 All Images 7/10 & 7/11/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Find out how Kymani is doing in the NICU on 7/10 and 7/11/2017 via the photos, slideshows, and info below. We have HUGE news! Kymani Has Made Huge Strides In The Past Two Days!  The past couple days have really been a blur. When you read all that has gone on, you'll see why. You will definitely want to read until the end. Weight gain: On July 10th, we found out that Kymani gained 100 grams overnight! That's the most she has gained in one night. She gained 10 more grams the next day, making her total weight this morning (July 11th) 2180 grams. That's 4 pounds and 13 ounces. Feeding - Kymani met and exceeded all of her feeding goals! BRADY Events - Kymani still has had zero of these since June 6th! Newborn Screenings - July 10th and 11th were very busy, as Kymani was doing all of her routine newborn and discharge screenings. She had her second head ultrasound done, as well as her hearing screening. She also did the car seat test to make sure she stayed oxygenated the whole time. Rich and I also watched some routine newborn safety videos. Guess Where Kymani Is Now?  "Don't worry, y'all. I got this!" This morning we were told that Kymani would be doing the car seat test. She did the others yesterday. Worst case, she would have a BRADY during the test and have to stay at least another five days. If she had any desats, then she would be coming home with oxygen. Otherwise, she would be coming home as is... today! Kymani passed this test with flying colors and is now HOME - no hospital monitors, no oxygen, no extra equipment of any kind. After such a long ordeal, it feel surreal, but is definitely a big welcomed relief. Kymani seems pretty happy about it too. Nova was napping when we came in (she went home a day early with her big sisters because she was pretty done with the hospital and needed something familiar). When she woke up and saw Kymani she looked at me with a huge smile and shouted "Baby! Baby?" and then tried to rock her in the car seat. Everyone else felt the same happiness, including the pets. Bo-Bo laid down by her car seat and Pinky rubbed against it. Velma sniffed at the car seat and then laid down. She got the seal of approval from them all. The discharge procedure started yesterday and wasn't as short as we made it sound here. It was pretty exhausting, but we'll spare you all the details and leave you with the happy news, as we sign off to finally relax at home with our family. More Photos From July 10th and July 11th, 2017 All Images 7/10 & 7/11/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved
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 All Images 7/8 & 7/9/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Find out how Kymani is doing in the NICU on 7/8 and 7/9/2017 via the photos, slideshows, and info below! More awesome news! Lots Of News Again! This Time It's Bigger!  The past couple days have been very busy - but in a good way! On July 8th, my oldest daughter's 20th birthday, we received the news that Kymani would get the feeding tube taken out if she nippled (drank her breast milk from the bottle) at least 80%. So, what does Kymani do with that news? She pulls the tube out on her own once she has nippled 73%. Because it was so close and she was doing so well, everyone agreed to go ahead see what she did and then put the tube back in if necessary. She decided to be an overachiever and nipple at 100%. So, we are getting very close to going home. She now has a high and low range of what she should eat, with a total goal per 12 hour period. She has been meeting that. So, if she continues to meet that goal for at least two days, has no more BRADYs for five days in a row (it's been 3 days now), and shows a good increase in weight, then the earliest she could go home is Tuesday. But we aren't going to get a specific date in mind because remember, preemies can go up and down all the time. If it goes backward, it doesn't mean she isn't doing good. It simply means she is being a normal preemie. She is already way ahead. Again, to go home, she must be consistently meeting her feeding goals for at least two days in a row, show consistent weight gain for at least two days in a row, and have zero BRADYs 5 days in a row. We thank those of you who have been following along, praying, meditating, sending happy vibes, casting white spells, lighting candles, or anything that is positive toward Kymani meeting her goals to go home. One of us is religious and one is not. But we both agree that all positive energy is good. Photos Of Kymani & Nova From July 8th And July 9th, 2017 All Images 7/8 & 7/9/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Keep an eye on the blog for more of Kymani's journeys!
