October 5d, 2009 - Visiting Ella

Overnight (well, between 4am and 9am, which felt like overnight), Ella was admitted to the Special Care Nursery (Northside's name for their NICU) to give her antibiotics via IV and monitor her fever and breathing.

A rested Jill gets to hold her baby.
Ella is so alert and attentive when mommy talks.
Overnight, they took 'the hood' off Ella (which provided 100% oxygen) and moved her to an oxygen tube providing 30% oxygen. When we got there for the 9am feeding, she was down to 25% oxygen, which they lowered to 21% before we left.

Aunt Bridget comes for the noon feeding and is Ella's first non-grandparent visitor - and the first to visit in the SCN.
It's a bit hard to hold her with the IV and all the tubes and wires, most of which are not visible here.

Grandma is next.

Jill feeds her 3pm bottle, which she takes well.
During this feeding, she pulls the oxygen tube (and tape) off one side - and screams. We're able to console her, after which she puts the tube in her mouth. Not knowing if we should put the tube back in her nose or get a new one, I ask the nurse. The nurse pulls the tube away for about 5 minutes, watching her vital signs very closely. When it was apparent Ella was still breathing well and her oxygen count was high, they gave Jill a swab with baby oil and let her gently rub the other tape off to completely remove the oxygen tube.

Ella lies contentedly in bed.

But she does perk up at daddy's voice.

The Nalls join us for the 9pm feeding.
Jennifer holds her first...

Next is a somewhat reluctant Jimmy.

Donna and Hannah patentiently wait their turn from outside the SCN.

Hannah gets to hold her new cousin.

Then Donna gets her turn.

Daddy gives Ella her nightly bottle, after which Jill and I head back to our room and leave little Ella in the SCN.