Austin Ryan Surber is now 1 year old! And, he was featured on TV 18 news on 11/22/10. See: http://www.wlfi.com/dpp/news/local/Comparison-of-care-at-new-Lafayette-hospitals2?ref=scroller&categoryId=20000&status=true for details.
Happy Birthday, Austin!
Love,
Grandma Shelly
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
A Very Over Due Post.....
Hello everyone, I'm so sorry this is so overdue!!! There have been a few new accomplishments since the last post. Austin is now 5 pounds! He's been getting so big that they have stopped adding extra calories to his formula. He is a little over 17 inches and fills out his preemie jammies very well!! With his full head of hair and newly pudgy tummy he is just so cute!! He also has been moved out of his isolette and is in an open crib. This was a really important step for him to come home and he's been doing so well at keeping his temperature up. Austin has also started bottle feeding as well. He is currently doing 2 bottle feedings a day but will probably be doing more pretty soon. He is getting the hang of taking a bottle pretty well which is a big accomplishment for him. Right around now is when he would have just been developing the refelex in utero so he is actually utilizing it while the reflex is developing. In order for Austin to come home he needs to be taking a bottle for all of his feedings consistently so it's exciting that he's doing so well. When he very first started he only took about 2ml from the bottle. He now takes between 15 and 30 ml out of 43ml so he's getting the hang of it. He's also on 1 liter of oxygen right now. They want to wean him down to half a liter and then to a quarter before he's taken off of his cannula (turns our I've been spelling that wrong) for good. He's getting so big and doing so well that I don't think this will be too much of a problem. Hopefully Austin will be home by the end of February!! After all this time it's so exciting to think that he could be home in 4 weeks!!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Big Progress!!
As of January 8th Austin is 4 pounds now!! He is continuing to do well and his nurses are talking about trying an open crib soon and possibly trying bottle feeding soon as well!! He is just such a cool little kid, we're so excited he's doing so well!!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Still Doing Great!
Hi! I wanted to give everyone a quick update. Austin is still doing amazingly well. He's off of his CPAP entirely and is now just on the nasal kenula. He just looks so much more comfortable without the mask bothering his nose all the time. He also is continuing to keep his body temperature up on his own and is continuing to gain weight. As of January 6th he is at 3lbs 14oz so hopefully in the next day or two he will be 4 pounds. We're so thrilled that he's doing as well as he is! He's at the point now where his obstacles aren't so much medical but more so what he needs to accomplish in order to come home. He'll have time to learn what he needs to do, it's still going to be about another 7 or 8 weeks before he can come home. Hopefully those weeks pass as quickly as these first 6 weeks have. Ryan and I are getting excited to bring him home and are really looking forward to when that time gets closer!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Austin's Eye Exam
Austin’s eye exam went really well! The doctor said that as of right now there are no signs of any damage to his eyes. He will have another exam in about two weeks as a follow up since his eyes and blood vessels will be more mature. Even though today’s exam was not a final result it is an excellent sign that his eyes should be ok.
Austin is continuing to improve in other areas as well. His weight is up to 3lbs 10oz as of January 1st. The more weight he puts on the more he is able to keep his own body temperature up which is an important step towards being able to come home. Tonight the nurses switched the settings on his isolette so instead of regulating itself up or down based on Austin’s temperature it is kept at a constant setting. This will allow them to gradually lower the temperature down until he is at room temperature. Since he is able to keep his body temperature up they decided it was ok to try out little teeny tiny baby clothes!!! They are starting him with a onesie to see how he does with it before adding more on him. He looks SO cute with his tiny little onesie on!! Since Austin has been gaining weight he’s starting to fill out and he just looks so precious with clothes on! He even has teeny tiny chubby cheeks now! (They compliment his double chin well…) They are also slowly weaning him off of the CPAP. He was only on the kenula for 3 hours at a time just a few days ago but now he is up to six hours. So as of right now he is on the CPAP for six hours and then the kenula for six hours and he rotates them throughout the day. He does very well when he’s on the kenula which shows that his lungs are getting stronger. Because it’s not such a struggle for him to breathe like it used to be, his little body isn’t as exhausted anymore. He’s more alert and is able to open his eyes and look around more. It’s so cute to watch him look around trying to focus on everything!
Ryan and I were able to change his diaper today for the first time too. That was an interesting experience! Not to toot my own horn or anything but after years of babysitting in high school I feel pretty confident in my diaper changing abilities. The whole game is changed when you’re looking through a plastic lid with your arms stuck through portholes working from the side instead of at the feet. So Ryan and I teamed up and each took a side to make sure he could be handled delicately. I was in charge of lifting up his legs while Ryan was supposed to slide the diaper underneath him. As soon as I lifted up his legs, Austin let out a stream of solid waste directly onto Ryan’s hand! Oh man, it was absolutely hilarious! (Mostly because it didn’t happen to me!) Ryan got himself washed up and we finished changing his diaper together. Although even preemie poop smells too it was really nice to actually take care of him.