 All Images 7/7/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Find out how Kymani is doing in the NICU on 7/7/2017 via the photos, slideshows, and info below! More awesome news! Progress In Feeding, Weight Gain, And BRADY Events
All Images 7/7/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Feeding Kymani has been doing so well with feedings. She had a bit of a backslide yesterday, due to the stress from her vision exam. But that's very normal and she has seemed to pick right back up since yesterday evening. She has been drinking at least some of her bottles every feeding, finishing (or getting close to finishing) most of them. Once she is nippling (drinking the breast milk on her own via the bottle) 80% of her feedings, the feeding tube will come out and what she doesn't finished will no longer be given via the tube. We will soon find out what her current percentage is and how close she is to that eighty percent. The other big feeding news today is that she has been switched to Dr. Brown's bottles with preemie nipples because the slow flow disposable hospital nipples with the breast milk containers were a bit too fast for her. She choked a bit on them a few times and we felt that this was hindering her progress. The doctors agree. It was their idea to switch the bottles. But the funny thing is we talked about asking them before they did it and coincidentally wanted to use those same bottles. They are the ones we bought Kymani before she was even born. Once she switched, she looked so much more comfortable during feeding. Everyone feels this should help. Weight Gain - Kymani lost 20 grams yesterday, but that is a small amount and doesn't affect her overall progress. She is likely to show a gain after the way she ate today. But if she doesn't, that's normal too. The loss is likely due to the stress of having her vision exam yesterday, coupled with trying to feed with a nipple that was a little fast for her. She also had the immunization the day before yesterday. So that's a lot of stress in a row for a little baby. BRADY Events - If you read yesterday's update, you'll know that Kymani had a small BRADY in response to her vision screening. The good news is that one doesn't count toward the amount of BRADY events that affects her going home. That's because it was small and quick and was in response to a stressful action. So, she still hasn't had a true BRADY since June 28th. That means she has gone 9 days since having one and it only takes 5 non-BRADY days in a row to be safe enough to go home. Other News You may have noticed that Kymani seems more aware and awake as the days go by. She is! That's a very good thing. It means she is doing what a baby should do. She can lift her head on her own. She turns her head all the way toward voices and sounds. She smiles in response to smiles and laughter. She knows her name and recognizes various voices and sounds. She especially likes the voices of mommy, daddy, and siblings - of course! She also really likes Dave & Ava, just like Nova does. There's a lot more. Simply put, she is progressing extremely well for a preemie baby born at 30 weeks that is only 4 weeks old. She hasn't even reached the gestational age of a term newborn baby and already she is doing so much! What a superstar! Some of the doctors and nurses have mentioned some interesting facts to us regarding her success rate. Apparently, African Americans who are born prematurely often fare better and thrive more quickly than others. This is also true for females. She has some African American blood in her and is a girl, so that gives her a better chance, statistically. We looked it up and sure enough, it's definitely been scientifically proven that African American baby girls do the best as preemies. Is this why she's doing so well? Who knows for sure? But it definitely can't hurt. What Does This All Mean For Going Home? Basically, it's all up to Kymani now. Once she nipples eighty percent and gets the tube taken out, she will be going home soon after that. She needs to nipple closer to a hundred percent and then she gets to come home. So, please continue to send positive vibes, pray, light candles, cast a white spell, meditate, whatever it is you do that is positive toward Kymani feeding consistently so that we can bring our sweet baby girl home. Don't forget to enter our contest regarding when Kymani goes home! Hurry, before she goes home and you can't guess anymore! Will you win? All Photos From July 7, 2017 All Images 7/7/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved
