NICU Terms H-K

***sorry for my lack of posts the past few days - Parker's been sick and we've been busy!***

Heel Stick
Pricking the baby's heel to obtain small amounts of blood for testing.

Hemaglobin
A material in red blood cells that carries oxygen and contains iron.

High Frequency Oscillatory Ventilator
A special ventilator capable of breathing for a baby at rates exceeding those of a normal ventilator (for example, 120 - 1,320 BPM, or Breaths Per Minute).

Hydrocephalus
Abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the ventricles of the brain. It is sometimes known as "water on the brain." Within the center of our brains each of us has two fluid-filled areas called cerebral ventricles. Cerebrospinal fluid is made within these ventricles and distributed over the surface of the brain and spinal cord. When the normal circulation of cerebrospinal fluid is interrupted, fluid can accumulate within the ventricles. This fluid puts pressure on the brain, forcing it against the skull and enlarging the ventricles. In infants, this fluid accumulation often results in bulging of the fontanelle (soft spot) and abnormally rapid head growth. The head enlarges because the bony plates making up the skull have not yet fused together. In preemies the most common cause of hydrocephalus is intraventricular hemorrhage.

I & O (Input & Output)
Refers to the amount of fluids given by oral feedings and/or by IV, and the amount of fluid excreted in the urine or stools.

Isolette
Also known as an incubator, an isolette is a clear plastic, enclosed bassinet used to keep prematurely born infants warm. Preemies often loose heat very quickly unless they are put in a protected thermal environment. The temperature of the isolette can be adjusted to keep the infant warm regardless of the infant's size or room temperature.

Kangaroo Care
Skin-to-skin contact between parent and baby. During kangaroo care, the baby is placed on the parent's chest, dressed only in a diaper and sometimes a hat. The baby's head is turned to the side so the baby can hear the parent's heartbeat and feel the parent's warmth. Kangaroo care is effective, but it's limited to babies whose condition is not critical.

NICU Terms D - G

More terms that you may here being thrown around on here or in a NICU or when referencing a preemie....

Again taken from ttmf.org

Developmentally Delayed / Disabled
A term used to describe infants and toddlers who have not achieved skills and abilities which are expected to be mastered by children of the same age. Delays can be in any of the following areas: physical, social, emotional, intellectual, speech and language and/or adaptive development, sometimes called self-help skills, which include dressing, toileting, and feeding. Many developmental delays can be overcome with early intervention programs.

Early Intervention Program
Planned use of physical therapy and other interventions in the first few years of a child's life to enhance the child's development. Connecticut's Birth To Three program is an early intervention program.

Echocardiogram (“Echo”)
Ultrasound picture of the heart. This is a painless, non-invasive procedure that takes accurate pictures of almost all parts of the heart. Many preemies have a cardiac ultrasound if the doctor is looking for evidence of a patent ductus arteriosus.

Endotracheal Tube (ETT or ET Tube)
Tube placed through the mouth or nose into the throat and the child's trachea (windpipe). This tube provides a secure pathway through which air can be circulated to the lungs.

Extremely Low Birth Weight (ELBW)
A baby born weighing less than 2 pounds, 3 ounces (1,000 grams). Also known as a "micropreemie." See also Very Low Birth Weight and Low Birth Weight.

Extubation
Removing the Endotracheal Tube (ET Tube) from the baby's windpipe.

Gastroesophageal Reflex (GER)
Contents on the stomach coming back up into the esophagus, which occurs when the junction between the esophagus and the stomach is not completely developed or is abnormal. GER is very common among preemies. In some babies, reflux can irritate the lining of the esophagus and cause a form of "heartburn" which causes them to become irritable and uncomfortable. Mild forms of GER are common, require no treatment, and go away on their own over a period of months. However, it is necessary to evaluate how severe the GER is and whether or not it requires treatment.
Treatment of GER may include keeping the baby upright, thickening of the feedings, giving medication to reduce stomach acid, and sometimes giving medication to increase the ability of the stomach to contract.

Gavage Feeding
Feeding a baby through a nasogastric (NG) tube. Also called tube feeding.

Parker had GER as well as ELBW - he was exactly 1000 grams (or 2 pounds 3 ozs at birth) Parker was also fed through a gavage...for a while actually, because of his GER.

