Ruthie's Journey

I've been wanting to get this done for a long time, but as you can see, it's quite an undertaking. I've been keeping notes in a notebook from the day Ruthie was born and it's time I transferred it online for easier (and probably safer) keeping. This is a time-line of Ruthie's life thus far - from day 1 to all of her milestones, big or small. I will continue to edit with updates, as I never want to forget anything important! She is our precious miracle and a testament to the grace of God.

**Ruthie's Journey**

*July 19, 2011 - Ruthie is born at 2:52am, breech position, in the hospital bed on the way to an emergency c-section. She weighed 1lb 9.1oz and was 13 inches long. We were never told her head circumference. She was immediately intubated. Mommy & Daddy were able to meet her around 5am that same morning. She was wearing bilirubin goggles, a white hat, a diaper that looked ginormous on her, and a plastic baggie to keep her warm before she moved to an isolette. From head to booty, she was the size of her daddy's hand.

*July 20, 2011 - Momma & Ruthie held hands today for the first time. This is a picture that has circled far & wide and will give some semblence of an idea to just how tiny she was.

*July 21, 2011 - Momma was discharged today. Going home without a baby is the hardest thing you'll ever have to do. Ruthie was re-intubated last night - she just couldn't keep going on her own.

*July 22, 2011 - Indocin finished - echocardiagram revealed PDA valve nearly closed!


*July 23, 2011 - first feeding today since Indocin has finished - 3mls!


*July 24, 2011 - 24 hours of successful feeds! No poop yet.

*July 25, 2011 - Momma got to change her first poopy diaper of Ruthie's! She now weighs 1lb 8.2oz.

*July 26, 2011 - Ruthie is 1 week old today!

*July 27, 2011 - Re-intubated today - she was having too many A/B's to stay on the CPAP - she just needs a break for awhile. Cranial ultrasound results = NO BRAIN BLEEDS!!! Praise the Lord!

*July 28, 2011 - Ruthie's umbilical lines are being taken out and a PICC line is being put in.

*July 29, 2011 - 1lb 10.3oz. Mommy holds Ruthie for the first time tonight - in her blankets. She brady'ed & de-satted after only 30 seconds so she had to go back into her isolette.

*July 30, 2011 - Ruthie weighs 1lb 11.4oz! Echocardiagram #2 today. Callie Finley threw Momma a baby shower today!

*July 31, 2011 - Ruthie had a 14ml blood transfusion today. She got another IV for her Indocin to close her PDA valve, which has re-opened to a moderate degree.

*August 2, 2011 - PDA valve supposedly closed now after 2nd round of Indocin. Feeds upped to 3mls every 3 hrs. She weighs 1lb 13.7oz.

*August 3, 2011 - Momma got to kangaroo Ruthie for the very first time today!


*August 5, 2011 - Daddy got to hold Ruthie for the very first time today!

our first family photo

*August 6, 2011 - Ruthie is officially off the "gatorade" (TPN nutrition via IV) - she is taking milk so well she doesn't need it anymore!

*August 7, 2011 - Feeds upped to 13mls!

*August 8, 2011 - Started a 10-day course of steroids today to help her get off the ventilator. She weighs exactly 2lbs today!

*August 9, 2011 - PICC line is coming out, caffeine is being upped a little, vent is down from 40 to 30. Talk of extubating soon!


*August 10, 2011 - Dr took a culture from her lung secretions as they believe she has an infection of some kind. Results came back positive for a gram negative infection but antibiotics will not be administered unless Ruthie shows signs of being sick.

*August 11, 2011 - Ruthie is extubated! Her little face is so swollen from the steroids. Dr said if there are going to be major issues, they will happen within the first 6 hrs.

*August 12, 2011 - Ruthie is still having a lot of A/B's but is holding her own on the CPAP. She got to snuggle with Daddy for awhile tonight.

