Cabell Kids: 10/17/2004

Bilirubins down

Her bilirubins are down to 4.6 (if I heard Angel right) so that is very good!

Doing Great!

I got a call from Dr. Lenhart yesterday (he calls us regularly, so this is no big deal) and he said...not much. Savannah is doing really well now, and no news is good news. We now get to hold her once a day, and She needs to eat more; but that is almost all of it. her bilirubins are still high (thank you Aunt Dawn for the proper spelling) but I think she is doing well under the lamps, and they seem to be going down a little. Overall, she needs to eat more but is doing really well. Now begins the long road to suckling. As soon as she can suckle (breast-feed) we can take her home; but this could take weeks. So, for now, we wait. But I just thought I'd tell everybody that she is doing really well.

Thanks!

Zack

The one on the left that looks like milk is fats, or "lipids" if you are a doctor nerd. The one that looks like Mountain Dew (or pee) gives her proteins and other minerals. It is not used as much now that she gets fed with momma's milk.

This machine fed her for the last two weeks. It still supplements her feedings.

Le Parking Garage where our "usual spot" is.

Ah! Our usual spot.

I'm TRYING to cry, but nothing comes out.

Blue Baby Topview

I am a blue baby once again

I am a wiggle-worm

Savannah Sitting up

Angel holding Savannah

I sleep better on my stomach....ZZzzzzzzzzzzz

Somebody hold my hand!

Put me down!

Angel in her "Where's Waldo" outfit.

A mighty kick

didn't post

I didn't post cause it took me longer than I thought to read for my class tonight. But I will come back tonight or do it in the morning. either or. Sorry about that for anyone who "tuned in" to see it.

Zack

Fairfax, Oklahoma

If you drive on the BA expressway a long ways out of West of Tulsa, get off the last free exit before it turns into the Cimarron turnpike, and then take a left at Cleveland, Oklahoma, you'll get to this really beautiful stretch of land in Northwest Oklahoma known as the big bend area. There are two small towns here, Ralston, and Fairfax. I think I'm related to just about the whole town of Fairfax, my granparents on my mom's side were from this area, I have two Aunts and an Uncle from there, Aunt Dawn, Aunt Marian, and Uncle Ronny and I'm distantly related to many more people from that area. Anyway, I think I must have that whole town praying for Savannah, so I just wanted to say a big "Thank you!" to everybody in Fairfax and Ralston for praying for my daughter. I really appreciate it.

Zack

tons of pics

OK its been a while since I posted, and now my memory on my camera is full of pics. I am going to post them, sometime tonight, before my class at 7pm, my time. Never Fear. She has calmed down a LOT, and she is just chillin' now. SO, bottom line, tune into the website from 6pm to 7pm central time to see the latest pictures.

holdin' ma baby

I got to hold Savannah today. It was really tricky, with a ton of wires and tubes that came along with her, but still; I got to hold her. She wimpered a little; she sucked on her hand most of the time. It was cool. I got pictures, but I won't be able to post them until later tonight, if then. It is my wife's birthday, after all!

Tiny foot again! That is the butt of her friend, the moose beany-baby. She, apparently, is kicking him out of the crib.

You can really see the gas in the syringe in this picture.

Side shot of the blue eskimo. Those goggles are to keep her eyes from being damaged by the billy-lamps; and that hose is part of her "C-Pak", which goes to her nose to give her oxygen. She is breathing like a champ now.

Good picture if that dangling syringe weren't in the way. That syringe is for her feeding tube, and also to help relieve gas from her tummy. It is actually gross when she has gas, because it sort of resounds on the plastic in the syringe.

Another one of mom. That machine in the background is slowly injecting her with steroids for her lungs. She is all set to be a major league baseball player.

Mom putting the pacifier in the blue Eskimo.

If it weren't for the hand, you'd never know this is a baby. She looks like that one starfighter in "Star Wars" that was Darth Vader's wingman. You know who I'm talking about? If that stuff were black she'd be ready to go for Halloween.

She's almost got it.

I can't get at my pacifier! Who tied me up?

Here are her vitals. See her heartrate? (top one) it is the lowest I've seen it yet.

late

OK I'm sorry I'm late. I'll post here in 20 minutes.

OK OK! I'm posting soon.

I talked to a Savannah fan at my mom's work today (Hello!) in Tallahassee who wanted to know: why haven't you posted today! SO, I'll tell you that I will be posting pictures, sometime tonight. I have new pictures of a much more relaxed Savannah breathing through her C-pak like a champ. I WOULD post them now, but stupid me forgot the transfer cable to take the pictures from the camera. So I'll post them before my class tonight at seven, probably around 6 or so central time, 7 or so eastern time. Savannah is doing MUCH better now; she is sucking on a pacifier, but can't seem to be able to keep it in her mouth. Also, her billy-ruebins are at 10.6; so please pray for those again. 13 or so affects your brain, so pray that that count goes down. I'll explain what that is when I have more time (I'm in the middle of class).

Thanks
Zack

Thank you Iceland!

Thank you to everyone in Iceland for praying for my daughter! I really believe that prayer can change the course of our lives. If you would like to be added to the emailing list I send out (almost) everyday, send me a line at zachary-cabell@utulsa.edu. I send out videos of her with the emails. Thanks again!

Off the breathing tube! Hoorah!

Today at 12:50pm they took her off of the ventilator, about 10 minutes before Angel and I walked through the door. I thought this would be great; but Savannah didn't think so, she went nuts! She was wiggling and squirming, fighting and kicking and grabbing and trying to pull on anything she could get her tiny hands on. I asked the nurse why this was, (as Angel and I both were holding her feet and hands) and the nurse said that sometimes when babies go off the breathing tubes (which, up to that point, is all they know) they aren't used to breathing through their nose. After they took Savannah off the breathing tubes, they put a "C-Pak" on her, which is this little mask-like thing that goes on her nose so she can still breathe. If they took her completely off, her lungs would collapse. SO, she is having a hard time switching, and she makes these heart-breaking gasping noises, as she is trying to breathe through her mouth but can't. Finally the nurse had to hold her jaw shut to keep her from gasping, and force her to breathe through her nose. She was so agitated, and it was just torture for Angel and I to hear her gasp, and struggle to get a breath when we know that all she has to do is breathe through her nose. I had to hold her down to keep her from yanking out her umbilical lines and her feeding tube, and I kept telling her to BREATHE, savannah, breathe! She has to learn for herself but I absolutely hate the process.

Geez I never thought she'd have to learn how to breathe. It was really hard; please pray that she learns quickly so I don't have to have a heart-attack from this stuff. I hate it.

Savannah sitting up

The nurse put her on her stomach so that she would settle down; she was going crazy, wiggling, and fighting, I actually had to hold her butt down so she didn't kick her pulse-Ox sensor off.