NICU Terms A-C

One thing I wish I would have studied while Parker was in the NICU were some of the terms I heard on a daily basis. I got used to them after a while and even now - there are times where I have to explain some of these terms. On Tuesday's and Friday's I will share with you some of the terminology of the NICU. I want to do this so the next time you come across someone saying something about being in the NICU and using big words or phrases you may not understand, you will have a resource that will give you the info you need...

(this is taken from ttmf.org)

Adjusted Age
Also known as "corrected age." This is your child's chronological age minus the number of weeks he or she was born early. For example, if your 9-month-old was born 2 months early, you can expect him or her to look and act like a 7-month old. Usually you can stop age-adjusting by the age of 2 or 3.

Anemia
A condition in which the red blood cells in the blood — measured by a hematocrit, or "crit" — are lower than normal. Red blood cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from tissue

Apnea
Cessation of breathing lasting 20 seconds or longer. Also known as an apneic episodes or apneic spells. It is common for premature infants to stop breathing for a few seconds. They almost always restart on their own, but occasionally they need stimulation or drug therapy to maintain regular breathing. The heart rate often slows with apnea; this is called bradycardia. The combination of apnea and bradycardia is often called an A&B spell.
Apnea gradually becomes less frequent as premature infants mature and grow. There is no relationship between apnea and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Aspiration
1. The accidental sucking in of food particles or fluids into the lungs.
2. Removal of a sample of fluid and cells through a needle.

Blood Gas
A blood test used to evaluate an infant's level of oxygen, carbon dioxide and acid. This test is significant because it helps to evaluate an infant's respiratory status.

Bradycardia (“Brady”)
An abnormally low heart rate. Bradys are usually associated with apnea in premature infants. During these spells the infant will stop breathing for at least 15 seconds and the heart rate will start to slow, also referred to as an "A&B spell." Gentle touching or other stimulation almost always restarts the breathing and increases the heart rate. Medications (theophylline or caffeine) are often used to treat these spells in newborn babies.

Charge Nurse
The registered nurse who has general responsibility for coordinating the nursing care of all babies in a unit for a particular shift. Nursing shifts may be either 8 or 12 hours.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
Supplemental oxygen or room air delivered under pressure though either an endotracheal tube (tube that goes directly into the infant's lungs) or small tubes or prongs that sit in the nostrils. Delivering oxygen under pressure helps keep air sacs in the lungs open and also helps maintain a clear airway to the lungs. Nasal CPAP (NCPAP) is commonly used immediately after removing the endotracheal tube to treat apnea and/or prevent the need for an endotracheal tube and ventilator.

These are ones that I used regularly when blogging or where often uttered in the NICU when I was there. My son was on a CPAP for part of his time...and initially had a lot of Brady's and issues with aspiration. I am still not 100% used to having to use the term adjusted age - which for Parker is just about 14.5 months.

Tomorrow begins my journal journey wednesdays...I look forward to sharing with you what went through my mind as I was with Parker in the NICU each day.

Please know that if you have a question or would like certain information to be posted, I'd be happy to do so!

My Mother's Day Gift Guide!

I have been thinking a lot about mother's day this year. It's my first one with a child (though I did celebrate it last year!) and I count myself lucky to be able to celebrate it. Though I realize you should not need a day to celebrate moms, I plan to enjoy it! I truly believe this year is going to be one of my best because I get to dedicate my son on this day! This just thrills me.

I have been thinking a lot about gifts. I have no idea what I would want. While I need/want new clothes I don't want them for mothers day. I thought I wanted something sentimental, but I am not sure about that either, the last thing I really need is another necklace or picture frame. I have been searching the internet, reading other blogs and I have come up with my list of Mother's Day gift ideas (hunny, are you paying attention???) Parker, is daddy paying attention for you??? (These are in random order)

1. The Pouchee
- Not that my purse is horribly unorganized, but it would be nice to have a way to change purses easier. I am also too the point where I don't always carry a purse, what with an almost one year old and his stuff, I tend to throw my stuff in his diaper bag or a canvas bag and go. I am almost sick of trying to balance a purse, a diaper bag, ect. I certainly think this would be helpful. Plus, my friend Sandy, has one and loves hers and well, she's getting me to love them too!

