Methadone withdrawals:

Sweet Pea is being given morphine. Today her doctor is going to start weaning her from this.

Once this begins we will know better how her body is handling the withdrawals from methadone exposure in the womb.

Please continue to pray for healing over her entire little body.

Bilirubin:

Her levels at 6am yesterday morning were 12! She dropped 2.5 points overnight! 

Yesterday Sweet Pea was no longer on the triple lights and only had one light! She had to still be on the light 24/7. Last night when the nurse came to change her bedding I swooped her up and cuddled her for about 5 minutes before passing her off to her Daddy who held her for another 5 minutes before she had to go back under the light.

I just called the hospital and spoke to a nurse who told me Sweet Pea is now swaddled with just a bili blanket!!!!!!! No overhead lights. I didn’t think to ask about this until we hung up but I assume this now means she can be held since the only light she now needs is swaddled up with her!

Keep praying those bilirubin levels decrease!

Sweet Pea did have a blood transfusion yesterday afternoon.

The doctor told us her red blood cell count was a little low and as an extra precaution she decided a blood transfusion would be good for Sweet Pea to hopefully give her a little boost. Her red blood cell count will be rechecked this morning. Pray her levels will have improved as a result of this transfusion.

I was not able to be Sweet Pea’s blood donor because I do not weigh enough to donate blood.

I was thinking it would be pretty cool for one of my children to actually have their mother’s blood flowing through their veins. It is kind of ironic to me that my weight is what kept this from happening because one of my infertility problems stems from being “underweight”.

When I found out I could not donate blood to her my honest reaction was, Oh well. I already know it doesn’t take the same blood flowing through our veins to form a mother daughter relationship.

She slept through the entire blood transfusion!

The transfusion went in through an IV in her teeny tiny hand.

The transfusion took three hours.

Many have said how hard it must be to see my baby like this.

Yes, it is hard.

At the same time, I know all this is temporary. She won’t be on these lights forever and she won’t be going through withdrawals forever, either. Thinking about all that really helps.

It really angered me to see Little Bug going through withdrawals. I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that her birth mother had taken a drug that had negative effects on her baby.

This time around I see things in a completely different light.

Yes, it is still awful to see your baby going through withdrawals. But the need for these women to be on methadone stems from the stronghold sin has on their lives because of their addiction to drugs.

It’s a result of living in this fallen world.

But there is a Redeemer who loves all the little “drug babies” of this world. I firmly believe He holds them all in the palm of His hand as their little bodies withdrawal from their drug exposure in the womb.

Sweet Pea’s body will heal, just like Little Bug’s did.

Just as God has washed away all my sins by shedding His blood on Calvary, God will wash Sweet Pea’s little body of these drugs.

And now I will be there for her every step of the way, holding, loving and caring for her as only a mother can.

I think Sweet Pea already knows who her Mommy is, don’t you think?

- Elaine