Hello & Good Morning!

[Rudy Taylor]

Mrs. Flo's Opus.

[kdfrawg]

Rudy, I don't think you can say "Mrs. Flo's Opus" in a mixed-gender forum.

[Rudy Taylor]

Oh, Kerm, you're just rotten to the core!  Straighten up.

Ain't nothing wrong with Mrs. Flo's Opus.

[kdfrawg]

< grin >

Okay.

Flo's Opus! Flo's Opus! Flo's Opus! Flo's Opus! Flo's Opus!

Whew. Now I'm plumb tuckered out.

[Janet Harrington]

Update on Charity, the preemie baby whose mother's name is Maria and a friend of mine.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Excellent News
Current mood:  ecstatic

Well, today was visiting day in Wichita. I have some excellent news to share with all of you! Charity is going to be coming home!!!! We will be doing Mother Baby (AKA: Family Care) either this weekend or middle of next week and then she gets to come home with us! All we are waiting on is for her to be doing all of her feedings by bottle. Which, we are well on our way there! Today she bottled at every feeding. However, she was only completely successful at the 2 o'clock feed. But we are closer than we were yesterday. The DR seems to think she will have that down any day now! She will be coming home on oxygen and an apnea monitor. However, the oxygen will be on a set amount and he feels that within 3-4 weeks she will be completely off that! He is taking her off all of her medicines so I won't have to deal with meds, just keep an eye on her oxygen and her breathing!! I am so excited I can hardly see straight!!! The time has finally come!!

[emptynest]

What a blessing!! That estatic feeling is an emotion I can share and understand with Maria over her preemie, Charity.  I may have mentioned it before, but my Corey,25 and my oldest, the one who has just recently moved from Lawrence, was a preemie and I identify with several of the stages Maria has had to face.  The learning to suck from a bottle, holding their own body temperature when out of the incubator, being able to void successfully, and counting every gram they gain or lose.  Corey lost down to 1 pound 12 oz. after his birth of 2 lbs. 3 1/2 oz.  He was 14 1/2 inches long and came 3 1/2 months early.  As it was, he came home 1 month before his due date at 4 lbs. 

We were very fortunate and blessed.  He came home with no oxygen, no medication and never had a problem breathing.  The only thing in his cradle was a Mother Mary figure that his Grandma Galvan insisted be at his side.

Today he is a whopping 6 ft. 1, 245 lb. man with strength enough to lift refrigerators. 

My prayers will continue for Maria, Charity, and her family.  Janet, please pass all of our thoughts, prayers, and well wishes for this blessed child.  God definitely has blessed them!!

[Diane Amberg]

 That is wonderful news. My prayers continue for you all.

[flo]

I just posted to "spiritual", but what I was really looking for was the relationship between Janet and Charity.  I have forgotten.  Would you please refresh my memory.  It is so wonderful what they can do for these tiny precious babies. 

[Janet Harrington]

Charity's mother, Maria, worked with me when I worked at the Wilson County Sheriff's Office.  Maria and I became friends.  When I left there, Maria was pregnant with Charity.  I got to see Charity in the hospital when she was like 4 days old.  What a thrill.  Even though we couldn't touch her, it was just amazing to see a person this tiny.  Maria is not even 5 foot tall, 1/2 Mexican, and a beautiful woman.  She has a fiance', Steve, who is Charity's daddy.  Maria also has Trinity, her first born, who is a beautiful, beautiful child.  Trinity is jealous of Charity as Trinity doesn't get to go with Mom and Dad when they spend the weekend with Charity.  Again, thank you for the prayers and I will tell Maria about the prayers being said for Charity and family.

[Janet Harrington]

Keep the prayers going for Charity.  She is having some setbacks and the date for coming home keeps getting pushed back.  Maria is very frustrated, but can't afford to stay 24 hours a day at the hospital with Charity.  Lift Charity up.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Minor Setbacks
Current mood:  worried


This weekend was filled with minor setbacks for my little darling. On Thursday Charity received her 2 month immunizations. And being a typical kid, she ran a fever, had a rash of Apneas and Bradys, and generally felt miserable. So, it was no surprise that she was having issues bottling. So, moving to Family Care on Saturday was out of the question! However, she bottled just fine for me! Saturday morning we were told she would need a blood transfusion. Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but the Dr hoped it would get her going again and maybe just maybe get off the oxygen and that we would be able to get moved to Family Care. However, after the transfusion she was a little woozie but did try to bottle a little for me. Sunday morning we faced yet another challenge. She was too cold. So, she was stripped and put under a heating lamp until she warmed up. Which didn't take long! However, the Dr was worried that we were dealing with a sick little girl. So, he ran a million blood tests. In the mean time we watched and waited to see what was going on. Then to top it all off, we came home Sunday afternoon and discovered that once we left they stopped trying to bottle her! How can she ever learn how to bottle if they alway NG her?

As of 0900 this morning, she has bottled every feeding, but has not completed them. At least they are trying!!