So once we got discharged from the NICU we brought Anne Marie home on a heart/apnea monitor.  The problem was, her breathing and or her heart would slow or stop, and we would have to kick start her again by waking her up or getting her attention. In the NICU she had a fancy deal with all kinds of computers and wires and such.  At home we had the version pictured below.  It was like going from the space station to the Flintstone’s.

We were told the condition usually clears up several weeks after birth.  In AM’s case it did not.  She went from the premie version of apnea to infant apnea.  In the final weeks at the NICU she went almost a seven days without an event and we thought we might escape the monitor all together and go home clean – no equipment, hoses, oxygen, medication, etc… But she had an event a few days before, and then we found out the standard is to go at least 60 days without an event, so we took her home on the monitor.  Here is what it looks like.

Smart Monitor II

We never had much trouble with it, except when I would step on the wire and the leads would pull out of the block, thus setting off an ear splitting alarm at 3:00am.  She had four events the entire time she was on it at home.  And I do mean was.

Wednesday, 14 November, she was given a clean bill of health and we walked out of the pulmonologist’s office free of the monitor, the leads, and that freaking alarm.

This is how it’s hooked up to the baby. Don’t be fooled, ain’t no baby smiling about having no monitor hooked up.  The strap has to be very tight around the chest to prevent false alarms.  This makes for an angry baby.

Simple but effective

So another hurdle jumped, another milestone passed.  Flu season remains the next big hurdle.  If we can get to the end of March without getting the flu, RSV, or pneumonia, we will celebrate her one year actual birthday and be right as rain. (one year adjusted birthday will be 26 June, maybe a party then too!)

Oh and a quick update.  The little pot belly is weighing in at 14 pounds, and taping out at 24.5 inches.  She has doubled her length from birth.

Latest picture below.  And yeah, I’ll be in trouble for posting this.  But it wouldn’t be Friday, or any other day, if I’m not getting yelled at for something.  No point in breaking the streak now.

Never to early to start reading.