*August 16, 2011 - Call it crazy, but the more you say the words "cat" and "cute little booty" to Ruthie, the better her numbers get.

*August 18, 2011 - 2lbs 3.1oz

*August 19, 2011 - 1 month old today. She crashed last night and had to be intubated again. She was at a rate of 50bpm - the highest we've ever seen her on. She weighs 2lbs 4.4oz and Mommy gut says something is going on with her. She never lays this still.....


*August 20, 2011 - 2lbs 4.7oz


*August 21, 2011 - vent rate 30bpm, 23% O2.

*August 22, 2011 - vent rate is 25bpm, 23% O2. She weighs 2lbs 5oz. Ruthie was moved into isolation tonight due to a lung infection - interobactosakazakii....otherwise known as the "sushi bug." This is why she's had to go up on her vent settings so much in the last few days. Started 2 antibiotics - gentamyacin & vancomyacin.

*August 23, 2011 - 2lbs 6.9oz. Feeds up to 20mls. New PICC line for her antibiotics.


*August 24, 2011 - 2lbs 9oz. Riding the vent a lot today.

*August 26, 2011 - 2lbs 12.3oz. Daddy got to kangaroo Ruthie for a couple of minutes. Her vent tube got bent and she de-satted quickly and had to be put back, but he was so happy to have gotten to hold her.

*August 27, 2011 - 2lbs 13.4oz. Feeds moved to 27mls. At 20bpm on vent settings & 35-40% O2.

*August 28, 2011 - 2lbs 15.6oz, 14.5in long. Aunt Linda threw Momma a baby shower at her house.

*August 29, 2011 - 3lbs 0.7oz

*August 30, 2011 - 3lbs 1.8oz


*August 31, 2011 - 3lbs 2.5oz. Steroids started to get her off the ventilator. PDA has re-opened.

w/ night primary, John

*September 2, 2011 - Ruthie is extubated for the last time! No more ventilator!

*September 3, 2011 - Ruthie gets her first try at a paci! We tried the Parent's Choice "Nuk" type paci and it was huge on her face but she seemed to like it.

*September 5, 2011 - Meemer holds Ruthie for the first time!

*September 6th, 2011 - first ROP exam - NO ROP! Started on high-flow nasal cannula today - 4lpm

*September 7, 2011 - 3lbs 3oz


*September 8, 2011 - Ruthie's first tub bath!

*September 9, 2011 - 3lbs 4.1oz. Feeds upped to 28mls. Sodium & steroids stopped today. She is down to 2lpm on the high-flow cannula.


*September 10, 2011 - Ruthie is on low-flow nasal cannula now! She weighs 3lbs 4.7oz and her PICC line was taken out today. Daddy got to do his very first "cares" w/ Ruthie - taking her temp & changing her diaper.

*September 11, 2011 - Ruthie gets to wear her very first outfit! It was a Carter's preemie pink & white striped onesie that said "I love Mommy." And it was still way too big.

*September 12, 2011 - Ruthie is out of isolation and into NICU 2!! She is in room 106. She weighs 3lbs 8.7oz and is 15.5in long. She is on low-flow O2 @ 1lpm.

*September 14, 2011 - 3lbs 10.3oz. Took very first bottle ever today - from Daddy! She took 14/28ml w/ hospital bottle & Goodstart nipple. Started wall O2 at 1/2lpm (500mls) and 28% O2. Bed temp was 29.8C.

*September 15, 2011 - tried Playtex Ventaire Advanced bottle today - she took 19/28ml.


*September 16, 2011 - successfully latched for non-nutritive nursing for first time! She is 3lbs 11.6oz.


*September 17, 2011 - feeds upped to 31mls and going down to 24cal from 27


*September 19, 2011 - Ruthie is on wall O2!! She started out at 200ml/min and is already down to 50! She is 3lbs 14.2oz and 16.5in long.

