Parker Alexander Maximus Ringhand

One of my friends suggested I start a blog to communicate how we are doing. Thank you Sara! It was an excellent idea and the best way to communicate Parker’s ever changing status. Today, Parker’s weight was back up to 2 pounds even. He was doing well on 10cc of breast milk, but when they started fortifying the milk he had some trouble digesting it. So they are putting him back on plain breast milk.

During rounds this morning they detected a heart murmur, so at 6:00pm tonight Parker had to have an ECO performed by Doctor’s from Children’s Hospital. Tonight at 11:00pm we spoke to his nurse and she said that the murmur wasn’t bad enough to intervene yet. He will have to have a repeat ECO in a week to ensure that the valve is developing and closing properly. This is a common issue with preemies.

Parker’s doctors also felt that he was trying way too hard to breathe on his own, so as of this evening he is now on a ventilator. They tried to keep him off the ventilator, but the CPAP was not working, because his nose was too stuffed up. The room air was not getting to his lungs. When I saw him this morning he looked very tired and worn out. He stopped breathing about every 15 minutes. They have prescribed Afrin for the next three days to help clear up his nose.

Today was frustrating and emotional. Lance called the NICU this morning and his nurse said he was doing great. When I got there an hour later he was having trouble breathing. Yesterday, when I was at the NICU, I watched as the Doctors intubated another little guy a couple of cubicles down from Parker. Today when I got to the NICU, the little guy’s cubical was empty. I lost it. I could not stop crying. I was supposed to wait for Lance to get there, but I had to leave. I sat in the parking lot for 30 min. before my husband tracked me down. I have to keep telling myself that overall Parker is doing really well for how little he is. I know he is going to have good days and bad days with bumps in the road. Parker is a week old today. I miss him when I am not with him, but when I am with him it is hard to watch all of the intervention that is needed to keep him breathing.

Lance and I are so grateful for the prayers everyone is sending our way. We do not feel alone in our current situation. I know that Heavenly Father is watching out for Parker and our family. With Love - Lindsey