“I know God won’t give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish he didn’t trust me so much.” – Mother Teresa
Our little Parker started his life in the NICU (neo natal intensive unit). His first nurse was Somer. She was wonderful. Always positive and nurturing. When we first saw Parker he was in an open isolette. That way they could reach him easily if needed. His left lung was a little weak, and they didn’t want him to overexert himself, so they inti-bated him. When he grabbed at the tube 6 hours later, they felt he was strong enough to not need it anymore. So, they inserted a nasal cannula. He had lots of monitors and wires hooked up. One was attached to a gold sticky heart – his heart monitor. He also had an O2 monitor attached to his big toe. A feeding tube was hooked to his belly button – for nutrients. He wore a tiny blood pressure cuff on his ankle. We were allowed to hold his hand the first day and gently touch him (being careful to not overstimulate him).
While Parker was in good hands, we were sent to get some rest in our new room. It was a few floors up from our old room. My new room was called the “Tipper Suite”, named after Tipper Gore who had stayed there. As soon as I arrived to my new room, a nurse came in with an electric pump. It was 3 am and time to start pumping. It was painful at first, but at least I was able to sit upright again. I pumped every 2-3 hours to stimulate my milk production. While I figured out how to pump, Kevin transferred 3 cart fulls of our belongings from our old “hotel room” to our new one. One of my favorite nurses, Maija, came to visit at 4 am. At 5 am I started walking for the first time in 8 weeks. I made it part way down the hall. Oh the pain! At that point exhaustion took over and I slept from 6-8am.
That Tuesday, we had lots of visitors. Mom Ronnie (NeeNee) visited first thing. Tears of joy would be the best description of her introduction to her newest grandson. Christi Wilson arrived shortly there after to meet Parker. Dr. Saffer stopped in to check on me and congratulate us, bummed I didn’t wait an extra day so he could deliver Parker. Sandee, one of my prenatal nurses, came to visit bearing a wonderful aloha baby blanket. We got to visit Parker in bed “61” on the high side of the NICUthat afternoon. In the evening I walked the entire hall – what a triumph! Auntie Lisa came to visit that evening with Mom. When we went in for our night visit at 9pm, I held Parker for the first time. We left two hours later when we realized we were dozing together in the chair.
By Wednesday, I needed pain killers to walk. I was determined not to let the pain slow my mobility, and persevered. At our morning visit, Kevin held Parker for the first time. Kangaroo hold – skin to skin. Parker found his chest hair and held on. That afternoon they put Parker on a C Pap to help inflate his left lung. His lung was perfect by Thursday. For the next three days he alternated between the C Pap and Nasal Cannula. We got to change his diaper for the first time today. It was so small, the size of a matchbook. Kevin was taught how to clean his eyes and take his temperature. Lisa visited that evening and got to hold Parker for her first time. That evening they put me on antibiotics, my incision had turned red.
My pumping was discouraging, but on Thursday, Iwas finally able to produce colostrum, “liquid gold”. They put 1cc in a syringe and fed him through his belly button IV. He started a nutrient rich formula today as well. When we returned to our room, they removed my staples and signed my discharge papers. I was finally going home – 8 weeks after I had arrived. We stopped by the NICU, to tell Parker and the nurses we would be back as soon as we moved our belongings home. When we walked by Parker’s bed, he picked up his head to turn it towards us. So strong. As soon as we arrived home, I started pumping – and would you believe, my milk came in! Finally! We returned to the hospital that evening with fresh milk in hand.
On Friday, Parker was moved to bed 58, a closed isolette. His new neighbors had been born at week 24 and 26. They were 1 lb. 3 oz. when born. They were so tiny. Parker looked so big compared to them. Now we knew what the nurses meant, when they said he was so big. He started on breast milktoday. We fed him with a bottle attached to his IV, raised high above his bead. I got to kangaroo hold him while NeeNee visited.
At 3pm on Saturday, Parker started using the Nasal Canula only – 20% room air. Nana and Grandpa arrived from Northern California to meet Parker for their first time. My Dad’s hands looked so large next to Parker. They were overjoyed to finally be with us. They stayed until Monday. As they left, Uncle Kirk arrived. He got to watch Parker get his first sponge bath and have his Nasal Cannula removed for good.
