Slideshow of Eliza Photos

I have created a little slideshow with the photos of Eliza and/or Me and/or Amanda I have put on Bradmanda.com. I hope you like it. It should update with new photos as they are added so keep checking back every so often for more!

Eliza Gets A Bath

Eliza Gets A Bath, a photo by bradleygee on Flickr.

I think this is my favorite picture of all the pictures I have taken of Eliza. It's real nice.

I am about getting around to posting more pics to my Flickr, Bradmanda.com, Facebook and right here at Stay At Home Brad so keep an eye out if you are interested.

17 Days And Growing

Dear Eliza,

Hey there my beautiful little baby! How are you? Did you know you are 17 days old today? Wow!

We saw you again out at your hospital home. We got to give you a bath today and you seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. It may have reminded you of your old home, which was inside your mom! You barely fit in the tub because you are so big, at least for a preemie (5 lbs 4 oz, almost 18".)

You are doing very well with your progression towards coming to your permanent home. Yesterday you ate/drank from a bottle 3 times. And today you seemed to be grasping the concept of breastfeeding.

Eliza, if you recall, the last 2 things you need to accomplish are to not have Bradys for 5 days and be solely bottle and/or breast fed for 2 days. You are working so hard at it, we can tell. You are gonna be home in no time!

We are really anxious to get you home. Going all the way out to Aurora to see you is really hard. We do love coming to visit and as soon as we get there we forget any sort of troubles our journey might have brought us. But we sure would like it better if the farthest we had to go to see you was across our house. I know you're trying really hard and it is just gonna be a lil while more but we want you home Eliza!

Alright then, I will be going now. I'm waiting for your mom at her work where I am picking her up and she should be out any minute now. We will see you in the morning time Eliza.

Love,

Dad

2 Week Birthday

Dear Eliza,

Happy birthday. You are two weeks old today! Not only that but you are also over 5 pounds now. You are growing so big Eliza!

Yesterday I made a video out of the daily photographs I (and your grandma) have taken. We only had 13 days worth of photos to work with so it is pretty short, but it will get bigger and better as you grow older.

We are here with you on the NICU today. You were having a little bit of a problem with your oxygen saturation levels earlier, but they turned up your airflow and that seemed to help.

We are all still really impressed with your progress. All you need to do is start nipple feeding and we're outta here. But no rush. You will start when you are ready.

Alright then Eliza, I will be going again. We just got back from having lunch with your grandma at Panda Express and need to get back in to see you. So I will type to you later! Bye!

Love,

Dad

Eliza's Daily Photo Video Number 1

Hi there, I have been diligently snapping away while Eliza is in the NICU to get her photo of the day, with a little help from Grandma C when we could not make it. Eliza is 13 days old today, tomorrow she will be 2 weeks, yay! She is doing great there, but we are really ready for her to come home. She has got a little bit to do yet before she can so we just have to wait. But anyways, here is the video of her 13 days in still picture form! It's a little bit harder with her in the NICU to get a good photo some days, they will improve when she gets home, don't worry. Ok then!

News And/Or Updates For Today

Dear Eliza,

So sorry for not writing you for several days. I'm sure you will have forgiven me by the time you are reading this.

We got some news today regarding your release from the hospital. What we found out was that you need to be free from Bradycardia for 5 days and have been fed solely from a bottle and/or nipple for 48 hours. That is all you have to do! You have already been able to maintain your temperature and are above your birth weight and still gaining! You are doing so great Eliza!

Your grandma Carol stopped by last night to are you. She is pretty excited about you too. She got to hold you for a couple hours and see your fancy clothes and blanket.
Speaking of blanket, your great grandma Ruth sent you a beautiful quilt that she made. She is probably one of the best quilters around so you are pretty lucky to get one made by her. She also wrote you a letter you can read when you get older and some preemie clothes she got from Project Hope in Columbus, Montana.

We also got our second car seat from one of mommy's work friends. Now we can have you seated safely in both of our cars. You have to ride on a car seat or booster seat till you are 15! Ha, not quite but it seems like it's quite a while. You will learn to like it though.

Well baby E, I must be going now. I will write later ok. Have a great day. Bye!

Love,

Dad

We Spent Our Weekend At The Hospital

Sorry it has been a few days since the last post. We have spent the past two nights staying in one of the rooms the NICU provides for families to sleep over. It's a pretty nice feature. So we have been hanging out cribside almost the whole time and I haven't felt compelled to post.

