Our stay at the NICU

Every new parents nightmare is to have to follow their newborn into the NICU. Colton was tested for low blood sugar because of his weight. He tested in the low forties and he should have been in the mid seventies. We had to supplement feeding with formula and make him eat every three hours whether we had to wake him up or not. We tried this for his first 15 hours or so with a blood test that required pricking his heal every time before he ate and a half hour after he ate. That is a lot of owies! Feeding would bring his levels up but they would always fall again. We had a warning a few hours before he was admitted to the NICU and everyone came up to see him. When we got down to our new spot we had a great nurse that was able to get Coles IV in in only a few minutes and was able to get his glucose drip started. Then they wrapped his little arm up with what seemed like a whole role of tape. Steve and I spent all evening in and out of that place with feedings every three hours. Cole was the largest baby in the NICU at that time. The nurses were used to dealing with these fragile little people who were barely hanging in there and it was a joy for them to come and "play" with such a healthy one. At his 9 o'clock feeding I noticed that Cole had bled on my shirt. The little stinker had yanked his IV out of his hand, ouch. Because of this the nurses had to get another IV into him. They spent what seemed like forever poking him in the hands, arms and even his ankle. They were going to try a vain in his little head next when they decided to consult the doctor first. The doctor decided to see if Cole had had the glucose drip long enough to stabilize him. It was a small risk, we could have had to start again from the beginning but we prayed and gave it a try. At midnight we said goodnight to our baby boy and got some much needed sleep. The nurses the next morning were so excited when we returned around 5 am to tell us he was holding in the mid sixties. We had made it through a horrible night and our prayers were answered when we were able to walk our baby back up to our room. We were actually able to leave the hospital that afternoon and take Cole home to his big brother.