O2? No, thanks.

Dear Samuel,

It seems like all of your "milestone" days come on the weekends. Which, don't get me wrong, works out best for your mom and I.

Today, yet another milestone (So far...I don't want to get ahead of ourselves but we are feeling confident). The medical staff decided it was a good day to give you a trial of removing your oxygen cannula. As of 10:30 a.m. this morning, you have been handling all of your breathing on your own!

You've also been taking more and more feedings by mouth. Overnight, you took 2 "Full Feedings" by bottle and today you nursed with mom and took about 31 ccs (39 cc is a "full" feed now). I also got to give you a bottle at your 5:30 feeding and you took about 29 ccs by bottle for me.

We are now halfway to 5 pounds too; 4 pounds 8 ounces!

Reality has sort of set in for your mom and I. It finally feels "real" that you will be coming home soon.....and I don't think we are ready. Well, we are ready, but you know what I mean.

Another big weekend for you buddy....if you keep up the trend of having big weekends maybe we will be talking about taking you home next weekend??? At this rate, I can't say for sure that we WON'T be talking about it.

Love,
Mom and Dad

The Best part of my day

Dear Samuel,

Somewhere between the hours of 5 p.m. and midnight, is the best part of my day. It's the time when your mom and I get to spend with you everyday. It's never for very long but we try to make the most of the time we have. There's just not enough hours in the day.......

For me, your hospital room has transformed from the time you were born until now. It's really weird to think about a place that we never wanted to be in, has almost become a place of solace and relaxation. Granted, it's still not home but since you have been progressing so well your room has become our home away from home. Last night, you and I feel asleep in the chair watching TV. No Alarms. No Nurses. Just you and me. Just like home.

Trust me, we're ready for the real thing and you are almost ready too. Soon enough.

As of last night you are up to 4 pounds 6.4 ounces! Before you know it, you will be 5 pounds! 

Today, they have been playing with your O2 needs as well. You spent a good portion of the day on 0.5 liters instead of 1. You also spent some of the day on 21% O2.....Room air. 

The past few days you have been taking more and more feedings by mouth instead of your NG tube. Feedings are up to 37 ccs and you took 2 of those FULL feedings today by mouth. 

Oh, and you peed on me today.....You would think this was my first rodeo and that I would have figured this whole thing out by now. Not so much. 

Already looking forward to what tomorrow will bring when we come see you. I can already tell you, it'll be the best part of my day. 

Love you, 

Mom and Dad

Putting things in perspective

Dear Samuel,

What a great way to start a weekend!

Today, you are officially apart of the 4 pound club! Which still feels nuts to me....Think about how much 4 pounds is, really. Considering where we began though....4 pounds is humongous. Talk about a proud papa moment if there was one!

It was also a big day for me, personally, because today was the first day I was able to feed you by bottle. You were a champ buddy....You took 28 ccs of milk by bottle and the last 5 through your feeding tube. This is becoming a more common occurrence, as you have been taking "Full" feedings by mouth over the past couple of days. 

Otherwise, not a whole lot of change. You still need to become less reliant on your Oxygen but that will come with time. Most of the time, I don't think you need it OR that it's really helpful to you. I really think you do all of the heavy lifting and the O2 is just a placebo. 

I caught a video of you being wide awake today....something else you have been doing more of :) 

4 pounds. 

Hard to believe. 

Still so small, but when you put it in perspective, so huge. 

Your Mom and I couldn't be more proud buddy. Keep on fighting. 

Love, 

Mom and Dad

Live from Samuel's Room....It's Tuesday Night!

Dear Samuel,

So, consider this a first.....I am writing this to you while sitting in your room. I just realized I haven't ever done that; a "live" blog if you will. Right now you decided to hold your breath and de-sat making the nurse come in and check on you. Something you have come to be known for around here....you don't like to be left alone for too long (OR you get too comfy when you are on momma).

As of last night your weight is up to 3 pounds 10 ounces. Your weight gain has slowed some after being put back on Enfacare; so today your dietician wanted to put you back on HMF (Human Milk Fortifier....where you were when you were making some BIG gains). You are also up to 17 inches long.

How we found you when we arrived

Your O2 levels tonight are down to 22.2%. And we all know what the magic number is by now, right? Hint: The number you want in Blackjack (21%). Like I said earlier though, you are being a little stinker right now and getting to comfy on momma and alarming. Then you wake up and shoot up to 100% O2 saturation. 

From a few days ago; Eye Wide Open

You've taken a few more bottles since last Thursday when I last wrote but no more than 2 per day (1 every 12 hours). It's either a bottle or nursing with momma that counts, so the nurses have been working with us to coordinate feedings. 

