In the News - High-Tech Wombs

... Associated Press April 24, 2008 New York City's public hospitals are launching a $3 million effort to simulate high-tech wombs for premature babies. The initiative includes low lights and special sound monitors that flash when a neonatal unit gets too noisy for its tiny ...

http://www.nysun.com/new-york/hospitals-launch-3m-plan-for-simulated-wombs/75229/

In the News - A New Model for Care

... A New Model for the Care of Premature Babies By RACHEL SHANNON-SOLOMON, Special to the Sun June 9, 2008 Stephanie Sorrentino developed a close relationship with her ...

http://www.nysun.com/health-fitness/a-new-model-for-the-care-of-premature-babies/79590/

In the News - Alzheimer's Drug

Alzheimer's Drug May Reduce Preemie Brain Injury Memantine could protect newborns with compromised blood, oxygen supply,study suggests.

http://healthfinder .gov/news/ newsstory. asp?Docid= 616779

In the News - Pain Score

How Pain Scores In Babies Article Date: 24 Jun 2008 - 2:00 PDT

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112514.php

CP Information

http://www.ninds. nih.gov/disorder s/cerebral_ palsy/detail_ cerebral_ palsy.htm

In the News

Preemie puzzle HEALTH Federal study probes spike in early births -- pre-term babies canface lifelong challenges June 17, 2008

http://www.suntimes .com/news/ 1009064,CST- NWS-preemie17. article

In the News

What's Behind The Preemie Trend? As Premature Birth Numbers Soar, Experts Look For Ways To Stop It NEW YORK, June 16, 2008

http://www.cbsnews. com/stories/ 2008/06/16/ eveningnews/ main4185482. shtml

In the News

Surgeon General's Conference Aims To Develop National Strategy To PreventPremature Births Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health Article Date: 18 Jun 2008 - 5:00 PDT

http://www.medicaln ewstoday. com/articles/ 111713.php

In the News

New Test Could Aid Children Suffering From Reflux Disease Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health Also Included In: Acid Reflux/GERD; Radiology / Nuclear Medicine; Respiratory / Asthma Article Date: 18 Jun 2008 - 7:00 PDT

http://www.medicaln ewstoday. com/articles/ 111802.php

Kinkle Kinkle Wittle Stah

Yes. This is how she sings it. Kinkle Kinkle Wittle Stah. Freakin adorable!

In the News

Nursing Newborns to Health

Children's Hospital doctor is honored for urging premature babies' mothersto breast-feed. Numbers are growing.

http://www.ohio. com/news/ top_stories/ 19706324. html

In the News

Oxygen-Rich Lifesaving Efforts Pose Risk for Respiratory Infections

Each year, thousands of premature infants battle to breathe. Thanks to life-saving interventions developed in the past couple decades, steroids given to their mothers to stall pre-term labor, mechanical ventilation, air enriched with extra oxygen, and surfactant, a crucial wetting agent that makes breathing less work - most of these newborns survive with enough lungfunction to grow and go home.

https://urmc. edu/pr/news/ story.cfm? id=2032

In the News

Mothers give the (breast) milk of human kindness Raleigh hospital seeks donations as milk bank supply drops during summervacations.

http://www.charlott e.com/local/ story/671769. html

The IV Incident

I blame it on the fact that Kaitrin's birthday is coming up...the weird memories. Every once in a while I will drift into a day dream or pull a memory from deep in my brain. And every once in a while it is a weird memory from our NICU experience. In the last week or so, this one continues to come and haunt me. My mom, Jacob and I went to see Kaitrin in the hospital...well, mom took Jacob to Wendy's while I went in to see Kaitrin. As I was leaving, she pulled her IV out. Kaitrin was always very against her tubing, whether it was her vent, her IV, or her feeding tube...she felt that she could do without them. The nurse, busy or not thinking, asked me to calm her as she inserted another IV. Sure, I'm the mom. Sure, I would do that for Jacob (heck, I'd calm Mike if I needed to). Have you ever seen a baby, with no breathing function and no voice cry? Well it is heart breaking. Her arms are stretched out, her back is arched, and her mouth is open to scream and cry with no sound coming out. The nurse finally gets it on the third try. The worst part? There was a wall of plastic between my child and me. I couldn't even calm her with a hug or a cuddle.

