It sure was love at first sight with AnnahLilly.
Every eye flutter. Every cry. Every squeak noise. Every little thing she does is magic. Sorry, Sting.
She has, however, given us, the nurses and doctors cause for concern.
It started around noon on her first day when her hands and feet started getting really deep purple in color. This condition, known as acrocyanosis, is common in newborns. What is not common: the discoloration started going up to her knees. She was put under the baby warmer and pinked back up, almost immediately. A batch of blood tests was ordered.
What we learned from those tests: She has a high blood count, and very thick blood. (The latter was evident when they tried to draw blood from her arm and couldn't get any. In and out the needle went, with no luck. AnnahLilly was a trooper; Daddy felt nauseated. So they slowly and painstakingly filled several vials from a single heel stick.) She also was found to have a high white cell count (an indicator that she was fighting infection) and a high red cell count (a precursor of jaundice).
More repeat tests, including another needle in her other arm; blood made it out of her arm that time, thankfully.
By that point, she had not gone to the bathroom, either, a sign of dehydration. So that was another BIG concern, and they had us use formula to supplement the little fluid she was getting from nursing.
More fluids = thinning out her blood = good thing.
A few hours later, more blueish-purple color was becoming more prevalent in her extremities, and our nurse called the neo-natologist on call. Dr. Lilly (how ironic is that!) got to our room after midnight and checked her out. His main concern was her thick blood and the likelihood that she also had Mommy's Factor V blood clotting mutation.
Blood clotting disorder + thick blood = bad thing.
So he decided the best thing would be to draw out some blood and put in saline. So AnnahLilly and Daddy headed to the nursery, where the doctor had to stick her twice in the right hand to get a good entry point for the saline. Then he had to stick her twice before being able to draw out blood from her opposite arm. She cried and Daddy felt a continuous punch to the gut. He was only able to draw 8 cc's of her blood.
So ... fast forward to now: 16 hours later. Things are looking up.
The coloring in her extremities is good. Test numbers are coming our more in her favor. A new worry, though, is jaundice. They're going to do some bilirubin tests soon, so we'll see if we'll be able to take her home tomorrow morning. That's the gut feeling and the hope.
More importantly, throughout all of this, AnnahLilly has been a trooper. Sure she's shed her fair share of tears, but who wouldn't being poked and prodded as much as she's been.
Hang in there, little one. We be home soon.
