Ella had another good night. There was only one minor crises this time.
Ella’s saturation monitor went off, so we were both up. The light was somewhat dim in the room, making it tough to see. After a bunch of theories as to why her saturations were lower (we must have switched the pulse oximeter three or four times, increased her flow, etc.), we turned on the brighter light and noticed that the cannulas had fallen from her nose. Well, that was another nice drill!
Aside from that, Ella slept through the night. She did wake up a bit earlier than normal due to her nose being stuffed up. When it gets blocked too much, she can’t suck on her pacifier and get enough oxygen through her nose at the same time so she gets frustrated and irritable. At that point, Daddy decided to pick her up and cuddle her in an upright position to help drain her sinuses (she is still having remnants of the cold that started 2+ weeks ago).
A home nurse service came again today to check on Ella. The nurse took vital signs and listened to her lungs. Everything checked out good.
Ella was in her normal mood until later in the day. Once she woke up from her afternoon nap, she seemed more fussy than normal. We think that it is because her digestion of the 100% formula is slowing things down and making it tougher for her to stool. Since she has been switched to the 100% formula about 5 days ago, her run rate is once every 36 hours (on breast milk, it was 1-3 times per day). So she remained fussy from 2pm on today. Once again, it is tough to watch her hurting and not be able to fix it for her. She is on special medication to help with digestion, and I think she will adjust, but it is just going to take time.
We tried going outside for a walk for the first time with the Bun. The weather was beautiful and we thought we would introduce Ella to the sun and breeze. At first, we tried placing her in the stroller. She did not want to be in there and pitched a fit. We immediately turned around and tried the Baby Bjorn instead since it seemed like she wanted to be held. Since Ella felt close to my heart, she relaxed and then fell asleep while we took a short stroll around the apartment community.
Tonight we had a nice surprise. Nurse Janet stopped by with dinner and came to hold the Bun for about an hour. That was so sweet of her to think of us and come to visit Ella. She too experienced Ella being fussy and confirmed that she thought it was likely the stool issue too.
As you may have assumed, I’m already feeling the effects of exhaustion that all new moms experience. Tonight, I’m not feeling 100% either. I hope that it is just lack of sleep and that I can get rid of the ill symptoms soon. More importantly, if I am catching anything, I do not want Ella to get sick (that could mean going back to the hospital).
Ella’s grandpa will be coming to visit in another week, but until then, I will be on my own each day with Ella while Josh is working. Please pray for me: I need endurance to keep up with Ella’s routine (I don’t want to get sick from the lack of sleep), and pray that I will be able to feel successful in taking care of her solo. There are many times that I could use a third arm!
All I can do is rest in His promises. Once again, that seems to be the theme during this whole journey.
Isaiah 41:9-11
I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
We are so blessed by our baby girl; we just want to do everything we can for her.
Thank you for the continued prayers. We appreciate the love and support from each one of you.