In the News

Parents of sextuplets given blood lose their religious court fight Module body
Fri Jun 13, 9:10 PM

http://ca.news. yahoo.com/ s/capress/ 080613/national/ sextuplets_ seized

In the News

Born too soon: Can tiny fighters make it home?
By JAIME ARON, Associated Press Writer
Sun Jun 15, 12:25 PM ET DALLAS - Seventeen weeks premature, our twin sons were so small, so fragile.And already they'd been through so much.

http://news. yahoo.com/ s/ap/20080615/ ap_on_re_ us/born_too_ soon_ii

Yellow Belt

Jacob in his yellow belt. He had to 'break a board' to get the belt. When he hit the board with his elbow, he said, "Ouch. Are you serious?" He hit it two more time and it 'broke'. He loves karate!

First Field Trip of Summer Camp

Jacob went to a fruit farm for his first field trip of summer camp. He was so excited to ride the bus! He said that he had his teacher pick most of the strawberries because the leaves were too scratchy. In the picture, he is showing "the biggest strawberry EVER!"

In the News

Increase in late preterm births worries physiciansTHOMAS H. MAUGH II; Los Angeles Times Published: May 29th, 2008 01:00 AM

http://www.thenewst ribune.com/ news/nationworld /story/375265. html

In the News

CDC Study Ties Low-Birth Weight to Increased Autism Risk Tuesday, June 03, 2008 http://www.foxnews. com/story/ 0,2933,362143, 00.html

O*R*E*O

Yes - she pulls them apart and eats the cream from the middle.

Water Baby

Even if she is just walking past, she has to stop and see if the hose has water. And good LORD if there is water...Kaitrin will be soaked from head to toe for the next hour. She gets her hands wet. She sits in the water. She will even stand under the water flow. Crazy little water baby!

Now, this is a huge change from Jacob...for those of you who don't know him, there is terror in the water! He doesn't want water on his clothes, his shoes, his hair, or his face. During splash days at school, he plays in the sand box and stays as far as he possibly can from any water (even the drinking fountain).

BIG GIRL CAR SEAT!

No she isn't exactly 22 pounds yet, but she'll only about 8 ounces away from it!
She LOVES watching Nemo on the DVD (which totally saved us on the way to Indiana).
Yes mom, I will change the straps to the opening below so they fit her better.

Founder's Day

I want a spider!
A small spider on your cheek?
No! A big spider all over my face!

Bad Mom?

I know that under any other circumstances I would be a horrible mom if I forgot my child's birthday. Who forgets the day that their only daughter was born? Who can't remember one day? One simple date in a year? Well, a mom who had a horrible pregnancy. A mom who was terrified the day that her daughter was born. A mom who wasn't sure if her only daughter was going to live through the night. It's not the happiest a days...almost, easy to forget. The date I do remember? October 12th. The day that she was supposed to be born. September 19th. The day I finally got to bring her home. Home. That is a day to celebrate.

So when the 4th of July rolls around, I first think about the kids being home from school. Then my mind wonders about the 4th in 2006 when I had to go back to the hospital. Then I remember it's Kaitrin's birthday on the 7th. And the 'bad mom' feeling comes over me...how do I think of my daughters day after all of those things...almost forgetting it.

Gab Gab Gab

Well, Miss Jabber Jaws loves to talk to everyone in the grocery store! Hi...Hi...Hi...

She also enjoys pointing out colors and foods...a fun mini game of I-spy which always ends in, "There it is!" Pretty cute coming out of her too..."There it is!"

She is counting to 10 (but forgetting the number eight). And she has been singing Old MacDonald...well just the EEI, EEI, O...but it's still pretty funny!

And for her grand finale, she was looking at a color book and saying butterfly...which she does often...but then turns to Katie and says "Miss Katie". You just never know what is going to come out of her mouth!