rated at 30-50% and increasing. The big issue remains the incision. The vacuum machine is still on, and will stay on another week. The wound must heal from the inside out now. Care Givers regularly clean and trim the wound, which is now the only time Kerri takes morphine. She has weaned herself off the rest of the pain killers. The appetite is returning, probably helped by the pain killers leaving. We are now mid-seventh hospital week.

Thanks for all the notes and comments. Kerri really loves reading them.

Side Note: A sister of one of Ansel's nurses adopted a NICU baby this week. This shows that not only the nurses are special, but their families are too.


(Click Picture for Larger View)


"What's that in the Nurses hand????? Oh, No. That can't be good!"




"How much is that dog, in the Window?"





"CPap time"

Tuesday Night

After several days of small steps, Tuesday was a really good day. Kerri ate better today, and Ansel is now at 3lbs 7ozs. Kidneys now operate at 30 percent, letting Kerri skip dialysis today.

Ansel is being weaned off the CPap, 6 hours on, 6 hours off. He slept better and cried less. He really hates the CPap. Kerri held him this morning, and Cody held him tonight. Doctors have also decreased the steroid treatment for his breathing.

Wednesday, Doctors will continue to work on Kerri's incision, which continues to be a concern. Kerri's spirits continue to be high, as always. We continue to hear compliments from the nursing staff of her sweet and strong character.

Cody started back to MSSU, working Monday, Wednesday and Friday. School Tuesday and Thursday.

This small family is an inspiration.

Sunday Night

Kerri looked great tonight. Recovering from an episode of nearly fainting Saturday night, her color and animation had returned by Sunday. The vacuum machine is doing a good job and the excretions are more clear which is a good thing. Another bit of good news, Kerri's kidneys are starting to work a little. Her scheduled dialysis on Monday has been cancelled. We'll wait and see if she needs it on Tuesday. Able to eat a little on Saturday and Sunday, Kerri is trying to wean herself from the pain medication which she believes may be upsetting her stomach. The wound is still quite open and will take some time for it to heal, but things are looking better.

Ansel does not enjoy the Cpap and has cried quite a bit today. Cody thinks it hurts his little nose. Off the Cpap for two hours every ten hours gives him a little reprieve. Starting some steroid treatment today, the steroids are supposed to help the breathing situation. Ansel was sleeping comfortably as we left the hospital tonight. Kerri and Cody were able to calm the baby by holding him and he was able to rest. Ansel may be held now twice a day, so that is also exciting for Mom & Dad.