 All Images 7/6/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Find out how Kymani is doing in the NICU on 7/6/2017 via the photos, slideshows, and info below! Lots of news! Happy 4 Weeks Old! Kymani is 4 weeks old today (34.4 weeks gestation)! Yay! Not only is this just a happy thing to celebrate, but this also means you will start to see various milestones, examinations, screenings, and the like. This is normal for a 4 week old baby, but preemies just have some extra or different ones. Kymani Had Her Vision Screening Today Today, Kymani got her vision screening that we mentioned yesterday. She has immature retina (but without retinopathy or ROP), which is normal for a premature baby at her stage. She will need a follow-up in 2 weeks to make sure she doesn't have ROP at that point. It's normal for premature babies to need these follow-ups because if ROP develops, it can cause blindness if not treated soon after. She doesn't appear to be at risk, but it's a good precaution to take. The immature retina is normal and will mature with time. Everything else in the vision test was as it should be. She was cross-eyed in the beginning, like all newborns and that was shown to be mostly gone. How's Kymani Doing With Feedings, Weight Gain, and BRADY events? Weight Gain - Kymani has been gaining steadily this whole time and last night was no different. she gained 40 grams! She's now at 2080 grams, which is about 4.58 pounds. Feedings - She slowed down slightly on some of her feedings, first due to the vaccine yesterday and then after the vision test today. This is normal for a premature baby, as it's a lot of extra stimulation and they can get tired. She started to pick back up tonight. So, she may speed back up to where she was or surpass it. But if she is still too tired to do that, don't worry. It's perfectly normal. BRADY Events - If you've been following along, you'll know that Kymani had not had a bradychardia (BRADY) event since June 28th. She did have one today after the vision test and that's normal. She recovered quickly and even took in some feedings afterward. This might slow down her come-home date, but maybe not. Generally, there should be 5 days in a row without one before she can be discharged. But since it was after a procedure, it may not matter for this count. We will talk more with the doctor tomorrow. Also, she does have other goals to meet, especially the feeding, so if it does count, it still may not make a difference where time is concerned. Don't forget to guess when she is coming home to see if you win the contest! Nova And Kymani Got Some More Goodies Today! Rich and I ordered an outfit for Nova and a onesie for Kymani on thredUp and that package came today! You can see the black and white polka dot outfot for Nova, as well as Kymani's onesie in the slideshow below. The onesie looks off-white in the photo but it's actually white with a dotted pattern. We will just blame the poor photo on my low quality phone and terrible lighting. Grandma Paul (my mom) also found some cute dresses and onesies for Kymani and brought those to the hospital today, too. Those are depicted in the secind photo of the slideshow. If you check out the photos in the very last slideshow in this post, you'll see Kymani wearing one of the dresses. This morning, she wore one of the gowns from Grandma Rowell (Rich's mom) too! All Images 7/6/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved More Photos From 7/4/2017 All Images 7/6/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Keep an eye on the blog for more of Kymani's journeys!
 All Images 7/4 - 7/5/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Find out how Kymani is doing in the NICU on 7/4 and 7/5/2017 via the photos, slideshows, and info below! Is she coming home yet? How's Kymani Doing With Feeding & Weight Gain?  In the past two days, Kymani has gained 90 grams. That's three ounces! She's also doing excellent with her feedings. On July 3rd, she was nippling (feeding via bottle or breast, rather than tube/gavage) at 34%. On the 4th, she was nippling at 52%! We won't know the percentage for today (July 5th) until tomorrow because all feedings for the day need to be completed for calculation. It goes by 24-hour periods. All Images 7/4 - 7/5/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved (Scroll down past text for more photos) When Can Kymani Go Home?  As stated in the update prior to this one, Kymani needs to meet three main goals, as well as do some simple newborn screenings. Some are different than the usual newborn screenings, as these are tests that preemies would do, since they are technically still supposed to be inside the womb. The tests are done based on their adjusted (or gestational) age. The three main goals to meet are:
Kymani is getting closer to nippling at 100% (finishing all bottle or breast feedings)! We'll know tomorrow how much closer she is. But we know that she seemed to take even more of her feedings today. Remember to get your guess in for the contest on when she gets go home! Other News & How Close Is She? Kymani received her vaccination for Hepatitis B today. This is usually given at birth, but for preemies, it must be done at a different time, depending on each baby. Kymani will be one month old tomorrow and is at 2040 grams now. So, it's safe for her to get the vaccine. She will also be getting her vision screening as soon as tomorrow. The order has been put in, since she is a month old. Her developmental screening will be coming soon too. You will start to hear us talk about a number of screenings as she gets closer to going home. Photo Slideshow From July 4th, 2017 All Images 7/4 - 7/5/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Photo Slideshow From July 5th, 2017 All Images 7/4 - 7/5/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Keep an eye on the blog for more of Kymani's journeys!