2. The Fumi Purse Hook
- Did I not just say that I don't want to carry my purse as much? Well, its true, but I do plan to carry it when out with a friend or on a date with the hubby! This little doodad is super cute and practical. Rather than sitting my purse on the ground in who knows what, it keeps it up off the floor! How handy is that! No more bending over to pick it up, no sitting it in nasty sticky stuff. It makes life a little easier! Plus, its fashionable! Oh and this is another thing Sandy owns and it's too cute!

3. Gladiator Sandals and or Flip Flops!
- Sure I said I didn't want clothes, but I didn't say I didn't want shoes! I love me some shoes, especially sandals - especially gladiator style and flip flops. It's in my humble opinion that sandals are fantabulous and everyone should own them! I am not a huge fan of the gladiator sandals that go up really high, but I certainly would love something like these:


4. Planters/Flowers
- I grew up always helping my grandma planting flowers in the spring. While I loathe bees, I love flowers and I miss having flowers around. I live in an upstairs apartment, so I have no actual ground area to plant flowers, but I do have front and back balconies. I have been thinking a lot about getting some planter boxes and planting flowers. I have one small flower pot (it currently has very DEAD plants in it) but I would love to have more. Just a small garden in a box! Heck, maybe even some hanging flower pots would be nice too. There are hooks that I could use to hand some up. I just really need some flowers or something.


5. An Outdoor Oasis
- I would love to make my front balcony another room! I would be out there ALL the time! I'd love to get an outdoor rug, a couple of plants, a cute little bistro table and chair set and make a little outdoor living area. As it stands right now, my patio has a green blanket on it (for when Parker is out playing so he doesn't sit on wood, and a foldable lawn chair!

6. Spa Day/Massage
- Seriously, what mom would not like this. Oh man, I would love to have a day of pampering with out the kiddo. I'd love a nice professional massage, get my hair done, soak in hot tub, just a day to myself.

7. Esty Gift Card
- I am obsessed with Etsy. I love handmade, unique, thoughtful items. I love looking at all the creative items on etsy and would love a gift card so that I could get some things.

8. Pictures of Parker
- As it stands right now, I do not have any pictures of Parker hung in the house. I have wedding pictures and that's about it. I'd love some 8x10's to hang up, that would be super awesome! I'd love to have enough to where I could make a collage on my wall.

9. Blog Design
- I would love to have my blog updated with a nice design by someone who makes layouts. I came across a great website of someone who does designs as a way to raise money to go on volunteer/humnaitarian trips. The name of her site is Blogs for a Cause! It's a great way to not only get a nice gift for mother's day, but also support someone else. And I have to say, she does great work!

10. Organizing Needs
- On thing I have been working hard on is organizing my home. Making things easier to find, while de-cluttering and giving items homes. I would love to go to the container store or really anywhere and just get a bunch of different items to help with my organizing. I have done quite a bit of work so far (especially in my kitchen) and I would love to keep going at it. I am sick of the clutter and the messes!

Well there you have it, 10 ideas for Mother's Day gifts. Also, I am a huge fan of handmade things by your children. I still make handmaid gifts, cards ect for others and I believe it adds a special touch to a gift to know that your child put in effort to make you something!



I also had the chance to post this over at Blissfully Domestic, one of my favorite sites for all things domestic, blissful and useful. This site is amazing, it always has awesome articles, anything from home decor ideas to being blissfully you! Check it out: Blissfully Domestic.

Mommy Guilt - Things I have Learned

Hello Friends,

I hope you all are well on this wonderful hump day wednesday! Things are ok here...I have a really sore knee (I've had knee problems for as long as I can remember) and have been busy, but things are good! I met to type this out yesterday, but got sidetracked with a 9 month old who's learned that rolling is fun! I apologize for making you wait!