Austin is continuing to improve in other areas as well. His weight is up to 3lbs 10oz as of January 1st. The more weight he puts on the more he is able to keep his own body temperature up which is an important step towards being able to come home. Tonight the nurses switched the settings on his isolette so instead of regulating itself up or down based on Austin’s temperature it is kept at a constant setting. This will allow them to gradually lower the temperature down until he is at room temperature. Since he is able to keep his body temperature up they decided it was ok to try out little teeny tiny baby clothes!!! They are starting him with a onesie to see how he does with it before adding more on him. He looks SO cute with his tiny little onesie on!! Since Austin has been gaining weight he’s starting to fill out and he just looks so precious with clothes on! He even has teeny tiny chubby cheeks now! (They compliment his double chin well…) They are also slowly weaning him off of the CPAP. He was only on the kenula for 3 hours at a time just a few days ago but now he is up to six hours. So as of right now he is on the CPAP for six hours and then the kenula for six hours and he rotates them throughout the day. He does very well when he’s on the kenula which shows that his lungs are getting stronger. Because it’s not such a struggle for him to breathe like it used to be, his little body isn’t as exhausted anymore. He’s more alert and is able to open his eyes and look around more. It’s so cute to watch him look around trying to focus on everything!
Ryan and I were able to change his diaper today for the first time too. That was an interesting experience! Not to toot my own horn or anything but after years of babysitting in high school I feel pretty confident in my diaper changing abilities. The whole game is changed when you’re looking through a plastic lid with your arms stuck through portholes working from the side instead of at the feet. So Ryan and I teamed up and each took a side to make sure he could be handled delicately. I was in charge of lifting up his legs while Ryan was supposed to slide the diaper underneath him. As soon as I lifted up his legs, Austin let out a stream of solid waste directly onto Ryan’s hand! Oh man, it was absolutely hilarious! (Mostly because it didn’t happen to me!) Ryan got himself washed up and we finished changing his diaper together. Although even preemie poop smells too it was really nice to actually take care of him.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Update for 12/30
I hope everyone had a great Christmas!! Ryan and I had such a good time with our families, it was so nice to be able to celebrate this year. Austin of course made out like a bandit!! After it was all said and done he had 2 washer loads of clothes!!
He is continuing to do so well. As of December 30th Austin is 3lbs 6oz and growing steadily. He is still on the CPAP but is alternating between that and the kenula. He’s still as strong and feisty as ever too! A few days ago I noticed he had something covering his knees and asked what it was for. His nurse said she put them on him because when he’s on his belly he’s been scooting himself on his knees and making them red so she put these thin plastic barriers (like band-aids) to protect his skin. He continues to amaze his nurses and doctors with how strong and determined he is. (Mom, does this remind you of anyone?? Haha I guess I’ll be figuring out what it was like for you to raise me!) He is also getting a bath about once or twice a week now. He really likes being bathed and doesn’t even cry! It’s kind of surprising because a lot of babies cry while they’re being bathed and a super-sensitive preemie you think would throw a fit. But his nurses say he likes it so that’s a really encouraging sign. He also is tolerating room temperature much better than when he was first born. When I would hold him before, he would have two or three warming blankets and big fuzzy blanket on top of him. But now he just has one or two regular blankets wrapped around him and his temperature is great. This is an important step because he has to be able to tolerate room temperature (he’s currently in a warm and humid isolette to keep his body temperature up) in order to be in an open bassinette. He then has to continue to do well in an open bassinette (among other things) to be able to come home. Austin is also becoming more alert. The last few times I’ve visited with him his eyes have been open and he’s been looking very intently at his surroundings. It’s so incredibly precious because along with his eyes being open he’s been smiling as well! I don’t care if it’s not a ‘true’ smile because it’s so stinkin’ cute!!!
Austin has a big appointment coming up on Friday. He will have his eyes examined to check on his retinas and blood vessels. He will have to have his eyes dilated and eyelids held open with tiny little prongs. While the exam is done quickly Ryan and I were told this isn’t really an exam that parents are comfortable being present for, understandably! So Friday we will find out if he has any sort of retinal detachment or if the blood vessels in his eyes are developing abnormally. Something else I learned in NICU is that too much oxygen could cause the blood vessels in his eyes to grow abnormally. Fortunately he has not needed a lot of oxygen so we’re extremely hopeful that his eyes are developing just as well as the rest of him has been.
Please keep Austin in your prayers on Friday. He is still fighting and needs so much prayer. I will post an update shortly after we get news on how he did during the exam. Thank you to all of you who have been following his progress for so long. Ryan and I sincerely appreciate everyone’s concern and Austin certainly needs all your prayers.
Happy New Year!!