Anyways, Eliza is doing so great. She is out of her isolette and into an open air crib. She is slowly learning how to breastfeed. She is gaining weight and just generally doing well.

I guess she does still have some Bradycardia, which is where her heart rate drops below a certain point and then alarms go off and red lights flash and it's a little scary. This is the only problem we see. But this is apparently normal for preemies and should go away in time. The first line of treatment is caffeine, so it's not like she'll need complicated surgery or anything,  it's just frightening when it happens (especially when I am holding her.)

Ooh ooh ooh, you know what else? Eliza has her first modeling gig lined up! She is going to pose, and I am going to photograph, for an update to the physical therapy book! Cool!

Well that's all I have time for now. Amanda and I are going to get some breakfast at the cafeteria and go back up to see her before we leave for today. So I will type to you later.

5 Days And Counting!

Dear Eliza,

Wow, 5 and a half days old! You sure are getting up there in days. Before we know it you are going to be 10 (days).

We went to see you again in the NICU today. You got your IV out! The nurse had told us it wouldn't happen till tomorrow so that was a pleasant surprise. One less tube to deal with when we hold you. Now you just have your oxygen tube and the 3 monitor wires attached.

And you are wearing clothes! We brought you some of your own from home but they had you in another baby's clothes. It's ok though, nobody noticed and it looked good on you.

We have been getting to hold you for longer and longer these past couple days. Now with your clothes wearing we can go for hours. They are also supposed to be turning down the heat in your isolette gradually. So in a week or so you should be living on an un-enclosed bed. 

We all, including your doctors, are so happy with your progress. Every day you make great strides towards coming home. We're working on getting you boob trained and that will be another milestone. So keep it up Eliza. You're doing a great job and I heart you.

Love, 

Dad

Eliza Ruth, Gaining Weight, Growing Tall and 4 Days Old

Dear Eliza,

Wow! You are 4 days old now. The time sure does fly right by! You are still doing spectacular in the NICU. You gained some weight yesterday as I suspected would happen. And it appears that you have also increased in length by .2" (point two inches!)

We are here with you again and your mom is learning you how to breastfeed and you are a fast learner. Make sure to put that on your resume and/or cover letter!

Tomorrow sometime they should be taking you off your IV. I know it must be uncomfortable so you will like that a lot. They have it in your foot right now and it is all wrapped up so you don't tear it out.

When we first got here today you were crying like crazy, Eliza. You were hungry for food and attention since your nurse was running a bit late due to a new arrival to the NICU.

You also had both your eyes wide open, the first time I have seen that. Before you would (or could) only open them a little tiny bit and usually one at a time. We thought you were beautiful before but that sealed the deal.

Also, yesterday we brought some clothes for you to wear while you are here. You can't try them on until you get your IV out, at the earliest. That will be fun wont it? It will probably be more fun for us than for you since you aren't used to wearing clothes, but you'll get used to it.

Ok Eliza, I have got to be going now so I can pay attention to you in real life. I will write later. Bye, love you!

Dad

On The Third Day...

Dear Eliza,

Hey baby E, happy 3 day birthday! We are with you right now in the NICU and you are doing so good! You were sucking on a pacifier when we got here, way to go!

You only lost 5 grams at your last weigh-in. They say babies lose weight the first couple days and you did. You should be at the point where you start gaining it. I bet we see that happening when we come see you tomorrow.

Your mommy has been holding you for like 30 minutes now, that's the longest ever. She will hold you for hours and hours when you come home with us.

I have to be going now Eliza, I need to go get a pump so your mom can make you some breakfast.

I love you so much Eliza. I love coming to see you. You are the best baby anyone could ask for. Every day we get closer to having you at home in the room we have set up for you. Well, I will wrote you later Eliza. Get lots of rest and keep a growin'.

Love,

Dad

2 Days Old - Letter To Eliza

Dear Eliza,

How does it feel to be 2 days old like you are right now? I bet it feels pretty neat. It's August 9 at 4:43 am as this is being posted.

We saw you again today in the NICU. You still have the CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) on you to help your little lungs inflate but you should be getting that off some time tomorrow according to your day nurse. That will sure be nice huh? I see you grabbing at it sometimes, I'm sure it's not the most comfortable thing you could have on, but you need it right now. It will be cool when it's off so we can see your pretty face more clearly though.