*September 20, 2011 - 4lbs 1.3oz, started showing ROP today - stage 1 @ 33w3d

*September 21, 2011 - took 26 of 33mls today!

*September 25, 2011 - 4lbs 3.2oz, O2 level down to 0.25lpm (lowest setting possible before removing completely!), feeds upped to 36mls. Grace Wells threw Mommy a baby shower today.

*September 27, 2011 - 4lbs 3.4oz


*September 29, 2011 - took 31 of 36mls today!

*September 30, 2011 - Grandad holds Ruthie for the first time!

*October 1, 2011 - Grandma & Dawdy came to visit Ruthie for the 2nd time. They have not seen her since she was 3 days old.

*October 3, 2011 - started 2 bottles a day! 9a & 9p

*October 5, 2011 - 5lbs 0.7oz, moved to big-girl crib today - no more isolette!

*October 8, 2011 - 5lbs 1.8oz, 2nd day of successfully taking every other bottle!

*October 9, 2011 - 5lbs 4.5oz, started 2 out of 3 bottles today

*October 10, 2011 - 5lbs 4.8oz, is only having O2 during feeds now.

*October 11, 2011 - started back w/ every other bottle instead of every 2 out of 3 - she's just too tired. ROP progressed to stage 2.


*October 13, 2011 - 5lbs 5.5oz; Dr. Ohning stopped her caffeine today @ 36wks

*October 15, 2011 - stopped the Neosure after Momma begged them to - she was vomiting constantly; started caffeine back after several apnea episodes


*October 17, 2011 - 5lbs 9.2oz

*October 18, 2011 - 5lbs 10.2oz

gangster baby :)

*October 20, 2011 - moved to private family room and started doing 2 out of 3 bottles again

*October 21, 2011 - Meemer feeds Ruthie for the first time!

*October 21, 2011 - 5lbs 11.9oz. Day 2 of doing 2 out of every 3 bottles (our 2nd try)

2nd primary day nurse, Claudia

*October 24, 2011 - Started all PO feeds today! Momma got to room-in w/ Ruthie tonight at the NICU. Daddy had to work. :(


*October 25, 2011 - Ruthie passed her carseat test. Mommy & Daddy got trained on her new at-home apnea monitor.


*October 26, 2011 - Ruthie came home after 100 days in the NICU! She weighs 5lbs 14oz. She came home with no oxygen needs, just an apnea monitor. She is taking 50mls of breastmilk fortified w/ Neosure (re-started Neosure today).

*October 28, 2011 - first peds appt w/ Dr. Whit - started Karo syrup to help her have stools on her own. She weighed 6lbs 4oz.


*October 29, 2011 - went back to straight breastmilk. Neosure kept her up ALL night screaming.


*October 30, 2011 - first time in the swing!

*October 31, 2011 - Ruthie's first Halloween!


*November 5, 2011 - Ruthie's original due date!


*November 9, 2011 - 4 month well-check & 1st half of vaccines - Pediarix & Rotavirus. She weighed 6lbs 14oz, was 18.75in long, and her head circumference was 13.75in.


*November 12, 2011 - first true apnea episode at home @ 11:45pm

*November 16, 2011 - Ruthie meets Uncle Tim for the first time! He was enamored with her - I put her in his arms and he said (in typical Tim-fashion), "Hi, I'm your Uncle Tim." That was it. She weighed 7lbs 1oz on our home scale this morning.

*November 18, 2011 - Ruthie meets Uncle Joseph & Aunt Rachelle for the first time! They took her Christmas pictures tonight also. Today our Moby Wrap came in and we tried it out - she LOVED it!

*November 21, 2011 - after several sleepless nights and being fussy, Ruthie was put on Enfacare as a trial. She did better so we stuck with it.

*November 23, 2011 - 2nd half of 4-month vaccines - Prevnar & HIB.

*November 28, 2011 - changed out NB clothes for 0-3. They're still a little big, but the NB are getting tight in length. She weighs almost 8lbs.


