Welcome Home, Parker

We're Home!!

They finally let us go home today!! Parker is doing great with his feedings and gaining weight. We will still have to be very strict with him and he has to go to the doctor every few days, but we are finally together and in our own house. He already met Chopper and they seem pretty interested in each other. Well, the baby is crying so I guess I need to start officially being a mom!

A NEW ROOM

Parker did it again. He reached another milestone. We haved moved into a room where we get to stay with Parker all the time. The Salcedo's are all together.
So, what can I say? My boy is an over achiever. He has continued to eat as much as we give him and was even upgraded to "on demand" feeding schedule, which means that we feed him when he is hungry. That is quite a relief because when we were having to wait until it was his scheduled time he was getting very fussy.
We love our little boy more and more every day. He is doing so so well. Thanks again for all of your well wishes!!

B-DAY

Today is Parker's Birthday...his one week birthday. Excuse me for being a little overzealous. I feel as though he has accomplished a lot in his first week. From struggling to breathe, to wolfing down bottles in less then 15 minutes.
Yep, our little guy has progressed very far. We love him more and more everyday. In fact, today I went to work for a few hours and didn't see him in the morning, only to see upon my return that his face had already changed since yesterday. I feel like if I don't see him for a couple of days I will return to a boy who is asking where my shaving cream is.
Of course I am exaggerating a bit, but they meant it when they said kids grow up fast. I will do my very best to make sure that I don't miss out on anything.
So, Parker is well on his way towards getting to go home. His goal for the day was to take 3 full feedings. The feedings could be either bottles with breast milk or breast feedings. He has already had 2 bottles and 2 monster breast sessions. He has 2 feedings left for the day. When I got to feed him at 6 o'clock he sucked down 50cc, which is just shy of 1 and a half ounces, in less then 15 minutes. Translation...Parker CAN EAT!!!
He has been wide awake at all of his feedings and has become extremely vibrant. His facial expressions absolutely crack me up. I am a proud and amused Papa.
Parker also had his first bath today. Sarah said that he enjoyed it at first until he decided he was hungry and then fussed. Never get between Parker and his food.
Another really cute thing is that today he is wearing his first outfit.
All and all, all is good!! He continues to amaze.
Thank you and God Bless.

THANK YOU!!!

We wanted to thank everyone for the support you have given us during this time. Thank you to those of you who have come to visit and brought us care packages and little things for Parker when he is able to go home. Your visits have really cheered us up and broken up what is otherwise a monotonous day. The food is so thoughtful too because we got sick of the cafeteria after about day 1. Well, actually Brian wouldn't mind eating their pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but I prefer something a little healthier. Thank you for the prayers, phone calls and emails. If we haven't had a chance to respond please know we have received them and appreciate it. We know the prayers are really helping Parker and we can feel it too!

Love,
Brian, Sarah & Parker

I'm Parker aka "AWESOME!"

Our little boy rocks! He is getting so much better. Parker was moved to the Infant Special Care Unit at Swedish today. We had a hectic day yesterday because we had thought that we were going to be transferred back to Stevens Hospital, but our insurance company didn't want to pay for the ride because we wouldn't have been at Stevens for a week or longer as is their policy. Oh well. The bottom line is that he is doing so great!!


Parker's bilirubin levels dropped low enough for him to be taken off the bilirubin lights today. He is also eating enough that they have removed his IV. Sarah even got to dress him in his very first shirt today, which he proceeded to pee on shortly after despite her efforts to cover up during a diaper change.



We've had quite the eventful day, Sarah and I are pretty tired. We are doing our best to be good parents for Parker. Sarah in particular has never left his side. She is a supermom!!!! Sarah and I are hanging in there. We had to check out of our parent room at Swedish yesterday, but were able to get a room at the Cherry Hill Campus of Swedish which is a few blocks away. It isn't ideal, but it serves it's purpose. They have a comfortable parent's room at Swedish where Parker is so we only really need the room to sleep.


As soon as Parker can eat from a bottle for all of his meals, rather than using his feeding tube, we will all be moved into a room together. We are hoping he can do this within the next few days. We will then be in the room together for two additional days...and THEN home! We are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.


God Bless.

Jedi Training

Parker was diagnosed with Jaundice today. This is a fairly common problem caused by the increase of the chemical bilirubin in the body. Bilirubin is a byproduct of the normal breakdown of red blood cells and is usually transformed by the liver. In premature babies, the liver may not function completely at first, so bilirubin builds up and gives the baby's skin a yellow tone. The treatment for this condition is to put the baby under special blue lights called bili lights that break down bilirubin so the body can get rid of it more easily.

He seemed to be doing okay with the treatment today. He loves to be swaddled so it was a little upsetting to him a few times today to not be bundled up. At first they had him under the normal bili lights which could take up to 4 days. By this afternoon he was able to go under stronger bili lights, so hopefully that treatment timeline will be shorter.

