NICU days by the numbers

Somehow I feel the need to quantify the experience we had from May 1 to August 6.

98 - The total number of days Laura and Isaac were patients at Norfolk General and CHKD (Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters).

77 - The number of days between Isaac's birth and his discharge (or the number of days in the NICU.)

308 - Number of drives through tunnels to and from Norfolk.  That's two tunnels each way: the Monitor Merrimack Bridge Tunnel (which William enjoyed saying) and the Midtown Tunnel (toll tunnel).

500 (approx) - Number of times Laura pumped milk before actually breastfeeding Isaac.

1500oz - Amount of milk Laura donated to the milk bank just before leaving the hospital.  Yes, that's right.  And that was less than half of what they had stored in the freezer.  Milk pumped while she was on antibiotics could not be donated :(.  But think how many little bitty preemies will be helped! She is a rock star at the milk bank.

2 - The number of (white) women without visible tattoos in and around the hospital.  And they were Laura and me.  Haha....ok maybe that's an exaggeration.  But they were VERY prevalent.

.19 miles - the distance Laura had to walk from her courtesy room in Norfolk General to the bedside in the NICU to feed Isaac.  The final week or two this included feedings at 11pm and 2am.  The walk was indoors but included an elevator ride and requests to pass through security and to enter the NICU.  When Isaac moved to the stepdown unit, there was a second elevator ride and additional walk.

25,000 - The number of germs per square inch on your cell phone (according to a new sign in the NICU which asked you to keep your phone in a ziplock bag).

4 - number of birthdays celebrated while at the hospital.  Laura (May 8), Michael (July 31), William (July 24), and of course, Isaac (May 22). My birthday (August 9) occurred on my last day in Virginia, but Isaac was home!

2 - The number of Sundays I attended worship during this time.  Both were in July and at First Pres Norfolk, near the hospital.

20-30 - The number of containers of hummus purchased and eaten, paired with yellow/orange peppers and/or pita chips (Harris Teeter brand is the best!)

10-15 - The number of boxes of Frosted Mini Wheats purchased and eaten (mostly by Laura and Michael). As the summer progressed, William also began requesting "Daddy's cereal"

90-100 - The range you wanted Isaac to stay in for oxygen saturation.  Lower numbers resulted in beeping or even a "de-sat" :(

100-200 - The range you wanted Isaac's heartrate to stay in.  Lower numbers resulted in beeping or even a brady :(

0 - The number of movies, sporting events, or cookouts attended. Beach/lake trips or summer vacation of any kind taken.  Visits to you-pick farm or farmers' market. Non-essential shopping trips. Graduations/weddings/showers or other family celebrations attended. 

6 - Other babies in pod E with Isaac.

70- Total capacity of CHKD NICU.

1140 grams - Isaac's weight at birth (2lbs 8oz).

2500 grams - Isaac's weight at discharge (5 lbs 8oz)

125 - The number of days/nights I have spent in Virginia in 2015.

123 - The number of nights Laura had spent in her new Virginia home in 2015 as of August 9 when I left.  (Yes...I spent more time in her home than she did...)

8 - Number of days before Laura was able to kiss Isaac.

12 days - Isaac's age when he received his first tiny tube feeding of mother's milk.

20 days - Isaac's age when Laura first held him.

30 days- Isaac's age when William first met him.

35 days - Number of days Isaac spent on the jet ventilator.  Laura can now hold Isaac every day.

36 days - Isaac's age when Michael first held Isaac.

38 days - Isaac's age when he extubated himself. And his first audible cry.

22 weeks - earliest gestational arrival of a baby in our pod: Jayson.  He went home after 6 months.

154 - Number of nursing shifts during our stay (77x2)

75ish - Number of different nurses that cared for Isaac.  This was very disconcerting.  We would have loved more continuity.

60 days - Isaac's age at first breastfeed.

64 days - Isaac's age on William's 2nd birthday when he could begin visiting every day.

1 - The number of nights spent at the Ronald McDonald house.  MUCH better accommodations than the hospital courtesy room.  But they lived 5 miles too close to qualify for an extended stay there.

12 - Approximate number of meals provided by new Yorktown friends (mostly from church). Note to self:  Enchilada casserole is very popular. Remember to bring something else!

Countless: expressions of love, caring, and support in the form of calls, texts, emails, notes, packages and gifts, caring bridge comments, meals, visits, and prayer. Thank you to friends, family, church family, and even strangers.