We changed 2 of your diapers and checked your temperature also, Eliza. Real mommy and daddy things! But we're only part time mommy and daddy right now cause of your situation. We're easing into it. Your situation also give us time to get what we need for your homecoming since you came so early that we were not quite ready! We have a lot of it but not all. We did just get a carseat yesterday from one of your mom's work associates. It's used but only gently and it's fairly new.

Oh, also we got the form to fill out for your birth certificate! It proves you are real to other people and employers. You're also getting a social security number! Yay! Also we're adding you on to our insurance so we can get you doctored up once you leave the 'spital. You had such a busy day Eliza! What do you think will happen tomorrow?

Love you,

Dad

Babies Are Awesome

We're still here at the hospital, today will mark one week. I was pretty worried when we first got here with all this happening so soon and all. But the more time went by and the more I learned about premature babies the less I worried.
And now little baby Eliza has been born and all is well. She is resting comfortably in her hotbox in the NICU just growing and growing. The only concern with her now is there is either fluid in her lungs, what would go away over time, or she might not have enough surfactant in 'em in which case she would need a breathing tube. The doc we spoke to yesterday was fairly sure it was just some fluid though, so we'll see.
This has been an amazing experience for Amanda and I (and Eliza too.) It is so incredible how this whole thing works. I mean, Eliza started out as two tiny things that merged into one tiny thing and then grew to be this wonderful little girl. And all this happened right inside my wife!
All the books and shows and things people say couldn't prepare me for the actual experience of having a baby. Even if I went back to school and got 7 different English degrees I could not express in words how freakin' awesome this is.
I know it will not be all fun and games the whole time. But for now, I am simply enjoying our miracle of life. When we got to hold her yesterday it was about the best thing ever. She is so small but will grow so big.
I feel like a different person now that we have her. Everything I do now has to be for her, not me. Every decision I make now effects not just me or Amanda,  but Eliza. And I can't do anything what may bring her harm.
A'ight then, I will be going now. Thanks to everyone who has called or wrote to us or an intermediary regarding our situation. We appreciate your concerns and it was very nice of yous. Stay tuned to this here blog for more in the future. Things will really start ramping up once we get to bring Eliza home in the next some number of weeks and you wont want to miss it!

Eliza - One Day Old

Dear Eliza,

You are one day old right now (4:43 am, August 8) and are so beautiful. Your mom and I are so excited about you. It's ok that you were a little bit early. You are in the NICU so we don't get to bring you home or anything but you will be there in no time since you are in good health and have a great team of doctors to watch after you. We did get to hold you a couple times this afternoon and evening. It was so nice. As time goes by we'll get to hold you more and even stay the night with you!

Well Eliza, I will see you later today. I hope you were good overnight and got some good sleep to help you grow big and strong and help you move on out of there.

Love,

Dad

Eliza Ruth Is Here!

Not even 2 hours ago we welcomed our beautiful little daughter Eliza Ruth into this world. She is 4 lbs 11 oz and came out quick. We are so excited for her arrival. She is still early but the doctors seemed pleased with her size and all that. And she is fine healthwise so far as we know right now.
I gotta get back in the room so we can go see her in the NICU in a few minutes so I will type to you later!

No Baby Yet

We had quite a scare yesterday with they baby trying to come on out. As you know we do not want the baby to come out, well we do, but not right now. She needs to stay in for a while longer, our bun is not quite ready to come out of the oven.

What had happened was, Amanda started having contractions fairly close together and also they checked to see if she was dilated and she was. Some other things happened and then the doctors said she was in labor. They moved us to the delivery room across the hall and started giving Amanda magnesium sulfate and regular IV fluids. Then they strapped her up to baby monitoring machines and we waited for it to happen.

She dilated more and had contractions throughout the day but at some point it all stopped and we had won in the fight against having a baby right now. She had to stay in the delivery room for most of today and she wasn't doing too good because of some things that were going on, the pain and the poo. Both of those have seemed to lessen as today has gone on. We are now in another room that is much more comfortable and Amanda is not hooked up to any sort of monitor or anything and can sleep when she's not having painful contractions.