 All Images 7/2 - 7/3/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Find out how Kymani is doing in the NICU on 7/2 and 7/3/2017 via the photos, slideshows, and info below! Is she closer to going home? How's Kymani Doing With Feeding & Weight Gain?  Kymani continues to gain weight daily. That's very good, since consistent weight gain is one of the goals needed to make it home. There isn't a target weight, but rather she should have a consistent track record, which she does. Our little fighter is getting better at feeding every day. She finishes some bottles already, which is amazing for a baby at her stage. Bottle feeding and breastfeeding is alternated. When she does breastfeeding, she gets her measured feeding via the tube as well, just to make sure she gets the amount prescribed. She has stayed latched on through a few entire feedings like this. More images in slideshows below the text When Does Kymani Get To Go Home? Kymani has these main goals to meet before she can go home:
Oh my goodness! She is almost there. Her last BRADY was on June 28th and she gains weight consistently. So, she mostly needs to be completing all of her feedings, which she is getting closer to. When she doesn't finish the bottles, not much has been left. She's getting close! Remember to enter the bonus guessing contest on when Kymani gets to go home! Kymani Got Two Packages July 3rd! On July 3rd, Kymani received two packages! The first package was from Grandma Rowell. That one contained two preemie gowns and some preemie mittens, all sized appropriately to her current weight. She will be able to wear these until she's about 7 pounds. The second package was from mommy and daddy. That one contained three side snap preemie onesies that are easier to get around her feeding tube and monitor wires while in the NICU. It also contained two preemie pajamas that have similar features. She wore one of the side snap onesies the evening of July 3rd because mommy put it on her so that it would be easier for the nurses when it was time to weigh her at midnight. Kymani's Package Contents All Images 7/2 - 7/3/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved More images in slideshows below the text Other News  Kymani is also now back off of the oxygen support. She was having frequent oxygen desaturation during feedings before. This is normal for premature infants. However, that has slowed down to minimal or zero of these small events during her feedings. So, she doesn't need that extra help anymore. As we have mentioned in prior posts, it's normal for preemies to go on and off oxygen as they grow. This will not affect whether she can go home or not, as oxygen support can be done at home, if necessary. We obviously hope that isn't the case, but simply want to let people know so they are not alarmed if it does happen. Nova is getting better and better at being patient during the hospital stay. This has got to be hard on a toddler with so much energy. To help, we have been taking her to the park that is behind the hospital whenever she needs to run. Sometimes, that is multiple times in a day. Nova really likes nature and running. So this is essential. Back to Kymani, she has been more and more alert every day, studying all of us. July 3rd has been her most alert day yet. During her 9 p.m. feeding, she was alert before, during, and after the feeding. Prior to that, she would fall asleep during or after feedings. So, she just might be closer to going home than we think! Remember that with preemies, things change day by day. So, we likely won't know her going-home date until it's here. A preemie's plan of care is renewed daily. That means that when she is ready, it will be a surprise even to us! Thanks to everyone who has been following along. We really appreciate your support. Please continue to send those positive vibes. It's working! Photos of Kymani & Nova From 7/2/2017 All Images 7/2 - 7/3/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Photos Of Nova & Kymani From 7/3/2017 All Images 7/2 - 7/3/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Keep an eye on the blog for more of Kymani's journeys!