*November 29, 2011 - slept through the night for the first time! 9:30-5:30

*December 3, 2011 - First resident dr Melissa Garganta came to visit Ruthie at home! (this photo is from her last visit in the NICU)

*December 13, 2011 - first small smile at Mommy



*December 16, 2011 - tried Mommy's Bliss Gripe Water - did nothing for her. Also started Nutramigen for milk allergy and got referral to pediatric GI. We stopped giving caffeine today.

*December 19, 2011 - started Augmentin for tear duct infection

*December 23, 2011 - her left eye had an infected tear duct - Dr. Siddens lanced it. Next move will be tear-duct surgery when her lungs are able to handle anesthesia.

*December 24, 2011 - Ruthie meets her great-grandmother, Ruth Dyer (her namesake) for the very first time!


*December 25, 2011 - Ruthie's first Christmas!


*December 28, 2011 - Ruthie meets one of Mommy's best friends - Grace.


*December 31, 2011 - She has not gained weight in over 4 weeks now. Dr @ G'ville office decided to up formula to 24cal/oz and started rice cereal in her bottles to help her gain some weight - 1T per bottle (2-3oz)



*January 1, 2012 - finally took to the Nuk paci and we threw out the Soothies! (yay!)

*January 5, 2012 - first Synagis shot at Pediatric Pulmonology @ Patewood. She weighed 9lbs 4oz. Rolled over twice from belly-to-back during EI this morning!

*January 9, 2012 - Ruthie eats cereal from a spoon for the first time

*January 10, 2012 - Primary nurse Kristi came to visit Ruthie at home!

*January 13, 2012 - Ruthie meets her great-grandma Ruby Adams for the first time.



*January 18, 2012 - cleared from Dr. McLane (ROP) for 6 months.

*January 19, 2012 - Ruthie is 6 months old! She signs "mommy" fairly consistently when I'm in her face (lol) and is starting to sign "eat" when she's having cereal....sometimes.



*January 20, 2012 - 6month well check and 1st set of 6month vaccines - Pediarix & Rotavirus. Her stats were 9lbs 10oz, 23.5in long (nurse did not measure correctly!) and 15in head circumference. She is in the 25th percentile on the preemie chart for weight/length, and 70th percentile for head circumference (ahem...Daddy...). She was officially discharged from her apnea monitor today, though we haven't used it in a couple of weeks.

*January 24, 2012 - got 2nd half of 6month vaccines - HIB & Prevnar

*January 25, 2012 - met with GI (Dr. Kevan) for first time. She changed Ruthie's formula from Nutramigen to Elecare and said her milk intolerance is severe. Our options are changing formula, adding a PPI (Prilosec, Prevacid, etc), and upping the amount of cereal in the bottles. Also met with Developmental Peds (Dr. Ferlauto) for first time - he said she looked great for a micropreemie and isn't too concerned with anything at this time. She will begin PT for plagiocephaly (flat head) and if it does not correct the problem in 3-4 months, we will look into getting her a helmet. At Dev Peds, her stats were 9lbs 12oz, 21.75in long, & 15in head circumference. At GI, her stats were 9lbs 9.9oz & 21.5in long.



*January 27, 2012 - upped Zantac dose from 1ml to 1.5ml due to severe refluxing lately. It's gotten so bad she fights every bottle and refuses to eat....and this girl can't afford to miss any food!

*January 30, 2012 - I've had fun with Daddy this afternoon! It's his birthday tomorrow so I was his buddy today and took my first bottle for him in several weeks. (I'm currently on a Mommy-kick and I don't want anyone else to feed me or hold me.) My great-aunt Linda & great-uncle Norman came to visit me today and I cried at the hand-off....that was a first.

*January 31, 2012 - Today I took my very first walk outdoors! It was also the first time I've ridden in my stroller. I went with Momma & Meemer to the park by my house and got to see the lake up close on our walk.