STILL living in the NICU

Quick update:

Jack is still showing slow signs of improving on his eating. 

Today he got his Hep B vaccine. 

Tomorrow, unless the doctor gets pulled away since he's on call, Jack will get circumcised. 

Poor guy. It might set us back on our eating progress. 

Guess I'll give him a little slack since he's probably not going to be feeling so hot after his little procedure. 

I'm keeping this short as we are a tired set of parents tonight, but here are a few photos from the last few days.

Male bonding time

Daddy's in charge

Grammy and Grandpa loving on Jack

This is a popular meal around our house right now. Protein packed with a lot of EASY to make.

Will not be contained. 

This series of 3 pictures I snapped after he pulled out yet ANOTHER feeding tube. 

At least it gave me the chance to get some pictures without a tube. 

This might be my favorite picture of Jack of all time. 

Just as we were getting ready to leave for the night, I paused to capture one last picture, 

and was rewarded. 

We love you Jack.

Bath Time: NICU Style

We are still working on that learning how to eat thing folks!

He is taking more in each day under his own power (bottle or breast feeding) but we take two steps forward, then one step back as a rest day. It's slow progress, but progress.

In the mean time, bath day rolled around again. 

Today we start with a couple random photos, more with his eyes open these days!, then move into bath time.

I just love how he works his little feet out. He runs on the warmer side like his Mama.

Post dinner. Lost somewhere between awake and giving into the food coma.

Hard to keep his arms tucked in too!

Getting in a little tummy time. 

He's officially 7lbs!

Hand in hand.

Checking out Daddy during bath time. He LOVES the warm warmer lapped up on him. 

So far, Jack seems to love bath time. No tears until we take him out. 

Daddy holds and Mama washes. 

Wearing his little explorer outfit that has submarines all over it :)

A picture with Mama after getting all fresh and clean

Jack and Daddy...

... holding hands

Just lounging around after dinner

 

Bed time. Sweet dreams Jack

We have started KIND OF talking discharge stuff with doctors and nurses. Nothing big, just helping us get organized for all the things he needs to accomplish before we go home:

- take all or most of his feedings on his own for 2 days or longer

-not have anymore breathing episodes

-sit in his carseat for 90min without having difficulties breathing

-lay in his crib flat with no difficulties breathing

Meanwhile, Mama has been gathering vitamins to take at home, bringing the car seat to the hospital to have handy when we're ready, staying at the hospital for longer hours to hopefully help with feeding and transition to home sooner. We are also taking a "hospital to home" class they offer to teach us all the good skills/knowledge we need for taking home a preemie babe. 

That is where we are at these days! Hoping for only one more post about our NICU stay, then fingers crossed it will be a discharge day posting! We'll see how Jack thinks about that.

Day 20 NICU Life Update

Jack continues to make slow and steady progress. He is taking some of his feedings by bottle, some partial feedings by bottle and the rest via the feeding tube, and others entirely by feeding tube. 

This morning was the first time Jack took his WHOLE bottle with me. He's done it 2-3 other times but always with the nurses. He's usually sleepy at the meal times I am there for and so he struggles a bit. We are still having to "pace" for him. This means we control the flow of milk because he isn't coordinating his suck, swallow, breathe skills yet and tends to just suck and swallow milk and leave that breathing part out. 

We are HOPING any day now that will all become coordinated so we can start looking at getting out of here, but there is still no talk of discharge. 

He now weighs in at 6lbs 6oz so he is a growing boy!

Looking like a king in his crib.

no more pictures mom!

Many faces of Jack after dinner last night. He is staying awake for longer periods now, about an hour around meal times.

Looking forward to the day he doesn't have to have that feeding tube in any more!

Thanks for checking in on us!

Private NICU

Jack is making progress. He now weighs in at 5lbs 14 oz! Gaining fast!

He is showing signs of figuring out how to eat. He can take about 1/2 his bottle sometimes, once he's taken his full bottle but most of the time he's still getting most nutrition from his feeding tube. (he's on his 4th feeding tube by the way, he keeps pulling them out!)

There was mention at the end of the week perhaps starting some discharge teaching, but it all depends on how Jack does this week. 

He does seem to be having fewer apnic episodes and when he does have one, he self recovers. 

We are eager to have him home, but also want to know that all his milestones are WELL met so we don't have to come back!

 After his 2nd bath with mom and dad. He seems to love bath time. Just settles right in and smells so sweet after.

His curl on his head. I think his hair has been getting lighter, and I hope it doesn't fall out! I like the fuzzy soft hair :)

Starting to get some chubby cheeks

We lucked out and got a private room!!!!!

Words cannot describe how nice it is not to be crammed in one corner with 3 babies and families. 

This was how alert Jack was when we tried to breastfeed for two feedings in a row. Needless to say, he ended up getting lunch via the tube. 

He likes to nap, and he's a pro at it. 

That's it for now :)

NICU Valentine

 Jack has been snuggling with his arms up like this lately. Love getting to look at his little hands while we cuddle.

Long skinny boy. Wearing one of his preemie outfits. 

Great Grandma visiting her 12th Great Grandchild and Grandma visiting her 3rd Grandchild. 

Getting to hold him for the first time too!

A blurry picture taken by the nurse.

Trying to decide if he should stay awake to try to eat more or just fall asleep and get the rest of dinner from his feeding tube. 

He chose sleep. 

 Jack got a Valentine's Day bear from the hospital!

 His arms busted out of his burrito baby blanket. He loves having his hands near his face.

This time his feet wiggled loose!

Sweet baby boy.

Aaaannnnddd.... I'd say he's done putting forth effort to eat.

How I found my guy this morning.

Steve and I dined in again this year for Valentine's Day. I did get us a delicious flank steak from New Seasons and cooked it PERFECT! Yum.

And for dessert, Crumb cake from Carlo's Bakery in NJ. 

Yes, NJ. 

Steve and I would watch marathons of Cake Boss off of Netflix while I was on bed rest. After watching so much of it, I decided we should actually TRY something they bake. 

And it's delicious :)

Things are about the same as far as Jack goes. No talk of going home at all yet. 

Today he was able to take 4mls breastfeeding followed by 6mls from the bottle. His feeding is at 43mls every 3 hours. He has to get to eating 80% of that amount from breast and/or bottle before going home. We've got a ways to go. 

He had gone 4 days without a documented apnea episode, but last night the nurse recorded 3 and put him back on the monitor for his blood oxygen levels because she thought his color looked off. 

That was discouraging to hear, but it's also hard to tell if it was a true apnic episode, or just a difference in subjective observations. Anyhow, hoping he grows out of those soon. 

Otherwise, Jack looks really healthy to the neonatologists taking care of him. 

They keep dangling the hope of getting a private room in front of us. They've been saying "soon" for a week. I wish they'd either give us the room or stop talking about it because I get my hopes up for some space and privacy, and then it doesn't happen. 

Can't wait for us to get to go home! Can't come soon enough! 

Pray for good breathing and eating from Jack and a private room for his parent's sanity!

Oh and instead of pens and papers and remotes and the like, this has now over taken my bedside table. We are close friends ten times a day.