Week One

Right after birth, Teagan was whisked to her very own suite at Evergreen Hospital.  She is a little fighter, as her name would indicate, and she decided she didn't like the little breathing tube down her throat, so she just pulled that right out.  The nurses had to re-intubate her and also put her on a little morphine to calm her down.

The medications and feedings they have been giving her through an IV are all in milliliters (mL).  Its amazing all the IV lines they had going into her, each with a specific function.

Her blood sugars started out on the high side (like Mimi's - Grandma Carolyn) but she has been weaned completely off insulin and is doing well.  They also gave her a little caffeine to stimulate lung development.  The nurses refer to this as her "quad shot".  Only in Seattle....

Mommy gets a little panicky without her coffee too.

She has been completely feeding breast milk the whole time.  That has been slowly increased to 6 mL per three hours and she has been digesting it with very little residual left in her tummy afterward.  This is huge as she gets all her antibodies and all the good fats and nutrients she needs from the milk.  It's also the best way I know of to introduce her to Top Pot doughnuts early on.  Also because of all the milk, she has started needing the tiniest diaper changes you have ever seen. 

Teagan and Daddy's hand

Her oxygen levels were on the low side, so they kept her on an oscillator at first.  This has improved so much that instead of moving her to the ventilator like the doctors thought she would need to, they moved her directly to a CPAP machine (Like Grandpa Ralph uses at night!).

The doctor noticed a slight heart murmur.  This is very common in preemies.  They frequently get PDA or what is called a ductus.  They ordered an echocardiogram and if they find the ductus, will treat it with medication.  If the medication doesn't work, then Teagan may need a surgical procedure where they clamp the ductus closed.

 She has her eyes open just a little and we can see her move them in the direction of our voices.  She is almost continuously moving her arms and kicking her legs - usually to kick off the plastic sheet that keeps her skin hydrated.  Her skin is too fragile to rub or hold yet, but we have been able to touch her (her whole hand is the size of my fingertip!) and kiss her tiny feet.