 All Images 6/30 - 7/1/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Find out how Kymani is doing in the NICU on 6/30 and 7/1/2017 via the photos, slideshows, and info below! Is she going home soon? How Much Weight Has Kymani Gained? Kymani is now about 4 pounds and 4 ounces as of 9 pm on July 1st! She is gaining steadily, sometimes 70-80 grams per day! That's a lot for a little baby. Grow Kymani, grow! She has already met and exceeded weight goals for going home. But it's always good for babies to gain weight steadily. So, please continue to send positive thoughts that she keeps it up. How is Kymani Doing With Feeding In The NICU? Kymani is getting better with feeding every day since she started. Non-tube feedings have consisted of mostly bottle feedings. She hasn't consumed all of them. Sometimes, some or all of each feeding has to be given by tube. But she is already ahead of most babies who are at 33 weeks gestation. Most babies don't start this until 34 weeks or so and Kymani was able to start at 33 weeks, due to signs of readiness. On July 1st, she tried breastfeeding while getting a tube feeding to teach her that she would get full during breastfeeding. At the first attempt, she latched on easily and remained there for the entire feeding. If she can keep this up, that gets her closer to getting the tube out, as well as closer to going home. Enjoy these photos of Kymani and Nova both drinking bottles.
All Images 6/30 - 7/1/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved More Feeding Photos From 6/30 - 7/1/2017 All Images 6/30 - 7/1/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved How Is Kymani's Progress On Going Home? Kymani is getting closer and stronger every day. We don't have an exact date, but her main goal right now is learning to feed consistently. She already has met most of the other goals required for going home. Other than feeding, she needs to do the usual newborn tests, such as being monitored in her car seat, along with things like hearing and vision. She will do those other tests when she is closer to going home. Right now, the focus is on feeding and as mentioned before, she is making great progress there. Please continue to send lots of healthy and positive vibes that she is able to meet this goal as quickly as healthily possible so that she can go home relatively soon. CONTEST! - When Do You Think Kymani Will Go Home? Post your guesses in the comment section below. This contest will remain open until we know when Kymani goes home. The person who guesses the closest will receive a fun surprise gift from Kymani. Please be sure to subscribe to this post when you leave your comment in case you are the winner. Please do not put any personally identifying info in your comment text. Some quick facts before guessing:
More Photos From 6/30 - 7/1/2017 Enjoy these photos of time with Kymani from June 30th to July 1st, 2017. All Images 6/30 - 7/1/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Nathan And Nova Take An Exercise And Nature Break Despite being at the hospital for a large amount of time, we do get out and enjoy time with the other kids too. Nathan and Nova both like to run and play, as well as enjoy nature. On June 30th, we took both of them to the park and then when Nathan went to Grandma's on July 1st, we took Nova again. All Images 6/30 - 7/1/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Keep an eye on the blog for more of Kymani's journeys!
 All Images 6/29/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Kymani is 21 days old! Learn about her huge preemie baby NICU milestones on 6/29/2017 via the photos and info below! Kymani Has Made HUGE Strides Today And The Day Isn't Over Yet! Starting from this morning when we walked into Kymani's room, we knew she was going to have a good day and she definitely did. As you can see in the photo above she was smiling at us as soon as we looked at her. It got better from there. Guess Where Kymani Is Now Right after we got Kymani changed and took her temperature, her medical support team walked in for the daily rounds. You may recall from yesterday's update that she was at 1790 grams - 10 grams away from the 1800 goal. Well, since everything else is going well and she's just about there, guess what? She is now in an open crib! And that's not all of the news!
