And Then There Were Two 8-20-08

I would like to introduce to you, The WallitschFour blog at wallitschfour.blogspot.com. It is a new blog I've created to keep everyone up to date on everything going on in our household and then some. I will continue to post occasionally on here updates pertaining to Miss Maddie, but will probably be posting more often on the new blog.

So speaking of updates, Maddie is doing awesome as usual. I'm guessing she's about 7 1/2 pounds. She eats like nobodies business every 1-2 hours sometimes! Thankfully not at night. She has slept through the night a few times which has been great. We are weaning our selves off of the monitor. We now have her on it only in the car and at night while we are all sleeping. During the day she is monitor free and we just check her frequently. We've been working on getting ourselves to this level of independance from the monitor, so don't think we just decided to unplug one day and that was that. It's taken some time, but things are definitely feeling more like normal.

Maddie has started being awake more and more. She has the biggest smile (hard to catch by camera, but I'll continue to try). She smiles biggest for her brother though, even letting out the occasional giggle. It's the cutest thing.

That's about it, no new health issues or changes. Just getting bigger and developing wonderfully.

Thank you as always for the prayers and support. We never could have made it through these past several months without all of you!

All Clear 8-7-08

Hey Everyone,

I hope that you are all doing well!

We are doing great. Hunter is visiting with his grandparents in South Carolina. They are spending the week riding around the lake in the boat and jet skis and around Columbia in the convertible. I'm so jealous! :-) I know he is having a great time. Maddie, Mom and Dad had to stay home to hold down the fort. When he returns it is countdown to school. He is excited.

Maddie is doing great. We had a checkup today with her cardiologist. The 2 holes in her heart are still there, but are almost completely closed. They had a really hard time even finding them. We do not have to go back for a year and they don't think she will ever need any kind of treatment for them. PTL!

She saw her eye doctor last week and the ROP is gone. We will not have to see them until next May.

She had an ear infection about a week or so ago and I think she's finally getting over that. I hope we are not headed for years of ear infections like with Hunter.

She has definitely gained some weight. The last post had her at 5lbs 3oz and 17.5 in long I believe. We are now 6lbs 12oz and 19.25in long!!!!!! She'll be 4 months old this Saturday. Whew!

Doing great! 7-21-08

Hey All!

Maddie is doing awesome. She's so good.

We did however forget how much work a newborn is...but we quickly remembered. Thank God we have the opportunity to remember this time.

Here are some new pictures. I'll try to do better about at least posting pictures.

Update 7-10-08

Yeah! Due date has arrived!

Maddie is doing great! We went to the doctor Tuesday. Her eyes are greatly improved, almost completely healed up. Her neonatologist sees no signs of developmental delay and is very pleased. She is up to 5lbs 3oz 17.5in long! She eats like you wouldn't believe so it's no wonder she is growing so fast. We could not be happier with how things are going. She is an amazing little person.

I've attached some recent pictures.

Home Again 7-2-08

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to let you all know that we are now home again. We actually came home on the 27th, but seeing as the stay was short lived last time I did not update right away. JIC.

Well, so far so good. Maddie is doing awesome. She has gained weight and is now 4lbs 14oz 16.5 in long! She has had no episodes and her monitor has not been alarming. We visited her pediatrician the other day and everything checks out. We also went to the eye doctor and her eyes are improving. Yeah!

Thank you for all your prayers and support, please keep praying that things continue to go well. She is so susceptible to infection and will be for the next year or so. Even a common cold could send us back to Kosair.

Thank you and have a happy 4th of July!

Update 6-24-08

Hi All,
Things are going well in the NICU. It's as if we never left. Actually I'm not sure everyone knows we went home and are back, but whatever.
Maddie is doing just fine. She is growing, up to 4lbs 8oz and 16.5in long! She gets chubbier every day, I can't even count all the rolls on her thighs. LOL!
They did a test yesterday called a swallow study. This is to help us understand what is going on with her reflux. Well she passed it with flying colors (which is a good thing, it just doesn't give us any answers). We are now playing the waiting game again. Once she is so many days free and clear of episodes and continues to gain weight we can come home.
Last time I was a nervous wreck to bring her home, hence the post. This time we both feel ready. Mothers intuition or something must have been kicking in last time.
Keep praying. I'll do my best to keep you updated.
Thankyou!

Back in the NICU 6-20-08

Hi everyone,
What a crazy week this has been. We are actually back in the NICU.
Monday night after a bottle Maddie began breathing really shallow, she took a big gasping breath and we looked at her. She had begun to turn blue. Patting her on the back and other stimulation would not bring her back and I ended up having to do CPR. It only took about 1-2 minutes but she began to pink up and breathe well on her own. We were staff-flighted to Kosair and after 2 minutes in the ER she was off of all O2 and looking like her old self again. They admitted us to the NICU (only the 2nd baby in 7 years to return, rather than go to the PICU) for observation and we are still there. She will probably be there for another few days. We've been working with speech therapy and a lactation consultant to see if we can remedy this problem and hopefully have no more repeat episodes.
She has done well all week and we are beginning to calm down and feel a little better about the whole situation.
Please keep us in your prayers that she will grow stronger and bigger and when she does come home again will be able to stay there.
Thank you!