Nina Back in the Hospital
Saturday night, or technically Sunday morning, Nina ended up being admitted to Devos Children’s Hospital because she was running a high temperature and showing signs of a cold. It is turning out to be “RSV” which is a highly contagious virus that most adults, children, and some toddlers can handle with ease… however Nina is just seven weeks old, with lungs that have not fully developed. (Just like any 7 week old.) Unlike most 7 week old’s she also has her heart to contend with.
In all likelihood she was gifted this from Ian. Not his fault, really — like I said, it is almost indistinguishable from another head cold… and he probably picked that up from day-care, of course.
Melissa is in a unique scenario, yet again. Because Nina is on breast-milk at this point, she pretty much has to be at the hospital with Nina at all times. I’m trying to lend support where I can, but I’m also trying to keep working on a project that must go through in the coming month or two — and I’m already behind from the events that have happened in late December and early January after Nina was born.
Grampa Dave and Grandma Marcia had planned to show up on Valentine’s Day to let Melissa and I have a nice dinner out on our own… but now they’re here again in more of an emergency capacity. Thank you both for stepping up to the plate yet again!
Since Nina ended up in the hospital she’s been sick but seemingly getting better. It took time to diagnose which virus it was, and throughout that time, again, she seemed to be doing better. She had some sleep apnea (sp?) happen last night to where she didn’t seem to be drawing a breath. At first these were far and few between, but they started happening more often, and so she was put on oxygen.
The latest news is that this morning she woke up weaker this morning. She could be in the hospital a week or a bunch of weeks. I’ll try to keep you all informed.
These pics are from the 15th of January, I believe this is the day the Kunzes arrived to greet Nina and hang out with family in Rockford! 
So happy togetherrrrrr! 
These might be the best contractors I’ve worked with so far. 
I swear she gets a little cuter every day! 
Generally she still likes to look worried about something. 
Almost looks like she’s clapping here! 
Curiously she often looks like this as well! 
These pictures were taken sometime around the 13th of January, and you can tell she looks a little older. You should see her now. Just a couple subtle things… but different. 
Looking forward to non-gas smiles, but we’ll take what we can get, right folks? 
Ian and Daddy rock out together on Guitar Hero: Van Halen. 
We were instructed to make guitar faces. Ian’s smile is not quite fierce enough for a proper guitar face, but we’ll work on that. 
Took him in for a quick haircut… I think he was exhausted and pretty serious. Might have had something to do with the proximity of a pair of sharp scissors. 
And voila, he looks like he’s 12. Where’s my toddler go? 
Just brother and sister! We had to take some shots with his new haircut! 
I’m pretty sure Nina is sinking into the crack between the back and seat cushion. 
Grandma Sue hops in for a shot or two… I love Ian’s face in this one “Wow, can she scream!” 
Intermission between various activities. 
The quintessential boy in his overalls. 
On January the 8th, 2010 Nina had another check-up with Dr. Bultje, with little to report, and in this case, no news is good news! 
Grandma Barb holds Nina in one of her many outfits of the day, this one a catchy pink and white number with a luxurious purple evening blanket suited for a night out on any town. 
Here Grampa Ray models with Nina in purple jumper wrapped in a formal white blanket with pink border, perfect for office meeting or interview. 
January the 9th, 2010 turned out to be a major day for pictures! So for the rest of this entry we will focused on that day. Here, Ian and I snuggle up to play a quick game of “Cars.” 
If 90% of your body is asleep, this is about how much you can smile, sorry folks. 
Grampa Ray helps build a tunnel that Ian had fun spelunking! 
There’s a little smile! She actually fussed for a total of two minutes just for fun… 
…and quickly discovered that Grampa Ray makes for a good crib. 
Meanwhile Ian took the ladies on a trip to downtown Rockford to see ice sculptures! 
Pretty cool stuff down there! 
Ian poses for a picture with Grandma Sue — all grins this early in the photoshoot! 
Proud Mommy and baby girl! 
This picture looks like the perfect time to proclaim that Ian is doing brilliant as an older brother. Ian has handled having to share his parents with the sort of grace that only the bravest of children could know. I imagine this would have to be very hard, and I often think of what I must have meant to my brother when I was first born. That said, here he wanted Nina the heck off of him. Pronto. 
