Ella's blood sugars have continued to be stable and she did gain weight last night, but we need her to gain more. Pray that the sugars continue to be stable and she gains weight. Also, we need favor with the surgeon so the braviac can be removed early on Monday and then we can head south....YES!!

Here are a couple of smiley pictures of the big girl...sorry the photography isn't the best but I was holding her and taking her pic at the same time : )

Monday, here we come

Our big girl is 4 pounds 9 ounces (2071 grams), but she needs to get bigger and we are hoping she gains lots of weight this weekend.

Dr. DeYoung has spoken with a specialist that thinks Ella might have an issue with her storage of glucose, which is causing the low blood sugar. They are going to draw blood for a test that will be sent off to Baylor and should return in about a week. The treatment for the glucose storage issue (not the technical name...hahaha)is cornstarch and if that doesn't balance the sugars then the other options aren't as easy. This issue is actually something that Ella was born with and has nothing to do with her prematurity, and I am calling it a blessing that she was here and they were able to find the problem. This is something that she will live with for the rest of her life, but it is very managable.

If Ella's sugar levels continue to balance over the weekend then they will remove the broviac on Monday and send us south Monday or Tuesday. I'm trying not to get too excited about leaving since we still have to make it through the weekend, but we serve a big God that didn't forget where we are and knows Ella by name.

Pray for the cornstarch to continue working and infection to stay away.

Big girl

Ella has been doing well on the cornstarch, with only a couple of low sugar levels. They have removed the dextrose from her IV fluids and we are praying that her levels stay stable over the weekend. If all goes well, they will remove the broviac next week and the rest is history...at least our time in San Antonio will be history...YIPEE!!

Pray for Ella's tummy, because the extra calories and cornstarch make it upset at times and she doesn't sleep very well. Her upset stomach is another example of how the NICU is a double edged sword...she needs the cornstarch to regulate her blood sugar, but the extra calories in the milk make her stomach upset. Our big girl is now at the point where she wants to be entertained and isn't happy just lying in her bed. I know that she will thrive when she gets home and gets on her own schedule and has a whole house at her disposal instead of just a bed.

Cornstarch revisited

They have started Ella on cornstarch again (if you are a follower of the blog then you remember the cornstarch issue in Dec) to help regulate her blood sugars. Last time they had Ella on cornstarch her tummy couldn't handle it, but this time she is 4 poounds instead of two and also taking all her feeds from a bottle so she is regulating how much she takes. Pray, pray, pray that this clears up the blood sugars because everyone is ready(I'm sure even you guys) for this issue to be finished. Also, pray for her tummy, that she is able to handle the cornstarch along with the extra calories that she needs because she has been losing weight without the extra help.

We are soooo ready to have this problem resolved so we can go home, but we also want our girl to be well! God has an amazing plan for Ella and if we stop and look back, we can see how she has changed lives already - I will be the first in line to say I am changed for the better. I have been preaching to myself lately that the end is near, but I don't need to forget everything God has done for us, and remember that He didn't forget where we are...He knows our circumstances even if we are far from home.

Many faces of Ella

Here are a few of Ella's funny faces, thought you guys might enjoy. This week has been tough for us, Ella was having tummy issues and she wasn't sleeping more than 4 hours in a 24 hour period...this made for a very emotional mommy. Combined with the drama of not finding out what is wrong with her blood sugar levels, which are keeping us here, her not sleeping and tummy issues were very stressful.

Pray for her tummy because they are going to start her on cornstarch again because they are at the end of their rope in regards to her blood sugars. Last time they added cornstarch to her milk she had stomach issues and they stopped her feedings all together, but she was much smaller then so we are hoping it doesn't have the same effect.

Weekend Cometh

Ella's tummy is doing much better (thank you, Jesus!) on the lower calorie food and she got a little sleep today, but I know she will thrive at home.(I'd get bored too if all I did was lay in my bed) The tests came back today, but the specialist didn't get back with Dr. DeYoung so that means we won't find out until Monday. At the hospital, the weekend means coasting so we will have to wait until Monday to find out when we are going home.

Pray, Pray, Pray that the new specialist can find out what is happening with Ella's blood sugar and we can go home soon. Our poor little girl's heals are all marked up from the blood sugar checks that they do every 3 hours...my only comfort is that she will not remember this part even if she has the scars.

Tough Day

Our girl is even bigger today, 4 pounds 7 ounces (2018 grams), but her tummy is full of gas from the high calorie milk and it makes her very cranky. Because of her tummy issues, Ella didn't want to eat today so they lowered the calories but it still takes time for her to get the air out. I didn't leave her today, because all she did was cry...she wouldn't sleep and barely ate. I'm sure all of you that are parents understand what I was going through today...not a good feeling when you can't fix what is hurting them.

The growth hormones don't seem to be working on her blood sugar levels so now they are trying other tests.

Pretty in Pink

Our big girl now weighs 4 pounds 5 ounces(1955 grams). Her blood sugars have been stable on the new medicine except for the one at 6pm yesterday and today...UGH!! They are still trying to figure out what is going on...pray that the answer comes quickly so the broviac can be removed and we can go home.

She hasn't been eating very good today because she has a lot of gas (from the calories they add to her milk) and reflux. They started her on zantac for the reflux and it is helping but I am praying that she gets back on the level of feedings that she was on before.

Thank you to everyone that has been praying for me, things are better but I am anxious to go home. Imagine giving up your life for 4 months, being away from your home, family, and friends. At the same time that you give up your life, you put yourself in a stress situation that you have no control over. The Jeson girls are ready to go home.