On Thursday (Parker is 10 days old), they removed Parker’s belly button IV and inserted a feeding tube through his nose into his stomach. Breast milk only – yeah!
On Parker’s 11th day, they told us we could dress him in clothes. Up until now, he had been wearing a white shirt and diaper, so it would be easy to reach all of his monitoring devices. He was now being monitored with a heart, lung and O2 monitor only. We didn’t have any clothes small enough, but, thankfully, Christi had found some preemie clothes for us. He wore an adorable navy blue onesie – that was actually baggy on him. The new outfit did wonders, that afternoon his “step-down” orders were given. We were going to move to the less intensive care NICU.
On day 12, we moved to Intermediate Care. The procedures were the same. We would enter the waiting room, pick up the phone and inform the nurses that we were here to visit Parker. They would beep us in to the wash room. We would scrub from our elbows to our fingertips and then wait for the door to be opened (no germs allowed). Parker got a new set of nurses that were again wonderful. This side was a bit noisier, with crying babies at times and beeping monitors. Parker’s neighbors were now bigger, instead of smaller. His special sign that Nurse Somer had made, followed him into his new home. We read Parker “Green Eggs and Ham and 1 Fish, 2 Fish by Dr. Seuss. He seemed to enjoy it. We hung photos of us in his isolette and went home to rest.
On day 13, Parker had gained back all the weight he initially lost. Back to 3 lbs 10 oz. We called him “little Houdini”, because he had figured out how to pull his feeding tube out of his nose. On day 14 (2 weeks old) he passed his birth weight by 1 0z! The next day the nurse fed Parker with a bottle for the first time. He took 20cc from the bottle and then fell asleep. We finished his feeding off with 10 more cc in the tube. He gained another ounce.
I would pump in the pumping room at the NICUwhenever we were there. On day 15, I fed Parker with a bottle of fresh milk for my first time. When he fell asleep, I continued to hold him as he finished eating via his tube. They moved Parker from an isolette to a bassinet at 9pm. To celebrate, he removed his feeding tube again. This was the first time we saw his face without anything attached to it. He was so beautiful. NeeNee videoed him having kangaroo time with Daddy. Parker showed off and pooped on his Daddy. Today he weighed 3 lbs 14 oz. We changed him into a new premie outfit that was sent by Julie Brown.
On day 16, Parker breast fed for the first time! The lactation consultant sat by my side to help him. He did very well. The next day, Daddy gave him a bottle for his first time. Parker was now up to 4 lbs! To support his new weight, he took an entire bottle on day 19. Kim and Cameron visited today. They took turns coming in with us, only three visitors were allowed at a time. Parker now weighed 4 lbs 2 oz.
On day 20, we were taught how to give him a bath. What fun. Parker was able to breast feed two times today. In the afternoon Julia and David visited. More tears of joy! When we were leaving, Nurse Marie gave us a handmade baby blanket for Parker. It was so soft and hand made with love.
We were now on week four. We had developed a routine visiting Parker throughout the day. I was still pumping every 2-3 hours. First thing in the morning we would visit Parker and read to him, feed him and see to his needs. We would leave for lunch and return again that afternoon for more. After dinner, we would go back again for a few more cuddles if he was awake, if not we would just watch him sleep. Our family and friends planned a baby shower for us for the following weekend. At night, we put together an album of photos to show everyone what our little miracle looked like. Nana and Grandpa flew in for the party. They couldn’t believe how big Parker was getting. The party was great, it was fantastic getting to share our excitement with everyone.
Week 5, and we were pros at the NICU. We were not quite sure if we wanted to have the responsibility of monitors at home, and were quite happy to have the professionals caring for our little one. At the end of the previous week, the neo-natologist informed us they were going to start testing him to see if he could come off the monitors. The first time they tried, they determined he wasn’t quite ready. The second time they tried, he was ready. Parker’s discharge papers were signed for June 20. 5 weeks and 6 days after his birth date. 5 weeks before his due date.
Parker was born on Mexico’s Mother’s Day and came home the day before Father’s Day. What a wonderful gift!
Parker's Blog 
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