ushkabushka! Crocodile Tears

Well today was Alistair's due date and did he ever make it a big day and of course his dad and uncle went for a overnight sail to Saltspring Island so I got to enjoy it all with Grandma Hedges. We got there just after lunch and Jenny, Alistair's nurse, said they were plannning to extubate him around 2pm. So she figured I should have a cuddle before all the goings on. So before I new it I was holding Alistair in my arms for the first time. O my goodness, the crocodile tears just flooded my shirt and little Alistair. Suprisingly enough its not that obvious on the pictures above. But anyhow it was wondeful and I got to hold him for about 45 minutes. It was just such a lovely feeling after only being able to feel his warmth on the palm of my hand from his head over the past 12 days. Then at two the big moment came to extubate. Really a very simple procedure. Just the idea is quite significant and i got to see his whole face without a ton of tubes for the first time. Not too bad looking if I can say so myself. So from 2 till 7pm he managed with just some nasal prongs or a tad of oxygen given into his nose. But unfortunately he had some extensive indrawing(straining where you can see his chest pulls in just around the area of his sternum) Plus they took an xray and his lungs were not inflated as the doc would have liked So just as I left at 7pm for supper he got placed on CPAP. This is just a basic machine that places his lungs under positive pressure to help them stay inflated and provide better oxygenation. The great thing is that he is maintained on the lowest settings so hopefully its a short transitional stage to being support free. The worst part is it is quite the off putting contraption visually. Worse then the vent. Plus they sometimes go back to intubation as the little ones don't cope so well as it proves to be to irritating to them. So its all trial and error. However, when I returned at 11pm he was a tad unsettled but the nurse had just down a bunch of other care and blood gases ( heel poke for blood) So I stayed about an hour and he seemed to settle while I placed my hands once again on his head and chest. so I'm hoping he can cope with just the CPAP and not get intubated again. But whatever shall be shall be.

Supper I have to say was excellent. My friend Carol Ward up in FSJ hooked me up with a kiwi friend of hers, Jan-Louise, that works in the NICU. So she had mom and I over for some scrummy salmon dinner and a glass or two of pinot grigo! It all went down really nicely along with the fabulous conversation. Its just great for the brain to have a chin wag that takes you away from solely focusing on conversation that is 100% about the NICU environment as one can become overly submearsed. If that makes any sense?!??!

Well this girl better head to bed!
Cheerio Julie