Another Monday

Today we have been in the NICU for four months, and I can definately tell. I am still feeling the pull of home and the hospital is not making it any easier to want to stay...lets just say we had a disagreement, and leave it at that.

Ella is now 4 pounds 3 ounces and has been taking the growth hormones for two days. I met with the specialist today, and he is hopeful that this will straighten out her blood sugar issues and I am in agreement with that. Pray that the medicine begins to work and they are able to remove the broviac so we can drive south : )

Please pray for me, because this has been a bad day for me and I feel very uncomfortable here at the hospital. In a normal time, I wouldn't share this with you guys but I really need your prayers because Ella needs me, so we can go home. Thank you...

New medicine

Ella is still 4 pounds 1 ounce but has gained 20 grams...still growing (although slowly). The tests came back about her blood sugar and it showed that her growth hormone levels were low so they started her on them today. We are hoping that this will fix the blood sugar levels and not only that, but will also help with her growth....go figure - growth hormones helping with growth(hahaha). The hormones are given as a daily shot and we will still have to give them when she gets home, but I figure after 4 months in the NICU I can do anything...even give my daughter a shot. She also got an MRI yesterday to look at her pituatary gland, and they said overall it looked great but we are still waiting for the specialist to give his analysis.

Keep praying for our big girl to get bigger, breath easier, growth hormones to work(yes!), and go home!! They are going to do some more tests on Monday just to check things out so pray for great outcomes.

4 Pounds

Ella is now 4 pounds 1 ounce (1843 grams). Yipee!!! Our girl is getting bigger and I have to admit it could happen a little faster for my comfort. I am sick of San Antonio and not living my life. Ella's blood sugar is still fluxtuating and the last test they did should be ready tomorrow, and I am praying like I have never prayed before, that it gives them some information they can use. We have gotten all of the things done that we have to do before they will discharge her, because I wanted to make sure that when they are ready we can be out the door.

Pray for Ella's blood sugar levels and the test that we find out about tomorrow. Also, pray for her to continue to eat lots of milk, hold her temperature, and GO HOME!!

Monday

Monday is here and with it came some changes. Ella is now 3 pounds 14 ounces (1776 ounces) and has been moved to the IMC (Intermidiate Medical Care) which takes us closer to home. Her blood sugar still seems an issue and hopefully the specialist will have some ideas tomorrow after he looks at the results of the lastest tests they ran. Pray for the healing of her blood sugar issue so we can go home.

Crazy week

On Wednesday, Ella had a test to try and find out what is making her blood sugar fluxtuate and she had a bad reaction to the medicine that was used. Her oxygen level went way down (so much that we had to keep the oxygen mask over her face), she got fever, and was overall sick. I have to admit to being very scared, I haven't felt this scared since September when Ella first came to the hospital. Our big girl has soo much personality now that she didn't seem herself and that is what made me scared. By 3 o'clock she wanted to eat and when we gave her a small amount of milk, she wasn't satisfied until she got it all. At this point, we knew that she was doing much better.

She was on the oxygen the next day and by today she is breathing on her own again. In fact, our big girl is now in a crib AND taking all her feedings from a bottle.

However, we need your prayers for the sugar issue. All the tests that they have given Ella have all come back normal but she is still having fluxtuating blood sugars. Because of the blood sugar they can't remove the broviac or send us home. I'm believing for a miracle because our little girl needs one...she has come sooo far and will still have to conquer things in her life. Thank you for praying for our girl, that was the thought in my mind on Wednesday, I knew that all of your guys were lifting her up in prayer.

3 pounds 12 ounces

Ella is doing great and now weighs 3 pounds 12 ounces (1690 grams). Today, they lowered the glucose in her IV fluids and her blood sugar was good, so as long as her sugar level stays good tonight they should take out the glucose in the fluids which means we can take the broviac out this week....YIPEE!! We turned off the heat in her bed today and just put her in her pj's and blankets and she held her temp well...today was a red letter day for our super girl. If she continues to hold her temp tonight then she may get to move to a big girl crib tomorrow....YES!! These are all signs that we get to go home soon. She is doing good on her bottle feeding but still has a little way to go.

Here is a picture of the big girl wrapped up in blankets snoozing and I'm sure she's dreaming about hanging out in her new nursery. : )

Pray for weight gain, temperature levels, blood sugar levels, and continued good health.

Back to 3 pounds 10 ounces

Ella gained the 30 grams back and is now back to 3 pounds 10 ounces. Her blood sugar levels are doing great and hopefully they will be able to drop the dextrose soon and get rid of the broviac. Our big girl drank her full bottle at two feedings today and I continue to pray for her to want the milk every day. She still can't hold her own temperature but 4 pounds isn't far away.

Pray for her continued weight gain, blood sugar levels, and overall great health.

Happy New Year

Ella lost 30 grams yesterday which brings her down to 3 pounds 9 ounces, but this is normal since she uses more calories drinking from the bottle. Her blood sugar level was good last night and we are praying it continues to be normal so we can get the broviac out. She drank her whole bottle this morning which is exciting and I can't wait until this is the rule instead of the exception.

Happy New Year to all our blog followers, someone remarked this morning that they couldn't believe it was Jan 1st and I said I couldn't believe we'd been here since Sept 18th. The start of the new year brings with it a new hope that we are soon going home because the Jeson's are ready to be back home in Victoria. I'm tired of calling San Antonio home.

I'm having fun playing dress up with the little Ella doll, here are some more pictures, this time she's wearing pajamas...heeheehee.