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| BIRTH |
| Cherise was born by C-section at 09:00am. I managed to hold her for a few seconds before they whisked her off to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). Cherise had good apgar scores, 8 at one minute and 9 at five minutes. She never needed a ventilator like so many preemies do. Her daddy stayed by her side for most of that day. Just after 05:00pm that afternoon I saw her again for the first time since she was admitted to NICU. |
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| NICU |
| Cherise was placed on a warming table with an oxyhooh and of course all the monitors. My husband had already been with her, so he knew what had to be done while we were in the NICU. We had to scrub our hands and forearms to kill any germs. I cannot stress the importance of doing this. Premature babies depend on an environment free of germs, it can be a matter between life or death for these fragile babies. I didn't have a clue what to expect really, I knew she wouldn't be "BIG" like full term babies. She had equipment hooked up to her to monitor her oxygen level, heart rate, breathing rate and temperature. There are numerous monitors and sounds that can make the bravest parent extremely nervous. The sounds are from medicine monitors, heart and oxygen monitors. The nurses were really good at helping us, or explaining stuff to us. Cherise was tube fed. The feeding tube is put down the nose of the baby and goes directly into the stomach. This way she receives increments of feeding. She started off with 1ml every three hours. I started kangaroo care after a week. This is when the mother and baby gets really close, skin to skin. This is really a good source of bonding. Cherise's bilirubin count became high after a few days, so she was placed under the billi lights to help with her jaundice. After 24 - 48 hours, jaundice may be gone. It is commen that jaundice may reoccur with the increase of biliruben. There are no complications to neonatal jaundice. Cherise came home after six weeks in hospital weighing 1.98kg. We have been very fortunate that not only were we in one of the best neonatal hospitals, but also the quality of Cherise's nursing staff was remarkable. Cherise is not only our miracle baby, she is also a living testament to what God and prayer can do. |
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| One day old |
| Five days old |
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| FIRST YEAR |
| HOME AT LAST |
| 12 November 1999 - After six weeks in NICU Cherise came home. On the day of her homecoming, I dressed her in a tiny outfit that I bought for her, and even then it was little big. WOW !! Finally on our own. Home with our daughter, no nurses or doctors around. Scary stuff !! We bought an apnea monitor to use at home. That gave us peace of mind while she was sleeping. It monitors the breething movements of a baby by means of an under the mattress sensor. These movements are indicated on the monitor by means of a green flashing light. Should the breathing stop for a period exceeding 20 seconds a loud pulsing alarm is activated. |
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| Cherise at eight weeks |
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| First birthday party |
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| Cherise's first birthday |
| Cherise was very susceptible to respiratory problems during her first winter. She was in and out of hospital with bronchiolitis and pneumonia. She is now treated for asthma and is doing great. Cherise has had her ears and eyes tested and so far everything seems okay. She is going for physio-, occupational- and speech therapy once a week. They helped her learn to sit and to get from sitting to crawling without having to fall over first. She first sat on her own when she was eight months old. She started pulling herself around the room on her tummy at 11 months. She is now a year old, and is crawling and pulling herself up against everything. Walking will be soon |