He had breast milk today at all of his feedings. He ate from a bottle twice with great success. We tried breast feeding, but he wasn't ready for that yet. The remaining feedings were done through the tube. The tube has been moved from his mouth to his nose down to his stomach. He kept pulling it out of his mouth, so they moved it to his nose so he wouldn't be so bothered by it.

At the end of the day we met with the neonatologist briefly. He mentioned Parker is a candidate for moving to the Infant Special Care Unit (ISCU). This is a huge step! He said hopefully Parker will be able to move there tomorrow, which means we will be going home that much sooner.

It was another great day for Parker...we are so proud of our little son!!

Another day, another breakthrough

Today Parker made us so proud!! He was pulled off the C-PAP machine this morning. The doctors decided to give "room air," or just plain normal air a shot, and see how he reacted to the change. So basically, Parker is breathing in the air that you and I breathe everyday. I have never been happier to not live in Los Angeles (you know, the smog).

He is doing so well now. He has been breathing normally (without the C-PAP) since 7:00am this morning. He has reacted extremely well to this. I am not going to say that I am not worried sick about him, but I am feeling 100% better about the situation. This little guy is amazing!! He has done a complete 180 degree turn in the last 48 hours or so.

In addition to the breathing, he had his first meal today. So, if you notice in the pictures from today, you will see that he still has the small diameter tube in his mouth. That tube goes down to his stomach. It has only been used to this point to remove any air that he has swallowed. He needs that to make room in his torso to allow for his lungs to expand.

However, today the tube was used to give him the meals. At this point he has had 4 meals. The first two were all formula. The third contained a teaspoon of colostrum. It is important to get that colostrum into his tummy because it contains lots of anti-bodies, which will greatly strengthen his immune system. The fourth meal was 100% colostrum. Sarah is progressing right on schedule with her breast pumping, and I am so proud of her. If she isn't the best, smartest, and most compassionate mom ever, then she is tied for first.

Also, Sarah got to hold Parker at noon today for a whole hour. This was only the second time that she held him (besides the 30 to 45 seconds after he was born). She had a great time holding him. She is taking to motherhood like she has done it before. I also got to hold him today. In fact, I just got back to the room from holding him for 1 1/2 hours. I think he pooped while held him. I have never cheered someone for pooping (until now of course).

The Chaplain, David Sifferman, came to visit us today. He was very nice and offered to say a prayer with us. We all stood around Parker. David put his hands on all of us and said a beautiful prayer. After the prayer he made the cross on Parker's forehead saying "in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit." I told David the reason behind Parker's name. For those of you that don't know the reason or don't know the magnitude of it here you go. Parker's Great Grandfather John Parker (aka Jack Parker) passed away on November 30th. Parker John Salcedo was conceived that day. It is truly a miracle. This whole thing has humbled me to the extreme.

The Facts Are:
1. Parker is cute and he may have to model to help pay this hospital bill.
2. He is breathing normally on his own without ANY assistance.
3. He is eating. To be specific, he is getting breast milk.

Thank you to all of you. We feel an overwhelming support. Your prayers have helped. We ask that you continue to pray and keep him in your thoughts. He definitely feels the power of God and we are truly seeing the affects of prayer!!!

Another quick update: Sarah just got back from his 12:00am feeding. She changed his diaper (and he did poop, I was right!) and he was wide awake just watching her the whole time. They also weighed Parker and he now weighs 5lbs 15oz, this is good and normal that he is losing a little bit of weight. Now that he is feeding they have changed his care times to 3 - 6 - 9 -12 am and pm. We are looking forward to another eventful day tomorrow!

At least we know he can throw a curve ball...

We had an appointment with Parker's pediatrician this morning and she decided to refer him to a neonatologist. We learned that neonatologists are specialists that only deal with premature and sick newborns. The neonatologist that came to Steven's was called in from another area. So, basically she was called in just to see Parker!

Parker had another x-ray done on his lungs and they were becoming cloudy. We met with the neonatologist and she determined Parker has a condition called RDS or Respiratory Distress Syndrome. This is a condition of premature babies when their lungs don't produce a substance called surfactant. Surfactant coats the inside of the lung sacs which prevents them from collapsing when the baby exhales.

That being said, Parker has now been transferred to Swedish Hospital. He is currently in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or NICU. Here he will be able to get the respiratory support he needs through extra oxygen and a nasal CPAP machine to help him breathe effectively. We feel extremely relieved and confident that this is where he needs to be. He has three people on staff working on him 24 hours a day. He has his neonatologist, a respiratory specialist, and a neonatal advanced registered nurse all taking care of him. These people were all with him in the ambulance while he was being transported. While en route to Swedish he was stable and we thank the ambulance driver for giving him his first ride in a car after being born. We will tell him later that the siren was blaring and maybe even that they popped a few wheelies!!

Swedish provides boarding rooms for the parents. They are a lot like hotel rooms and are comfortable. Swedish is impressive. You realize once you get here that this place is a first rate facility. We were able to reserve a room for three nights this week and two nights next week. We feel very fortunate to be close to our son. They can never give us much of a timeline for his recovery always saying it will be up to Parker. The plan, as of now, is two to three weeks of care. He will spend the first part in the NICU learning how to breathe properly and then he will be moved to the Infant Special Care Unit or ISCU where he will learn how to eat...then home! He will be staying at Swedish for the remainder of his care.

