Six Weeks, One Day

Micah is now over 6 weeks old. I can hardly believe it. Life before her seems so far away from our current reality. She has had a string of good days, but may be coming into a harder period. As she grows, her breathing tube becomes less effective (because it stays the same size), her nerves become more sensitive to discomfort, and she becomes more restless. The past couple of days, she has been particularly active and alert, which is great for us, but may not be so great for her resting and growing.

Her doctor is telling us that she is almost to the point of needing a larger breathing tube and closer than ever to trying the next level of breathing system, which is does not require being intubated. He also says that she has lasted on this first tube longer than they expected her to. Normally, babies find a way to remove the tube themselves (or coughed it out) by the time they reach Micah's age. But, while she likes to hold onto it, Micah has not tried to do this yet. (Olivia reminded me that Micah did manage to rip out an IV, but hey, she didn't end up needing it anyway.) The problem with switching tubes is the stress the process causes to Micah, a new risk of infection, and the difficulty getting the new tube in just the right spot. Of course, a larger tube will "leak" less, but I imagine it would also take some getting used to for her.

The normal solution for Micah's discomfort is medication, an option Micah has required less frequently than most micro-preemies, and one Olivia and I don't particularly favor. So, we compromised this morning: Micah will need some sedation, but for a limited time, in limited doses, and with the least aggressive meds possible. This will allow her a few more days of growth (perhaps longer) with her current set-up and tube size. After that, she may need the larger breathing tube. Or, she may be able to go directly to the next level of breathing system (without a tube).

Except for being the prettiest baby in the NICU, the rest of her story today is fairly standard (or just above average). Her x-rays show good lung development, but she is still falling behind on her blood production. Her feed continue to increase and she is digesting them fully. Mama's milk is doing it's thing! And, she has moved up to a diaper size we can actually buy in the store!

Our prayer requests for the next couple of weeks include:
Her eye appointment (we don't know exactly when this will be)
Her tube situation (because there are so many variables)
Continued health for Olivia and myself
Limited medicial intervention
Continued weight gain
And, that the Lord would use all three of us to show His glory
(giving us strength as we still have months ahead of us)

We continue to praise the Lord Jesus for His provision as His Body has continued to bless us and allow us to do this together each week. God is faithful and we are grateful!






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