Grampa Ray proudly holds two of his grandkids, while Nina flashes Ian a peace sign. 
Eventually there got to be too many clicks of the shutter and we started getting faces like this from Ian… 
A bribe of c-a-n-d-y was offered by a certain parent of his in the room who shall go un-named but wasn’t me, and blammo, just look at that genuine smile! 
However holding grandchildren is all it takes to bring a grin to these grandmas’ faces! 
A bonus amount of coinage from a change purse was also supplied, and Ian made quick work of putting it all in his robot bank! 
Meanwhile Grandma Sue sneaks in a quick hug with baby girl! 
This first shot is way out of order with the rest of them, but I thought it would be important to show the bili blanket as the whole thing looked. In time I’m giving myself permission to move this picture with the rest of those that correspond to this topic. Nina doesn’t look happy, does she? 
Grandma Sue showed up on January 4th, 2010 to meet Nina and see Ian again… this picture was taken on the 5th, as Ian listens with rapt attention to a Curious George story! 
Ian and Mommy use their Dyson’s to clean up the house a bit. 
They did a good job, no? 
Grandma Barb and Grampa Ray arrived on the 6th to see our cute little bundle! For those trying to keep track of the continuity, it was this morning, a bit before Barb and Ray arrived, that we found out that Nina’s chromosome test came back normal. 
We went out to eat at Cinqo de Mayo that night. Ian enjoyed a chip in some salsa, and showed off what a good little boy he can be at dinner! 
Ian goes for a ride on a one-Ray open sleigh! 
That night, and Grandma Sue takes Ian on another romp with George! 
Word of Nina’s birth reaches Ian’s daycare. They were kind enough to make dinner for us one night later on in the week. These are good people. I’ll re-format this image someday so that it fits better. Apologies. 
Nina’s flare for the dramatic surfaces all the time. 
January 1st, 2010 and we were all exhausted… whether from the waiting (chromosome test still not in at that point) or the holding of little Nina at odd hours of the night. That sun looks a little bright, huh Nina? 
January 2nd, Nina is being bathed in the sun’s rays from above, and the bili-blanket from beneath. As I mentioned elsewhere, her numbers dropped throughout the first week of the new year. 
Slightly different angle. 
Another slightly different angle. 
On January 4th, our first car trip as a family of four! 
January 5th… somebody looks worried that this is going to last longer than a photo-shoot. 
On the 29th of December, while Grampa Dave and Grandma Marcia entertained Ian… 
Seth seemed to keep himself busy, watching the fish go by! 
Grampa Dave takes Ian for a “drag” around the house despite being very tired. (Did I mention they are building next to us?) 
There was fun to be had in warmer places as well! Sorry about the lack of Grandma Marcia pictures in this entry… she was a blur, doing things around the house! Thanks again!!!) 
By this time Ian had seen his sister many times. Was this maybe the first time Nina got a clear vision of her brother? 
…and an even clearer vision of Lucky! 
Soon we prepped Nina for her first trip to the physician’s office. 
As Dr. Bultje was not in town when Nina was born, this was their first meeting. 
Our physician looked at Nina and said her Jaundice was maybe a “15 out of 20” where “20” required hospitalization, and anything above 15 would mean it was time for the bili blanket to bring the number back down. 
We were at Home Depot purchasing a new clothes washer when I got the phone-call that Nina’s number was actually an 18 out of 20, and that the bili blanket was on its way to our house. This is what it looks like, it is a flat pad at the end of a length of optical cable, that becomes lit when the machine is on. The light helps her break down and get rid of the stuff that’s making her yellow with jaundice. Sunlight also helps, which is why that “soak up the sun” song was appropriate for the video. 
The blanket did not make for a good sleeping surface, so Nina was up a lot. She wanted to be held. Everybody took shifts throughout the week. On the 30th, while Ian was being watched, it was time for Nina’s cardiologist appointment. I ignored about 32 signs that said to turn off my cell phone so that I could snap this picture. Look at how many sensors they put on her! 
This was also the appointment where a 45 minute ultrasound in silence was followed by the prognosis that Nina’s heart had some serious issues, and the potential for a Down’s Syndrome baby was first described. The cardiologist drew out this picture for us and compared it to a drawing of a normal heart. 