Well, I left out a lot of stuff but that's the gist of it. We're just waiting now, it's inevitable that the baby is born. Probably sooner rather than later, but we'll take whatever we can get. One doctor today said that each day baby is unborn equals 3 days in the NICU, so it's been 5 days since the water broke and we have saved 15 days in the NICU. That is where preemies go when they're born if you were wondering. It means neonatal intensive care unit!   Ok then, I better get going. Thanks for reading our amazing baby adventures and have a great day.

Maybe Today

Another day done with no baby. But as of about 4 this morning Amanda has been having contractions something fierce. Today might be the day our baby comes, but nothing certain yet. They are going to give her some IV fluids that could help. They might also not do anything.
It has been about 3.5 days since the water broke and they said most don't last more than 5-7 days so if it's not today it certainly could be tomorrow.
Well I best be getting back to see what's happening up on our room. I will keep you all posted.

Talking With Amanda - Video

Hi, Brad here. Last night I un-secretly recorded a conversation between Amanda and I. What you are about to witness is the raw, unedited footage the other stations were afraid to show you. Can you handle it?  

Day 3 In The Hospital

Well the docs have done a good job of keeping baby from coming out. Amanda is having some contractions but they don't seem too concerned with them.
When we first got to the hospital they put an IV port in Amanda. The nurse didn't find a good place on Amanda's arm in the 3 seconds she looked so she put it on her wrist. This was very painful.
Amanda kept telling them it hurt but they kept saying, "Oh that's just the medicines you're feeling."
Anyways, this morning Amanda asked once more to have it removed and they finally did. And the pain was gone, even after another nurse put the IV back (but in the arm where it should go) and things were pumped through it. Weird.
We finally got some good sleep this morning and into the afternoon. It sure is hard to sleep in a hospital. They are always coming in to do something. I'm sure it is even harder for Amanda since she is the one they are doing the things to.
They have pretty good food at the hospital. Amanda eats it good. She shares some with me and I like it. This morning I had a bagel with cream cheese and a sausage patty that fit the bagel perfectly like they were made for each other.
They let Amanda out of her room to roam the grounds sometimes if we ask real nice. They make her ride in a wheelchair though. I think she likes getting wheeled around by a big strong man (me! LoL!) It is a nice change of scenery for her. A person can only sit in one room for so long before they start to go crazy!
That's all I can think of for now. If you want any additional info you know how to reach me or can easily find out. So take care till next time!

Important Update

As some of you may know, last night around 7 Amanda's water broke.  This is generally an exciting moment in a pregnancy. But when you are 31 (or so) weeks along it is not so much.
I had just got done playing the first of 2 softball games when I heard the news. We had a short intermission between games and I was walking to my car where I was going to sit and enjoy some air conditioning when I saw my mom. And it went a little something like this.
Mom: Are you done with your games?
Me: No, we have one more.
Mom: You're done. Amanda called and said her water broke.
So I did not play the second game as I rushed home to see what was going on. What was going on was just what Amanda said. She had contacted the hospital and they said you best come on over so we did.
When we got there they did some tests to ascertain whether or not the fluid sac had really busted. It did. So then it was on to the next phase which was trying to keep the baby in there.  Because, you see, the baby has a lower risk of complications the longer it's in the womb.
Since basically the beginning of our pregnancy there have been some issues regarding the timeline. We were never quite sure, one doctor visit they would say one thing and the next another. So they are going by some measurements of an ultrasound which they interpret to be 31 weeks.
They recommend 34 weeks. So the plan is to keep Amanda there at the hospital for up to 3 weeks with no baby being born. If she makes it to 34 they'll induce. They say that something like 80% of persons in this situation don't make it that long but rather, deliver within a week.
So we'll see what happens. It is pretty scary having this come so early with all the bad stories you hear about premature babies. So we are praying that nothing bad happens to our baby's way and she is just tiny but with no other health problems. You can send good wishes our way too if you want.
Amanda is currently resting at the hospital. Some of the medicine they gave her last night didn't allow her to eat or drink and she finally got to about noon today so that made her feel better.
I am currently at home checking on our cats and general well being of our humble abode. Everything's alright. I have to work this whole week so hopefully if something happens it doesn't happen then because I can't miss our baby being born.  Our little tiny healthy baby.
Now that things have calmed down a little bit I hope to have more time to post. I wanted to last night and this morning but there was just too much going on. So stay tuned for more updates as the says go by. That is all for now. Have a great day everyone!