0650 call from hospital, mini panic attack. Just calling and letting us know the plan to not use swedish transport team.

OK everything is ok. Deep sigh

They will be getting ready between 0900 and 0930. Good still works for what our plan for the day was. He pooped at some point through the night.  0700 wake up alarm sounds. We pack out our things to the car,  check out of the tree house and head up to the NICU.

A nurse that also works at Swedish is in the room along with the transport nurse and respiratory therapist,  apparently the nurse from Swedish works at both hospitals! She just happened to get him this morning. Everyone is very friendly,  over the last week I feel they have begun to gain faith in us and don’t think we are “those parents”.

We do morning cares before it’s time to load him into the transport incubator, just some pee. We sign all the required paperwork and waivers of reliability,  the nurse loads up our box with all our frozen milk, we pack the remaining few things of ours we have in the room and then it’s time to go. We say our goodbyes and tell him we will see him soon up there.  He is in for his second vehicle ride of his life to go back to Swedish!

They begin wheeling him off and we have distracted them from unplugging the incubator from the wall. Mom and I both call it out in unison before the cord comes tight. They graciously thank us, unplug and wrap it up. Then they are off with our child. We grab our things and head back off to the car.

0950 traffic begins to thicken, but not bad for a week day on northbound 5 into Seattle. We arrive at Swedish and head into the depths of the garage.

We head up to the NICU, the Dr. On today greets us at the front desk and tells us RT did better than he thought for recovering from surgery. As we are checking in, we get many welcome us backs and big smiles.

It is a relief to get back here, we scrub down and then head back,  RT is in a different room from the one we left behind. It is kind of a tradition to not go back to the same spot if the baby has had some troubles.  A new spot,  a fresh start. Hopefully some more progress here, it is weird walking into a different room.

The nurse he has today is not one that has had him,  but she has been around in the same room before, so more familiar with him.

They are still checking him over and getting him settled, retaping his ET tube, double checking his fluids and fluid rates.  Inspecting his PICC line,  it sounds like if he can maintain full feeds and everything they may remove it tomorrow.

His heart rate is up from all the excitement,  I talk to him to help calm him down,  then eventually when there is room we move in to give him hand hugs.  It seems more normal here than the other transfer.  We are glad to be in a room with more nurses and other babies.

He gradually calms a little bit,  then we do a diaper change,  a shmediun poo! Good job!

After cares we talk to him,  and give him hand hugs to calm him down again. He settles down a bit but gets agitated if we take our hands away, I guess he wants our love and comfort for a bit.

It feels nice to comfort him and feel needed. Although we wish he was not upset.

His oxygen percent is around 60. We left the other hospital on different vent settings and at 52% so it’s hard to compare.  Not abnormal to require more oxygen after a stressful day either.

They ask how it was down there.  We tell them we are glad to be back,  a few people come by and ask how his surgery went,  welcome us back and are glad to see us!

Eventually he is calm. We slowly and quietly remove our hands from RT to not wake him, he is calm now.

Then xray shows up.  Images taken, the xray tech asks what the thing on the image that is showing up in his chest,  I joke that he swollowed a paperclip, mom tells her he had PDA ligation. I don’t think the x-ray tech liked my humor.  That’s OK.

Xray looks better than yesterday’s to me so I’m happy!

Then its time for a blood gas,  he didn’t want to bleed.  It takes a few sticks to get enough blood.  They increase his respiraroty rate. SIMV pressure control,  plus pressure support Peep of 8, rate of 30 pip of 28. TI is .51, I think it was .32 at the other hospital.

Then it’s lunch time.

Back after lunch about the same oxygen,  around the mid to high 50%. Some desats nothing large,  he recovers from most on his own before they feel like he needs more oxygen.

I like his there is always a nurse in the room even if it isnt his. I don’t have to wonder if the technology failed and they don’t get alerted of his alarm, or anything else. They walk over and check on him if he looks life he might need help.

I know that we made the correct choice to come back here! I have much more confidence in the reactions I have seen from these nurses that have never had RT in a few hours back here than I had all week at the other hospital. I’m sure it is a good hospital down there,  it just does not fit us as well as this one.

Then cares again. Just pee, stable temp, then quick dinner and back to NICU.

Shift change,  new nurse is another one we heve not had. She seems nice. We hang out talk to RT coach him through his events,  it looks like RT and his incubater neighbors like misbehaving at the same time. Silly babies it’d amazing they learn how to work the alarms and like beeping at eachother.

Another blood gas, requires a few pokes and tw tries. His PH is higher than it has been.

During rounds when Dr. comes by they show him the numbers. He tries to think of another way to play with his settings. Mom brings up volume contol and how he liked that and why we switched.  Dr. had forgotten we had used that mode well before. He agrees, let’s try it out again.  Good job mommy!  She said it better than I would have.

2153 The respiratory therapist takes some measurements, fiddles with the ventilator tries some settings out and comes to PRVC mode Peep of 8 Pip 17 TI .50. Tidal volume 18.

RT seems to be liking it, initiating more breaths. Glad he is trying. Nicely done team!

We have a good talk with this nurse. Hopefully RT has a good night, and let’s her have a good night too. If they have a good night I’ll have a good night.

Get some rest, grow some, progress some. Poop some.

0100 Stablessing!