Willa's first 2 weeks

Time is going fast which is good!  Willa is two weeks old today and is doing well.  I'll go ahead and summarize her first two weeks to get everyone up to date.  I hope to do better at posting regular updates at least a couple times a week.

Day 1 - Happy Birthday!  Willa was taken to the NICU and put on the ventilator.  Mitch and I didn't get to spend a whole lot of time with her that day.
Day 2 - Still on the ventilator and started light therapy for jaundice.
Day 3 - The cardiologist did an echocardiogram of Willa's heart and that showed her PDA valve was still open.  Started on medication to get that valve to close.  This medication does not allow Willa to have any breastmilk feedings until the last dose is given.  So she will be given lipids and TPN (basically an energy drink or gatorade) to keep her body functioning and getting the necessary nutrients.  She was able to come off the ventilator and she was ready!  She helped the nurses pull the tube out!  She is now on CPAP.
Day 4 - Willa had a scan of her brain and that came back negative for any bleeding.  She has had a few episodes of apnea (where she forgets to breathe) and bradycardia (where her heart rate drops very low).  The nurses had to get in her isolette and rub her back to stimulate her to remember to breathe!
Day 5 - First poopy diaper! Yay!  We got word that the medication that was given to her to close the PDA valve worked.  She was able to start out on some breast milk feedings starting with just 1 ml every 3 hours.  Her current weight is 1 lb 5 oz. Not bad for going 5 days without food!
Day 6 - Willa had a blood transfusion today to help replace the blood that is drawn.  She just can't replace it fast enough.  Her oxygen levels on the CPAP were in the 20's.  Room air that you and I breathe is 21% so she is doing very well.  The doctors decided to give her a try on nasal cannula and rotate back to CPAP every 6 hours.  So far she is tolerating that very well.  Still having a few apnea and brady episodes, but that is pretty normal at this point still.
Day 7 - We were able to hold Willa for the first time!  We did kangaroo care - Willa lays on Mitch and I's bare chest so we can provide her with adequate body heat and so she can hear our hearts beating; all very soothing to a preemie.  She liked the kangaroo care so well, the nurse had to turn her oxygen all the way down to room air.  She is now up to 2 ml's every 3 hours for her feedings.  There was some concern about the circulation in her legs because her big toe on her right foot turned purple.  They ordered an ultrasound of Willa's legs to be sure there was no blockage.
Day 8 - The cardiologist came to get a better look at Willa's legs.  She is just too tiny to see much on the scans they do.  They don't see anything wrong with the circulation in her legs so they are just going to watch them.  Her big toe is now back to pink.  The cardiologist double checked her PDA valve after he checked her legs and the darn PDA valve opened back up.  They started her on the medication again.  So its off the breastmilk feedings again until that medication is done.
Day 9 - It was a pretty uneventful day and that is not a bad thing. :)  I got to hold Willa for about an hour.
Day 10 - Today was a busy day for Willa.  It started out with some nice quiet kangaroo care in the morning with Mom.  She had a couple episodes of brady while I was holding her, but just a little rub on her back and she was back up again.  Then the nurse said she needed another blood transfusion.  Her lab also showed she had an infection, but she is not acting sick.  They are starting her on antibiotics to take care of any infection that is attacking.  The IV site in her umbilical cord was removed since that can be a source of infection.  They tried multiple times to get an IV in elsewhere and didn't have much luck.  Poor thing was poked so many times that day :(
Day 11 - They checked her PDA valve and it is almost closed.  So they think it will close on its own.  They finally got an IV in her right arm.  Mom got to help change Willa's diaper today.  Still need to work on that :)
Day 12 - They thought Willa was ready to be on nasal cannula for 12 hours and CPAP for 6 hours so they are going to give that a try.  She was able to start back on feedings today - 1 ml every 3 hours. 
Day 13 - Willa is now up to 2 ml's every 3 hours and is tolerating that very well.  She got pretty tired being on the nasal cannula for 12 hours so they are switching her back to the 6 hour rotation between nasal cannula and CPAP.  They drew some more blood to run cultures to check on the infection.  Dad was able to kangaroo with Willa for about an hour.  The IV in her right arm started leaking so it was moved to her right leg.
Day 14 - Up to 3 ml's every 3 hours now.  Her IV had to be moved AGAIN!  It started leaking, so it is now in her left arm.  They won't put an IV in her left leg since that leg had a weak pulse to begin with.  She is still having a few brady episodes every now and then.  Most of the time she is able to pull herself back out of it on her own though.
Day 15 - Willa is being a little lazy today.  She did not want to be on the nasal cannula.  She kept having brady episodes where the nurse would have to get in the isolette and stimulate her.  They switched her back to CPAP and she quit the brady fits.  Little stinker!  The blood cultures came back positive for infection so they are going to continue with the antibiotics.  She is still weighing in at 1 lb 6 oz.  She did gain 10 grams over night so maybe soon we can reach the 2 lb mark!