Zoe Elizabeth....her first INCREDIBLE week of life

Zoe was born October 11, 2005 at 7:32 in the morning via c-section. She was born at 37 weeks, 1 day. We discovered shortly after she was born (despite APGAR scores of 8/9 and loud cries) that her lungs were not fully matured. She was having difficulty breathing, and couldn't get enough oxygen. They took her to the nursery, where a neo-natologist from Cook Children's came to look at her about 3 hours after birth. He made the decision to keep her in the NICU room at the hospital for 24 hours on oxygen, for observation. The next morning we learned that she had clinically improved, but her need for oxygen was increasing. In the words of the DR, it was "mystifying." He made the decision that she needed to be transferred to Cook Children's immediately. She made the journey in a scary isolette (plastic box through which oxygen flows continuously) in the Teddy Bear Care Ambulance. Her Daddy went to be with her, and my DR said she would (against all caution) release me so I could be with her, too. Michael and I made the decision that I was still in too much pain, and I would wait until the following day (which would be 2 days early release from the hospital). The next 24 hours were the hardest I've endured. I had only seen my baby briefly, and I had not held her.

One of the great comforts during this time, was being wheeled into the nursery at the hospital less than 12 hours after surgery, and seeing a beautiful prayer taped to her bed. We wondered where the prayer came from, and upon closer examination we noticed a label on the back "Threads of Love Altamesa Church of Christ." We were given a lovey and a blanket for our baby girl, and were indirectly ministered to by our own Church. What an amazing feeling.

When Michael arrived at my hospital the night after Zoe was moved, he brought pictures. She had been intubated (put on a ventillator) upon arrival at Cook Children's. They gave her two doses of an artificial surfactant, which is a substance our lungs produce on their own to help keep the air sacs in the lungs inflated. Zoe was not producing enough on her own, and that was causing her to be in respiratory distress.

She responded immediately to the surfactant! She progressed very quickly, and was taken off the ventillator Friday morning at 10. She was put on a nasal canula with just a "whiff" of oxygen. 1/16 of a litre! She was doing MUCH better than expected. She began eating from a bottle on Saturday, had her first attempt at nursing on Sunday. She gets moved to Progressive Care on Sunday afternoon. We get the phone call yesterday morning that we are rooming in that night, and that she's going home today!

It all happened too quickly for our heads and hearts to digest. It seemed like a month went by, when really it was just a week.

She is beginning to stir and get hungry so I will write more later.

Peace and Blessings