All Images 6/29/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Guess What Else Kymani Did Today Not only did Kymani graduate to an open crib, but she also did something else amazing! The doctors decided it was safe to try bottle-feeding. She needs bottles at first, due to the calorie and vitamins that need to be added to her feedings. But she will also be doing some regular breastfeeding later. Anyway, guess what she did?! She drank an entire bottle on the first attempt! This is really huge for a 33 week gestation baby. This isn't always attempted this early. But since she was showing signs of wanting to feed and so many other things are going well, it was worth a try and she aced it. Her second feeding, she took part of via the bottle and the rest via the feeding tube. That's normal because she was also extremely tired and filling a diaper. Enjoy this feeding slideshow! (more info below) All Images 6/29/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved When Does Kymani Go Home? I know many will ask this now that she has met some really huge milestones. Right now, the answer is that it's still unpredictable. Feedings need to be consistent and she also needs to not be having BRADY events regularly. She hasn't had very many in a while. But she does still have occasional episodes. The doctors cannot give us an exact date until she is about to go home because of all the variables involved. She needs to meet very specific milestones and be doing them consistently, which requires monitoring, which requires a bit of time. Basically, we are down to waiting for her to be doing everything laid out consistently and be old enough gestationally to be discharged. A few possible estimates have ranged from a week or two and further. It's a waiting game. So, please continue to send those happy vibes toward her progress because it seems to be working. She is a fighter and your positive thoughts help! More Photos From 6/29/2017 All Images 6/29/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Keep an eye on the blog for more of Kymani's journeys!
 All Images 6/28/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Kymani is now 20 days old! The photos, slideshows, and info below reveal how she is doing as a preemie NICU baby on 6/28/2017. Kymani's Making Huge Progress! At just 20 days old (33 weeks and 3 days gestational age) and having been born at 30 weeks and 4 days, our little fighter is doing extremely well! As we mentioned in the prior update, Kymani has been gaining weight steadily. Remember that in order to be in an open crib, she has to be 1800 grams. She is now 1790 grams! That means she is only 10 grams away from that milestone. Kymani also tried to breastfeed for a longer period today. She latched on very well and stayed there for more than 15 minutes. She wasn't suckling the entire time, but she did suckle for a good portion of that time. She also roots every time it's time to eat. Her medical team says she may be ready to start feeding via breast and bottle and forego the feeding tube very soon. We will talk to them further soon - possibly as early as tomorrow! So, there might be more good breastfeeding news in the next update. Because she is doing so well, feeding and weight gain will be the majority of the news in the updates, along with anything else that goes on each day. Before you know it, we will have an update about taking her home. We don't have an estimated date on that yet, but she's definitely getting closer. See a photo slideshow at the end of this post Sisterly Love Kymani and Nova continue to interact well. Nova looks for Kymani and asks to see her by saying "Baby Ky" repeatedly. Ky is easier for Nova to say, though we are unsure if this will be her nickname or not. It may be what Nova calls her affectionately and may be Nova's nickname for her. But we are trying to come up with something more inventive and fitting of her personality when that starts coming out more. Kangaroo Care Continues
How Can You Help? Some people have asked how to help. We have most of what we need for Kymani and don't really want to ask people to go out of their way for the few items we haven't yet hunted down. Right now, the most important thing is us boarding at the hospital so that Kymani receives as much kangaroo care and chances for family bonding and breastfeeding as possible. These things will help her get home more quickly, as they help her thrive and develop. We are funding the boarding with money earned from sales in our family craft shop, as well as professional business services ordered through our web services page. We would love to help out with anything you need from either of those places. Writers receive discounts on many of our services. You can also share either or both of them if you want to help but don't need any services or crafted items. We really only need a few items for Kymani and will acquire them ourselves. But if you see any of these items priced low and in used condition, let us know (we like to use hand-me-downs and then donate as many items as possible to help keep the earth green and kind-hearted): *4Moms mamaRoo Swing, preemie footie pajamas (sizes between 4-7 pounds), and preemie summer outfits (sizes between 4-7 pounds). The mamaRoo has shown to be very life-changing to preemies and they have them in many NICU facilities, including the one Kymani is in. This is why we are looking for it. Again, please don't go out of your way to find these items. But if you have any lying around that you're trying to sell (or see someone else doing so), let us know. The above of course optional and is only mentioned due to the number of people asking how to help. What Helps Kymani The Most? What helps the most, besides our family's love and care to Kymani, is sending lots of positive and healthy thoughts her way on continued progress toward going home. These positive thoughts, along with family attention are really the most important thing right now. She's doing a great job, but continued loving thoughts, prayers, lit candles, white spells, healing meditations (or anything else positive in nature) are sure to help. We appreciate all good vibes and so does she. Thank you! All Images 6/28/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved *Life Successfully has no affiliation with 4moms or the MamaRoo product mentioned in this post. They also did not ask or compensate us for this post. We simply heard about the benefits from other parents, as well as nurses and doctors. We also did a bit of research and like what we found. Keep an eye on the blog for more of Kymani's journeys!
