Another Update on Our Boy



Taken last night 5/26/11

I just called the NICU and found out that Aidan is 3 pounds 15.49 ounces. I can't believe our 1 pound 12 ounce boy is almost 4 pounds.

So, like I've mentioned before, there is no magic weight he has to weigh before he can come home. But, there are milestones.

He has to be able to bottle feed. No more feeding tube. (Gavage feeding: Feeding through a flexible tube placed through the nose or mouth to the stomach or intestines). Right now he is getting 2 bottles every 24 hours. If he doesn't take the full bottle, they then put it in the feeding tube. In the past week or so he has taken the whole thing from me, but I guess he's not doing so well when the nurses or Daddy try to give it to him. Last night he only took 10 ml from me and 5 ml's was breast milk. (Which he gobbled up). He's eating 33 ml (just over an ounce) every 3 hours and that's a lot of work for such a little guy. I wish I could get a full 33 ml for him, but my body has other ideas. I'm not giving up though!

Another milestone is that he needs to not have any A's or B's for 5 days straight. (Apnea and Bradycardia – Apnea is the absence of breathing. In the NICU an alarm will sound if your newborn has an irregular breathing pattern which consists of intervals of pauses longer than 10-15 seconds. Bradycardia is the reduction of heart rate. An alarm will also sound if your newborn’s heart rate falls below 100 beats per minute. Usually a little tap or simple rub on the back helps remind the preemie to breath or brings the heart rate up.) Luckily he hasn't had any Apnea spells lately, but he's been having quite a few B's. It frustrates me, but it's just something he needs to grow out of. I read today that if a baby doesn't have an A or B for a weeks straight, it's likely that they won't have one again.

He also needs to be on 1/8 of a liter of O2. He's still on 1 liter, but has been doing very well on that setting. He can come home on 1/8 of a liter and it's likely that he will.

He has been maintaining his body temperature just fine and has been in an open crib for almost a week now.

Life continues to be stressful, unpredictable and frustrating but we are getting through it. One day at a time. I know he'll be home soon and I just keep reminding myself that we've made it 2 months, we can make it 1 more. We hope he'll be home sooner than that, but he should be ready to come home by his due date. June 26th. I have to concentrate on that date or I'll go crazy. I keep getting my hopes up and then I'm crushed when something changes or doesn't go the way we expected it. It's a roller coaster. It's 2 steps forward 3 steps back. Sometimes more!

I am so thankful for the many prayers and thoughts that have been sent our way. I couldn't make it without them. I know without a shadow of a doubt that he won't have any long term complications from his early birth. I have known that since the day before he was born. I know we have all been held in God's hand for the last 8 weeks, especially Aidan.