Ok, on to mommy guilt - some final thoughts from the book I was reading: "Motherhood, The Guilt That Keeps on Giving." What a great book and I have really enjoyed sharing thoughts with you from this book. I know we all struggle from mommy guilt and I know we can all use some insight as to how to deal with it. Remember, there is true guilt and false guilt and one of the key ways to work through guilt is to identify true vs. fake. I would say most of the time what we feel as mom's is fake guilt. For example, my son has really dry skin and I feel terrible and guilty that I don't rub lotion on him all the time...I feel guilty that he got hurt today when he was napping, he had rolled down to the bottom of his crib and had his arm stuck and twisted in the slats. He was fine, no broken bones, just a scary boy, but I felt bad that I hadn't heard him crying sooner. FALSE GUILT. I have this daily, several times a day and I think through trough the guilt I do have, very rarely is it actual true guilt. True guilt is obvious and false guilt is very vague.

If there is true guilt in the midst of the false guilt, there are ways to work through it. First, you must acknowledge it, then confess it, then ask forgiveness and accept that forgiveness and then finally make amends and work through restoration. Praying is a good place to start, pray for forgiveness and accept that God has forgiven you! One quote I liked in the book states: "Purposely choose to say no to the guilt forgiven when it beckons." I really liked it because I know I tend to dwell and churn and allow this to fester inside (not just with mommy guilt, but with all guilt). I really want to learn and practice this concept more. I think if I allowed myself to truly feel forgiven and accept God's grace, I would be much happier and less worried. Sure, there will be on going consequences of true guilt, but by accepting my forgiveness and the grace extended to me, I think the consequences will be easier to deal with. Truth is, as Ms. Barnhill said, "It's hard to feel forgiven." I will be the first to admit that.

At the end of the book, Ms. Barnhill talks about some heart connectors, 6 things that will help you and your family to grow closer together and live in "Graceland" (and no, I am not talking about Elvis here!) Ways for you especially to heal a heart that may feel burdened with guilt, positive things, things that will help you learn that God extends his grace to you and loves you. Here are the 6 connectors the author mentions!
1) Give a compliment - they go a long way and will not only make those you compliment feel great, but help you feel great too.
2) Reach out and touch - not necessarily go around hugging everyone, mainly, being there for others, loving them, being the shoulder to cry on, the listening ear, the venting bag!
3) Surprise your family with random acts of extravagant love.
4) Don't neglect your network - this is my struggle, I get too worried about bugging people and I don't allow my network of friends to be there. When I am down and out, rather than calling someone to talk to them or ask them to hang out, I sit here and allow myself to be sad and lonely. WRONG...we need to not do that. I shouldn't be afraid to say, "Hey, I am bored today, if you aren't busy, want to go to a park?" I get so afraid of rejection or putting a burden on my network of friends, I don't allow them to love me when I need it.
5) Involve your family in loving outreach.
6) Keep your mind and heart open for gifts of Grace.


So what have I taken from this book? Well, I have learned that I am not guilty for everything....like I would tend to believe. I have learned that we all go through it and we all deal with the shoulda, woulda, coulda's. I have learned that God's forgiveness is for everyone and that he loves us no matter what. I have learned that I need to accept the forgiveness, not dwell on past guilt, move and allow grace to work in my life. I have learned that I am a good mom, I may not always get it right, but I certainly do not do a lot wrong. I have learned that I will feel guilty, but I have learned ways to work through that guilt. I have learned that God is a god of Love, consistence, patience, fairness, mercy, and truth! He wouldn't have entrusted my baby too me if he didn't think I could do it. He knows better!

Does this mean I won't feel guilt, nope - I will continue to feel guilt and probably let it eat bother me, but at least I know ways to move through it. I won't be perfect that moving through it, it will take a while, but I will get there. I will allow God to lead and forgive and extend Grace when needed. I will make mistakes, its inevitable, I am human - I am not perfect!

But, I can do it...and I hope you can too. I plan to purchase this book and have it around when I need a pick me up! I am thinking of attempting to do a giveaway of this book in the future...not 100% sure about it, but I would like to.

I hope that you have learned some stuff too. I have other books I will share wisdom from as I read them! And I am sure mommy guilt will still be a topic on my blog! :)

Ok, the critter is crying, must be lunch time! Have a good one friends!

Questions & Answers

Ok, so this solid food thing....loving it, but I am confused.

1) What do you do when your child will not touch cereal?
- Parker just does not want cereal...does he REALLY need it? I have attempted to mix things in with it, applesauce, sweet potatoes, bananas...and he gives me that look like, "Mother, don't even trick me!"

