Living In the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with Hannah

This sign was on the door to Hannah's room,  The nurses made this sign for Hannah

This sign was by the door.  I think this sign reminded the nurses of our names





 Sleeping
We were allowed to stay in the sleep room luckily every night (and we stayed 6 nights).  We never had to leave the hospital.  We always got to sleep each night in a bed.  I was so thankful! 
The charge nurse each day around 4pm will decide what couples will be allowed to stay in the sleep rooms.  (you see there are only 2 sleep rooms and like 30+ rooms for babies)  The charge nurse had to decide who got to use sleep rooms using the following criteria: 
1.  the distance away you live (we live 40 minutes away)
2.  how terminal your child was (Hannah was definitely terminal in the doctors and nurses mind)
3. pumping breast milk (so we could pump in the middle of the night)

Everyday we had to ask our nurse for the sleep room.  Our nurse would then let the charge nurse know that we wanted a room.  It was hard for me to ask everyday; because I don't like to nag and I felt like I was nagging when I was asking everyday.  I also felt like we were hogging the sleep room and I don't like to feel like I was a hog.  But thankfully God provided a good place to sleep each night. 

Daily Schedule
2-3am:  wake up to pump breast milk, hold Hannah and snuggle with her
7am: wake up again to pump and hold Hannah, wait for Rick to come to hold Hannah while I showered
8-9am:  shower, change, and eat breakfast (because I was pumping I got a free breakfast, I'd save half of my breakfast for Rick, I couldn't eat the whole meal anyway)
9-11am:  pump more breast milk, hold Hannah, and talk with nurses and doctors and they came in to check Hannah, kids would arrive to see and hold Hannah
11-12am:  meet with the care team for Hannah (they would talk about Hannah's care, her tests, her feeds, her medicine, goals for care)  We were allowed to ask questions
12-4pm:  pump again, visit with the kids, my parents, Rick's mom, other visitors,  hold Hannah, watch the kids as they hold Hannah, this was a busy time but one of my favorite times!
4-6pm: pump breast milk, sit and relax with Rick, snuggle with Hannah (I couldn't get enough of holding my precious little girl)
6-7pm:  eat dinner (we'd go eat at the cafeteria or sit in the lounge )  I always was anxious to get back to Hannah
7-11pm:  pump more milk,  hold Hannah, help nurses weigh her,  love on Hannah


The Room

Hannah's room was not real big.  We were allowed to have 2 extra people in the room beside ourselves and Hannah.  (sometimes with all the kids we have we'd have more in her room)
In the room there was a crib, comfortable chair, breast pump, stool, cupboard, IV feeding pole, heart and lung monitor, letters and blankets from the kids, sink, and all the nurses supplies.



Hannah's IV feeding pole



Hannah's heart and lung monitor




Letters from Hannah's brothers and sisters




The rest of the letters

Kids in the waiting room waiting to see Hannah

another waiting room picture



We treasured each moment that we had with Hannah as we did not know how many days  we'd be blessed to have Hannah in our arms!  Hannah was such a blessing to our family. 

  Psalms 89:15-17

 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
         They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.
In Your name they rejoice all day long,
         And in Your righteousness they are exalted.
  For You are the glory of their strength,
         And in Your favor our horn is exalted.

In Christ my strength, Sandi Kwant (Hannah's mommy)