Feeding

This past weekend Paul and I had a discussion with the speech therapist and the GI Team about possibly having to place a G-Tube.  We do not want her to have one unless it is absolutely necessary.  They had not really been working with her on her oral feeds and wanted to push the tube.  On Friday Paul and I said that they need to work more with her on her feeds so she can get practice and if they weren't going to work with her than they should let us do it.  So on Friday they let me feed her and she took 5cc's.  Saturday and Sunday she took 4cc's.  Which doesn't seem like much but she is getting better.  She is coordinating her sucking and swallowing nicely.  The speech therapist is still worried that she might be aspirating a little.  So when we feed her we have to watch her very closely to make sure that she isn't choking and that she isn't getting too stressed.  Also the special nipple that she has to use because of her cleft palate it is hard to get used to.

I am just very excited that I was able to feed her.  I can't wait until they tell us she can come home.  Paul and I are pretty much done with her trac cares and we are both excited and very nervous for her home coming.  We just hope that it will be soon. 

Thank-you for all of your prayers, please keep them coming.

THANK YOU!!!!

The benefit dinner was awesome.  There were so many people at the dinner and the concert it was just super.  I had a blast at the concert and also just remincsing with friends and family that I haven't seen in long time.

Paul, Namine and myself just cannot say thank-you enough for all of the love and support that you all have given, and continue to give.  There were so many of our friends and family and church members that came out to support us, but also many people from the community.  We just want to say thank-you and we love you all!

We also have some very good news about Namine.  Friday night during the concert Paul got a call from the hospital telling him that she had her suck swallow study and that she was not asperating at all.  YAY!!!  They started her feeding from a bottle on Monday, but because she is new to the whole sucking, swallowing, and breathing she is moving very slowly, but progressing nicely.  She took 2cc on Monday and yesterday while Paul and I were at the hospital she took 5cc.  So in terms of ounces she took 1/4 of an ounce.  So she has a lot of work to do but moving very nicely for the first time feeding out of the bottle.  If she keeps moving at this pace hopefully by next week she will be up to par as her feeds are concerned.  If she isn't than we have to consider a G-Tube.  A G-Tube is a tube that goes right through the outside of her belly and directly into her stomach.  We need you to keep storming heaven and as we have all seen our prayers will be more than answered. 

Thank-you to all of you that attended for your time and generous gifts. Also thank-you to all that could not attend, but sent your prayers and thoughts and generous gifts.

I am so blessed to be part of such an outreach project for the church, but also to see all of you and the support that we are receiving.  We are not alone in this journey here on earth and Friday night was way more than a show of that. 

So once again Thank-you to all of you!!!
Love,
Paul, Jessica and Namine Eiche

Trac Change and Cares

Well everybody, Paul and I have started the trac cares and changing. It was and still is scary. I do not like doing the trac changes but the tie changes are ok. It is still all a little nerve wrecking, but it is just one obstacle that we will get over, like all the others. I was so nervous and so scared for the first change that as we were doing it I started crying.

Today is her big day for her suck-swallow study, and from here we will be able to see when she will be able to start feeding from a bottle.

Today is also the day of her benefit dinner at St. Paul's Muskego. The dinner starts at 5 and goes until 7. There is also a concert afterward in the church with many different contemporary christian artists, this is $6 dollars for adults and children under 14 are free.

We are very blessed to have all of your love and support.

I said-uh, beef hot links

So we keep getting asked, when is she going home? Getting closer every day, that's all I know for sure. But aside from the typical Zen answer, the only thing left is feeding. Well, that and training.
When I say Hillshire, you say Farm!
Jess and I sort of did our first trach care today. I say "sort of" because it was mostly observing the nurses do it, but we both helped a bit. We're getting to be olds pros at the suctioning and changing, though. We do make a great team, something I've already known to be true since 2000.
Hillshire!
We also gave Namine her first bath today. I mean it was the first time that we bathed Namine, not that it was her first time getting a bath. Goodness, no one would want to approach even a baby as cute as ours if she were that smelly. But yes, it went well.
Farm!
And don't ask about the title. It's one of those in-jokes that would require waaay too much explanation.

Hold Me

Namine is now back on the fourth floor. Most importantly, this means that she's off the ventilator, hopefully for good. She's now on the humidifier (which looks sort of like the vent, but they're not the same). Some more great news, she can now be held. But remember kids, she's not a football.

Jess and I are being trained on caring for her trach. We've so far only done suctioning (getting mucus/saliva/other yuckies out of her trach), but tomorrow we'll start cleaning and changing the trach as well.

At this rate, maybe she will be home by the end of this month, after all.

Trach Collar

Hey guys. I went to visit Namine last night, and the nurse informed me that she (Namine, not the nurse) had the trach collar on since 9 in the morning, and she'd been doing really well all day. That girl always surprises me. Her trach site doesn't even look all gushy like most kids' new trachs do.

I uploaded some new pictures - check 'em out on the slideshow.

I've got PDFs of the benefit dinner postcards; the front and back are here and here, respectively.

Benefit Dinner

I am just letting you all know that St. Paul's in Muskego, the congregation that we belong to, is hosting a dinner for Namine. This dinner will be held in the school gym on September 19 starting at 5 o'clock PM.

There will also be a silent auction of various items in the gym. There is a concert in the church following the dinner. The concert is a couple of Christian vocalists that will be performing. I believe the cost of the concert is $6 for adults and children under 12 are free. If you have any questions regarding either of these events, you can call the church office or visit their website at StPaulMuskego.org.