He is continuing to do so well. As of December 30th Austin is 3lbs 6oz and growing steadily. He is still on the CPAP but is alternating between that and the kenula. He’s still as strong and feisty as ever too! A few days ago I noticed he had something covering his knees and asked what it was for. His nurse said she put them on him because when he’s on his belly he’s been scooting himself on his knees and making them red so she put these thin plastic barriers (like band-aids) to protect his skin. He continues to amaze his nurses and doctors with how strong and determined he is. (Mom, does this remind you of anyone?? Haha I guess I’ll be figuring out what it was like for you to raise me!) He is also getting a bath about once or twice a week now. He really likes being bathed and doesn’t even cry! It’s kind of surprising because a lot of babies cry while they’re being bathed and a super-sensitive preemie you think would throw a fit. But his nurses say he likes it so that’s a really encouraging sign. He also is tolerating room temperature much better than when he was first born. When I would hold him before, he would have two or three warming blankets and big fuzzy blanket on top of him. But now he just has one or two regular blankets wrapped around him and his temperature is great. This is an important step because he has to be able to tolerate room temperature (he’s currently in a warm and humid isolette to keep his body temperature up) in order to be in an open bassinette. He then has to continue to do well in an open bassinette (among other things) to be able to come home. Austin is also becoming more alert. The last few times I’ve visited with him his eyes have been open and he’s been looking very intently at his surroundings. It’s so incredibly precious because along with his eyes being open he’s been smiling as well! I don’t care if it’s not a ‘true’ smile because it’s so stinkin’ cute!!!
Austin has a big appointment coming up on Friday. He will have his eyes examined to check on his retinas and blood vessels. He will have to have his eyes dilated and eyelids held open with tiny little prongs. While the exam is done quickly Ryan and I were told this isn’t really an exam that parents are comfortable being present for, understandably! So Friday we will find out if he has any sort of retinal detachment or if the blood vessels in his eyes are developing abnormally. Something else I learned in NICU is that too much oxygen could cause the blood vessels in his eyes to grow abnormally. Fortunately he has not needed a lot of oxygen so we’re extremely hopeful that his eyes are developing just as well as the rest of him has been.
Please keep Austin in your prayers on Friday. He is still fighting and needs so much prayer. I will post an update shortly after we get news on how he did during the exam. Thank you to all of you who have been following his progress for so long. Ryan and I sincerely appreciate everyone’s concern and Austin certainly needs all your prayers.
Happy New Year!!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Another Good Week!
Austin is continuing to do exceptionally well, his weight is up to 3 pounds one ounce as of December 21st!! When he was first getting on a regular feeding schedule, he was started with 2 1/2 ml every eight hours. Now he is up to 23 ml every 3 hours! His intestines are continuing to process everything as they should be and his heart murmur seems to be going away. He has been doing so well at getting through all of his challenges we can't help but be optimistic that he will continue to do as well as he has been. His next obstacle will be his vision test which will be done sometime next week or the week after. An eye doctor will visit Austin and determine if he has any retinal detachment. If this is the case they can do laser corrective surgery actually in his room to help prevent blindness. It's not a guarantee should he have any problems but at least he won't have to go to Riley. His nurses are also hoping that his lungs will be developed enough to take him off of his CPAP sometime this week. He was alternating between his nasal kenula (the other breathing aid he was switched to, I finally remembered what it was called...) and the CPAP but they decided to keep him on the CPAP because he wasn't struggling as much with it. We're really hoping that he's able to come off the nasal breathing aids because they're really starting to irritate his sensitive nose. Once in a while he would get a bit of a bloody nose because his skin was getting so irritated by the prongs so they traded the prongs for a mask that covers his nose. If you look at your thumbnail it will give you a good idea of how small the mask is. It is not as invasive as the prongs but he is still uncomfortable so we're hoping that he will soon be able to breathe well enough to not need any aid. (the breathing tube actually forces him to breathe and supplies oxygen whereas the CPAP and nasal kenula blow air pressure into his lungs to keep them inflated.) Last week a blood culture showed that Austin could be coming down with an infection. He was started on antibiotics and two or three days later another blood culture showed that it was negative for infection. Being in a warm, humid isolette with a picc line and i.v. (which leaves an open point of entry into his body) makes him extremely susceptible to infection so he was being closely monitored for any changes in his blood. Fortunately whatever was going on was caught and treated early enough and has not developed into an issue.
Ryan and I are fully aware that Austin does not have to be doing as well as he is. He has been able to avoid heart surgery, intestinal surgery, severe brain damage, and neuromuscular disorders such as cerebral palsy. Each day that he progresses is not taken for granted and we are thankful every day that he has been able to do so well. Each day that we wake up, Ryan and I thank God for Austin's progress and every night that we go to bed we pray that he will continue to do well. Although he is not in the clear yet, Austin has already shown us how strong he is and we are starting to let ourselves think about bringing him home.
Ryan and I are fully aware that Austin does not have to be doing as well as he is. He has been able to avoid heart surgery, intestinal surgery, severe brain damage, and neuromuscular disorders such as cerebral palsy. Each day that he progresses is not taken for granted and we are thankful every day that he has been able to do so well. Each day that we wake up, Ryan and I thank God for Austin's progress and every night that we go to bed we pray that he will continue to do well. Although he is not in the clear yet, Austin has already shown us how strong he is and we are starting to let ourselves think about bringing him home.
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