NICU day 31, postoperative

Jillian made it through surgery today, her surgeon said she was a perfect angel. I can't explain to you enough how much a miracle this was. She was an angel only by the grace of God a true answer to many prayers.

When Mark and I arrived this morning the nurses were trying to get her on her right side, this is the side that just collapsed a day in a half before. They had been leaving her off that side to help it heal as well as she could not breath as well on that side. The nurses were slowly moving her to that side because the surgeon had to enter her chest on the left side of her body to perform the surgery. So when Mark and I were in there her CO2 was climbing. The doctor came in and said that they were going to mess with the vent systems to trying and get her numbers to come down. They ran a blood gas on her and her CO2 level was 139, this was way too high to be able to do surgery. Then I sent out an prayer request to many prayer warriors and within the minute, I am not kidding her number came down and down and down. I asked what they wanted it at and was told 80. Her level came down and averaged 80. Thank you God!!! The surgery was on. Her surgery was rescheduled to 2 but our surgeon was in an emergency surgery and it did not get to start until 3:45. Right before surgery her numbers were starting to go crazy her CO2 came up just a little intothe high 80's and her oxygen satsuma were in the 70's. She was already on 100% oxygen and they can not got any higher. So the surgeon told us to give her a kiss and go and wait in the waiting room. Again my mom, my husband and myself sent out prayer requests and waited. Her surgeon came in after an hour and said she was a perfect angel. She also told us that this was the biggest artery she has ever seen on a baby this small. She also told us how nervous she was to do this surgery as was the rest of the staff. I told them before surgery that everything was going to be ok and that Jillian had many prayers being answered and the A team for surgery. I was having a really hard time with all of this yesterday before Mark made it out and when I spent sometime with God He gave me a new perspective. We have been praying for Jillian to heal and this was how He was going to do it. He also reminded me not to see the picture infront of me, the one that looks scary but to look up to Him and stay focused on Him. Boy did that just releave the stress. Then this morning God reminded me again that I was not to focus on the picture in front of me but on Him, Him who shut the lions mouth and kept the fire from burning those who love and trust Him along with all of these other things that God has done. Faith. I rested in faith. With my God all things are possible. May God receive all the glory!!!

So Jillian is doing ok since surgery. She is going up and down but they told us to expect that for the next few days. Please pray for her to recover quickly and for her lungs to work perfectly and for her not to be uncomfortable. Thank you all for the prayers.

NICU day 34

More prayers needed, the PDA (the valve in the heart that is open in the womb but is suppose to close after birth) they said closed either reopened or never closed. It is now a large PDA and causing the left side of Jillian's heart to become enlarged. They are considering surgery to close this valve. This is actually very common in a lot of preemies however they are not comfortable operating with her on the jet (her chest vibrates 420 per minute) and their other concern is that she is also requiring a lot of vent support already and the babies usually require more support postoperative. So they are repeating her echo tomorrow after giving her a diaretic for 24 hours to see if that helps. Please pray for my little girl.

NICU day 24

Sorry I haven't updated in a few days, the blog site I use was updating so I couldn't use it. Jillian is not having a hard of a time on the jet anymore but she has not been able to go down on any of her setting either. I would say her biggest issue right now is her lungs.  She is doing well on her oxygen saturation but she is having a hard time keeping her CO2 levels down.

Now for the good news, on her last echo cardiograph she no longer has pulmonary hypertension (she only had this for 3 days) and her PDA closed (a valve that is in the heart and closes after birth) both which should be helping her lungs. Even though we have seen no improvement so far. Also all of her labs have come back with no sign of infection. This is all an answer to your many prayers.

Her O continues to get smaller a little everyday and her skin is growing up over it quite quickly.  She is eating well and going potty well.  They stopped her feeds for about 48 hours this week because of her lung issues and her need for high sedation.  She is back to feeds as of yesterday and was increased this morning to 3mls every 3 hours today.  I can't wait for her to be able to put some weight on.  Poor baby is still 1.7 pounds and 3 and a half weeks old. 

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for holding our family up in prayers during this time and continuing to encourage us.  Plus so many of you have gone above and beyond for our family, thank you for showing us the love of our Lord.  I love and cherish each and everyone of you.

Photo bomb below, finally brought in my computer so I am going to make up for lost time.

Jillian wearing an extra small preemie diaper, I wonder what a newborn diaper would look like?

Sweet sleeping beauty

Holding sister's finger 

The thinking pose

**Warning Omphalocele picture below**

This was taken yesterday, can you believe how small it is now and how much skin she grew!