 All Images 6/27/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Curious about Kymani's progress in the NICU on 6/27/2017? Her update is below, along with photo slideshows, including some bonus photos from 6/26/2017. She's 19 days old today! Kymani's Back On A Low-Flow Cannula For Light Breathing Support  Getting kangaroo care One of the biggest parts of today's update is that Kymani was put back on oxygen support via the low-flow cannula last night. Once her feedings were increased to a certain point, she started to have some mild desaturation spells (desats) just during feedings. At first it was fairly infrequent but last night, they got frequent enough that her medical team decided she needed a little bit of help. Don't worry, though. She's still a little fighter and this is actually normal for preemies during food increases. This is because when the stomach is full, it pushes on other organs, which can sometimes cause the lungs or other organs to work a little harder than usual. It's important to note that if she meets all of her other milestones and is ready to go home, but is still on the low flow cannula, that will not prevent her from going home. Some preemies do go home with oxygen support and that's perfectly normal if that happens. Obviously, it would be ideal that she doesn't, but the medical staff has been working with us to make sure we know how to handle dressing and holding her with the tubes on. We are confident they will prepare us further if necessary when it's time to go home. This may seem like bad news, but really it's neutral and doesn't mean she is doing worse. It was hard walking into the room seeing her that way this morning. But we reminded ourselves that we were told early on (and reassured today) that even preemies who had little support in the beginning may still need some later. It doesn't mean they are doing badly if they need low flow oxygen support via a nasal cannula. It can be a part of the process as they grow, develop, and eat more. Kymani's Weight Gain And Other Milestones Speaking of news, Kymani gained a whole 80 grams last night! We told you she was still a fighter. She really wants to go home! The medical team said she will be moving into an open crib sometime within about a couple days. She's creeping up on the 1800 gram weight total we talked about. She's already at 1760 now! Once she's at 1800, that's when she moves into the open crib. She also will begin really starting to breastfeed in a week or less. As we mentioned before, she already knows to root. Whenever she does that, it's fine to let her try. Right now, I pump first because we don't want a lot to end up in her mouth while she's still trying to figure out how to swallow. But soon she will be able to try with more milk involved. The main goal to meet for her going home is being able to eat properly, since she is already continuously gaining weight and will soon be in an open crib. So, please send positive thoughts that she will quickly learn how to feed properly so that we can bring her home soon. More Photos of Kymani On 6/27/2017 Bonus Photos From 6/26/2017 Here are some bonus photos we took after yesterday's update was posted. Enjoy! All Images 6/26/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Keep an eye on the blog for more of Kymani's journeys!
 Unless Noted, All Images 6/25/2017 & 6/26/2017 © Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell; All Rights Reserved Kymani is now 18 days old! She is 33 weeks and 1 day by gestational age. How is she doing on 6/25 and 6/26 as a preemie in the NICU? Read further to find out, as well as see lots of photos. Kymani Likes To Watch Us Before we talk about her progress, aren't the photos below so adorable?! Kymani likes to watch mommy and daddy when we talk to her, as well as when we don't.