2) I got the book Super Baby Food and I plan to start making my own. For those of you who have/had make your own baby food how did that work for you? I got a really nice blender rather than processor (since I know that I will use the blender a lot more than a processor) anyways...can you just give me examples of what you did, how you stored it, thawed it, measured it, and how about can I used can veggies, or do I always need to get fresh and then steam them and puree them? Just share some of your tips if you don't mind.

3) How did you know when your little one was ready for a cup? How did you introduce that? (I am thinking Parker isn't there yet, just kind of preparing.

4) What are so things you have learned from being a mommy and some tips you can share...I am attempting to make my life easier!

Thanks!

Oh and Parker is breathing just fine now. He has gotten horrible congested in the past few days and so we are going nuts sucking his nose out and using saline and such. I just feel like Parker has been sick like every day for the past like 3 months. It's one thing after another after another. I mean, it's all stuff that isn't serious and goes away quickly, but I feel like I should keep him in a bubble for a while! I am a bit frustrated!

Before and After

People warned me, but I never thought it would be this bad...what was the warning you ask: well mainly it had to do with having a baby and how things would change and be different. I knew it would be different, but I never knew it would be this different!

Before Parker:
- I could stand in the shower as long as I wanted and just be and breathe.
After Parker:
- Shower, what's a shower? You mean, I am actually allowed to get wet and clean myself without wiping down with one of parker's wipes! (no worries, I actually do shower...most of the time...I am not gross!)

Before Parker:
- I dressed nicely and work fun clothes and necklaces and earrings. Did my hair, looked pretty darn cute!
After Parker:
- Oh pj's how I love you! Oh t-shirts, how sorry I am that you often smell of baby puke and are wet. And hair, how miss straightening you and you looking so lovely...

Before Parker:
- I could sleep in some (if I weren't at work that is) or sleep all day.
After Parker:
- I miss sleep, I miss quiet and I miss not having to wake up at 6am to feed a hungry child.

Before Parker:
- I could go out anytime I want to get out of the house.
After Parker:
- Now it requires packing the diaper bag, which includes triple checking that I have enough diapers, making sure to pack a bottle or two, then of course I have to get parker in clothes and get him in his seat, while he screams most of the time, then I have to buckle him, all while he is wiggling and giving me this look of, Oh no mom, not again. Of course then there is making sure I have the shade down and a blanket over him, lug him down the stairs with a diaper bag and a purse (one of these days I will combine both!) and then set him down, lock the door. Walk to the car, fight with the diaper bag which is currently falling off my shoulder and cutting off circulation to my arm, get Parker in buckled in, laugh with him at his monkey mirror, double check that I can reach is paci if he starts crying. Get in the car....and by now, I just want to go up stairs and sit back down!

Before Parker:
- I could eat a nice warm meal.
After Parker:
- There is nothing like soggy buns, or fries, or salad. Or hard bread, or over cooked soup, burnt cold chicken...I am convinced that he is out to make me not eat!

Before Parker:
- Drew and I could sit on the couch and cuddle and talk and relax and kiss and be intimate.
After Parker:
- Ha, intimacy, out the window, cuddle time, 5 minutes before we both crash in bed after a long day of work for him and baby for me, kiss, sure we kiss, nothing like we used to, relax, haha, relaxing, too funny!

I have no private time now. And even when Parker is asleep I do get things done, but not a whole lot because Parker seems to always wake up when I am right in the middle of it!

You know what though, for all the things I miss, it is completely worth it. I adore my little miracle, I love him so much and I would never trade in being a mommy! It is so worth it.

On a completely random note: I am wanting to start actually cooking with wine when a recipe calls for it, but I never drink it (I hate it yucky!) and I should say, I know I don't mind eating it if it's in food because I have had many a meal at olive garden that has wine sauce! Anyways...what should I buy? I know nothing about wines...dry, white, red, yellow, blue....any suggestions?

Tuesday's Tips

Well, this Tuesday, I don't really have any tips, but I could use some....so this is a special edition of Tuesday's Tips, lets call it You 2 Me!

1) What can you sterilize in the dishwasher and what is a good way to clean and sterilize the dishwasher?