While the day has been a roller coaster we did have some amazing moments with our son. We both officially got to hold him for the first time. I cried the whole time and actually can't even think about it now without crying again. I also got to help take his temperature and change his diaper. Parker is on the 4 - 8 - 12 AM & PM schedule. These are the times when they wake him up, change him, check his temp and eventually feed him. We won't always be able to hold him, but they made a special exception tonight which we were grateful for.

His eyes were open again for a while and we both got a good glimpse. He has a nack of capturing your attention. All of the nurses mentioned how cute he is. They all said it in a way that would suggest that they were not just giving it lip service. Brian thinks someone in there will have a crush on Parker before the week is over.

Thank you again for all the prayers and support we couldn't get through this without all of you.

Love,

The Salcedos

First Couple of Days

Parker is here...and he is a little early!! He decided he wanted to move out early and start his exciting life. After seeing the movie "Mamma Mia" he kick punched his way out and broke Sarah's (Mama) water in the main lobby area of the Everett Regal Cinema. A lady ran up to Sarah and offered her congratulations.

Sarah then called me (Daddy) and told me that her water broke. I was home from the Oso Lumber Golf Tournament and was watching a movie with close friends, Rich Schlosser and Joe Morris (here on referred to as Uncle Rich and Uncle Joe).

I then walked briskly around the house trying to figure out what to do until Sarah got home. Sarah soon got home and we headed for the hospital.

Sarah had a very good labor. She gave birth at 6:43am to a beautiful baby boy, named Parker John Salcedo. He weighed 6lbs 4.2 ounces. He spent a few minutes with Sarah and I. I then carried him down to the Nursery so that he could be closely watched.

Parker is 5 weeks early. As is the case when a baby is born at 35 weeks, like Parker was, Parker has had difficulty breathing so far. He is working very hard to stretch out his lungs and learn the correct way to breathe. He needs added oxygen to keep the saturation of oxygen in the blood at the appropriate levels.

On the first day he really struggled with his breathing. He was working extra hard at it. He was a strong little boy making his mom and dad very proud! He made a noise with every breathe which the nurses referred to as "grunting." As the day went on this symptom lessened.

His first night was a little rough. While getting weighed, as is a custom every night, Parker kind of lost his cool for a bit. He is very sensitive and he reacted by having a low oxygen level. The nurses took the right action and got it back under control.

Parker received visits from lots of people on the first day. He feels very loved. Parker and his parents appreciate all of the people that have provided an out pouring of support during his first days. Sarah and I appreciate everyones love. A special thanks goes to Uncle Joe who is staying at our house and taking care of our special little buddy, Chopper (our beloved dog)!

When he first started in the nursery he had a nasal tube that was giving oxygen through a tube inserted into his nose. After the first night, the Doctor and nurses agreed that it would be best to put him in a kind of a bubble that just covers his head. He absolutely loves it.

Parker took a positive turn after the switch of ways to get his oxygen. On the second day he was much calmer. He barely "grunted" and was much happier. He still cries, but we encourage him to do so because it helps strengthen his lungs.

In the morning Sarah and I had a very special moment with our son. While visiting him he had his eyes wide open and he was was looking right at us. He would look at Sarah, then me, and then back at Sarah. When he made eye contact with me I swear I was like "hey little guy...anything you want I will buy it! Seriously kid, if you want a Lamborgini then Daddy's gonna go buy a Lamborgini today!"

At the end of the day Sarah and I spent a lot of time with him saying goodnight. We talked extensively with the nurses on duty. I don't know what we would do without them. Everyone here has been so great!!

Say a prayer for Parker. He needs all of our love and support! He feels all of you rooting for him. Thank you all for thinking of us. It is much appreciated!

Finally, we want to thank a few people in specific: Grandmas and Grandpas, brother and sisters, Aunts and Uncles, and all others that came to visit and those of you who called. In particular we want to thank our Doc. Dr. Zeh, who was amazing. Her reassurance was just what we needed. Also, nurse Nanne who stayed in our room and coached Sarah through the whole labor. When I say whole labor, I mean whole labor. She was there from the beginning to the end. Nanne was slated to be off of her shift at 7:00am, and Parker was born at 6:43am. She had an effecient shift. Although she was set to leave, Sarah and I are convinced that she would have stayed late to see Parker arrive. Thank you very much Dr. Zeh and Nurse Nanne.

In addition, we want to thank the whole nursing staff here at Steven's Hospital. You have been ALL been AWESOME!!!

The length of our stay here at the hospital in unclear at this point. We will definitely not be going home anytime soon. We need to be near our son. It could be a week or as much as 4 weeks. Thanks to all of you who need us elsewhere and are being so patient and understanding. With your prayers it will be sooner then later. Parker is loved by God and he will be safe and healthy!