Kymani's Progress For 6/25 and 6/26 Every day Kymani gets a little bigger and stronger, which is very good. She gained 20 grams as of the 25th and another 50 as of the 26th. That puts her 1680 grams! She is getting closer to the 1800 she needs to reach to be in an open crib. Guess what else she did today? She actually rooted really well and then latched on and suckled for a few minutes. In between, when she lost it, she actually got mad and found it again. That is HUGE for a baby this young! She really is trying her hardest to go home soon. What a fighter! Grandma Jeanne, Gary, Aja, and Nathan also came to visit on the 25th. She slept a lot of that time. But we're glad they got to visit. In addition to seeing Kymani, they also brought by some of her stuff that we left at the house (like clothing and her Graco Snug Ride car seat), as well as some new things that Grandma Rowell sent. Since she can wear clothes now, we all wanted to make sure she had plenty. A lot of it is big on her, including some of the preemie stuff. But she is growing quickly, so that's okay. Please continue to send positive vibes that Kymani continues to progress well and can go home soon. It must be working. Enjoy the two slideshows below. We hope they will give you lots of smiles in return for all of your good thoughts. More Photos From June 25, 2017 More Photos From June 26, 2017 Keep an eye on the blog for more of Kymani's journeys!
 How is Kymani doing in the NICU on 6/24/2017? Find out what she did today with pictures, slideshows, and the info below. How Is Feeding Going? If you've been keeping up, you know that Kymani needs to learn how to feed properly without the tube. It's slow going, but that is expected at this stage. Most babies aren't even trying, so the fact that she can latch on and suckle, even just for a few seconds is great. The slideshow below depicts the first tube feeding of the day. Being on the mother's chest during feedings is great in helping to stimulate the baby to breastfeed. So, we try to do this as often as possible. Speaking of feeding and weight gain, in Rich's words (regarding the daily rounds the doctors do to update each other and the parents): "Quickest Kymani update ever. Last night she gained 60 grams, up to 1610. That's 3 pounds 9 ounces. Only medicine is multivitamins. She's doing great. K bye." It really was that short - and when your NICU baby's updates are that short, that is a very good thing. Kymani Is Very Good At Sleeping
Kyma ni's Also Good At Being Awake Just like being asleep is important, so is being awake. It means she is alert, which is also a good thing. Newborns sleep a lot more than they are awake. But they should be awake and active sometimes too. Enjoy the slideshow below. Nova's Good At Being Awake Too
Back To Sleep Enjoy these cute photos of Kymani sleeping in my arms and please keep sending positive vibes that she gets to go home as soon as is healthily possible. Keep an eye on the blog for more of Kymani's journeys!
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Kymani's Travels
Lyn Lomasi gave birth to little Kymani Lyrique on June 8, 2017! She was born prematurely at just 30 weeks gestation. But miraculously, she only stayed in the NICU for about a month and has been either on track or ahead for her age, thus far.
Kymani is an East African name, which is traditionally male and means "adventurous traveler". Since when do we do anything traditional or follow gender-specific "norms"? In this family, she will definitely live that traveler legacy, proving such with her premature entrance, even though that is NOT what we had in mind when we gave her that name prior to birth. Lyrique is an alternative spelling of Lyric and she is proving to be very musical, always dancing. Join us as we recount the adventures leading up to her birth, as well as her life adventures afterward. FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS
OWNER
Lyn Lomasi is founder and owner of the Brand Shamans Content Community. Services include ordained soul therapy and healing ministry, business success coaching, business success services, handcrafted healing jewelry, ethereal and anointing oils, altar and spiritual supplies and services, handcrafted healing beauty products, and more!
Lyn is your brand healing, soul healing, marketing & content superhero to the rescue! While rescuing civilians from boring business practices and energy vampires, this awesomely crazy family conquers evil and creates change. They live among tigers, dragons, mermaids, unicorns, and other fantastic energies, teaching others to claim their own power and do the same. By supporting us, you support a dedicated parent, healer, and minority small business that donates to several causes. Profits from our all-inclusive store, Intent-sive Nature support these causes and our beautiful family! HIRE OR SHOP WITH LYN | CONTACT LYN Archives
August 2021
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