2) How on earth do you make it through teething? I am going to lose my mind!

ok, so those are only 2 tips..for now...I am sure I may come up with some!

I don't really have a whole lot to say today. I was watching videos of Parker from in the NICU and was crying. Wow, he was so stinking tiny!

Well, I am going to go for now! Later friends!

Tuesday's Tips

Useful Websites:

Today on Tuesday's tips, I am going to give you some links to some websites that I find helpful/useful. These are ones I use for different reasons and I love them, so enjoy! 

Allrecipes - I adore this site. I found my pumpkin cookie recipe here and I get daily emails with recipes in them. For me, since I do menu planning and often am looking for something different (because I can only eat the normals - hamburgers, pasta, pizza ect - so much). I just signed up for this site and I already am loving the recipes!

Coupon Suzy - Who doesn't want to save money? Well here is an easy way to do that. Just go to the website, decide which coupons you want, select and print! I use this a lot when I forget to pick up the Sunday paper (it typically has coupons). I end up saving quite a bit too!

Easy Cleaning - This site has a ton of useful information for people like me who sometimes get super overwhelmed by keeping their house clean and organzied. Now, don't get my wrong, it's not like my house is a mess, I mean, I can actually walk with out stepping on junk, but sometimes I look at messes and think, WHY????? This site has awesome checklists, home hints, organizing tools and so many fun and helpful things!

Baby Center - I know this may seem silly, but I love this site. Anytime I have a question related to Parker, I am on there looking for answers. When I was pregnant and wasn't sure something was normal, I was on there looking for answers. It's been very useful for me!

so, now that I have shared some of my sites I love, what about you, what ones do you go to for help?

Tuesday's Tips

Welcome to the first week of Tuesday's Tips! Today's tip: Menu Planning/Grocery Lists

For our household I do menu planning and then make a grocery list! I do the menu planning for every two weeks, I plan lunches and dinners and then write them on a template I made up. I break it down by each day. Then by Lunch/Dinner. Lunches are normally easy (i.e. hot dogs, sandwiches) and dinners are more fun. I don't do breakfast mainly because I do easy stuff. So I write down each day what the main dish is and then the side dish. Like I said, I plan for two weeks. I then write down everything I need to get. I break it down by categories...i.e. breads, fruits, veggies...ect. I then take the ads for several different stores...I shop at Aldi's, Kroger, Giant Eagle, Meijer (sometimes walmart). I decide where I can get the best deals, and honestly for about a good 2/3 or so of the list, the cheapest is Aldi's! I then highlight each item based on where to get it. 

I also clip coupons and use them. Also, you can find coupons online at sites like, www.couponsuzy.com, www.coupons.com, and also I get them from the Sunday paper. 

Sure, it takes some time, but this week, I saved a lot of money and only spend 102 bucks on 2 weeks of groceries! It's so worth it! 

Come Baaaaaack Warmth

I am a very sad woman right now...I want the warmth back...this silly fall weather has creeped up on me and I am not liking it much right now! I hate having to wear socks and long pants, I want my flip flop and capri weather back. I guess the plus side is the beautiful fall foliage (score points for a big word!). I love to drive around and see all the beautiful leaves! And it means fall festivals, which excites me!

Today has been a productive day, thus far! Got my grocery shopping done...spent 102 bucks for 2 weeks of groceries...that's right my friends, I am a bargain hunter! I spent 2 hours yesterday menu planning, making a list, going through the Ad's for certain groceries and figuring out my best deals. I was so happy to know I did it! I normally stress...I plan to do a Tuesday's Tips and go more into depth about how I save!

Parker is doing a ton better. What a scare we had the other day with the severe coughing and the doctor warning us about RSV, but thankfully, Parker is doing a ton better. He still is stuffed up, but not nearly as bad, and he coughs, but everything in there is lose now, so he coughs it up and he is breathing better. He is back to his usual happy self! Eating like a pig. We have a doctors appointment on Tuesday, so I will update with weight and info. Start praying now, he begins his Synagis shots. (Once a month for the next several months during RSV season!) I will be leaving the room and letting Drew be in there, I can't take his crying, breaks mommy's heart!

Off to get things done...have a double date, in home movie night to prep for!