Occupational and Speech Therapy have been working with you for the past month or so and the results have been fantastic. OT has done a lot with "positive touch"; meaning that you have been conditioned all of your short life that when someone else touches you, usually resulted in pain (i.e. blood draw, shot, etc.). We have learned about how to "read" your signs that you give us and if we are pushing you too hard, too fast. Speech Therapy has done wonders and is part of the reason why you are taking bottles now (Mostly, I think this is all you, but I may be biased).

Otherwise, not a lot of change in the past few days. You just need to keep growing bigger everyday and not get too comfy on momma when she is holding you. 

Okay, well it's almost time to leave so I'm going to come and talk to you for a little bit before we leave. Love you pal. 

Love, 

Mom and Dad

Proving MD's Wrong - Since 2014

Dear Samuel,

Sorry for not writing the past few days....life has been a little crazy.

Well, would you expect any less? You keep impressing not only the doctors and nurses but your Mom and I. This week has been another memorable one.

For your 2:00 a.m. feedings the past two mornings, you have taken them by BOTTLE. Yes, you read that right....BOTTLE. It seems like you have picked this whole eating thing up very quickly. I think a lot of it has to do with being moved into the crib. It's A LOT easier to get you in and out and because of that the nurses or Mom and I are able to hold you for your feedings. Now that we are able to hold you, we give you a nook to suck on during the feeding, a bottle, or you get Mom.

The other night when Mom was holding during your feeding, she let you try to latch on and you did for about 5 minutes! She said you got tuckered out pretty quick but it's just incredible that you were able to latch on and eat!

We had another care conference with your doctor/nurse practitioner last night and they could not be more impressed. It was a pretty short meeting because you are doing all the heavy lifting. They told us that every time they don't think you are ready for something, you do it and do it well. When you had your breathing tube removed, they thought you would need another one (Not so much)....When you had clothes put on for the first time and moved out of your heated isolate, they thought you would have to be put back (Nope).....When you weren't supposed to stay in your crib and be moved back to an enclosed isolate (Thank You, may I have another?).

Now, we only have a few more hurdles. I'm not going to lie though, they aren't going to be easy. It all boils down to two things: Oxygen and Feedings. The Feedings might not prove to be such a hill to climb, since you are beginning to take bottles and latching with Mom. Before you come home, you need to take 50% of your feedings by mouth for 2 days straight (if we choose to leave the NG tube in) OR you need to take 100% of your feedings by mouth for 2 full days if we want to discharge with no feeding tube. You also need to be completely OFF of oxygen before you can come home. This one may prove to be the challenging one.....but you know what? Your doctors think this will be difficult for you. You know what to do.

You keep making gains in the weight department too. As of tonight you are 3 pounds 7.7 ounces! You are now 16 1/2 inches too.

For the first time it feels like there is a light at the end of this long tunnel. It's been an incredible journey so far and will continue to be; I'm sure of it.

Love you pal,
Mom and Dad

Blowin' the lid off.....

Dear Samuel,

Another weekend. Another milestone.

We walked into your room today and found quite the surprise:

I can't even BEGIN to tell you how BIG of a milestone this is, buddy. Every time your mom and I come to see you now, we can just pick you up....Instead of having to open your isolate. Now, before we get too excited, there is a chance that you may not handle being in a crib. If you are unable to regulate your body temp., we will have to put you back in your isolate. 

Yet again, you have forced the doctors hand with this. Normally, they don't like to move babies out of their isolates until they are around 1800 grams (Around 4 pounds) or at LEAST 1500 grams. Last night, you were at 1485 grams (3 pounds 4.4 ounces) and were "hot" in your isolate. They had no choice but to move you out of that and into your crib. Needless to say, you keep amazing all of us. 

You are now up to 28 ccs per feeding. Now that you are in a crib the meds and supplements you get with your feedings are no longer "weight-adjusted" (The dosage of the meds/supplements were adjusted based on your size). The plan now is to allow you to out-grow the dosage meaning that your body will start producing these things on it's own (sodium, caffeine and aldactazide). 

Your O2 needs have been about the same. Today you were right around 25% at 1 Liter. 

At this pace with all of these milestones, we will be home in a few weeks! (Probably not, but it would be cool!)

Love, 

Mom and Dad

As Big as Your Head!

Dear Samuel,

It's been a few days since I last wrote, so I thought I should send an update. Not much has changed since Monday so this might be short.

Your nook looks a little big....

Your weight is up to 3 pounds 1.6 ounces! Feedings have been bumped up to 27 ccs per feeding!

So far you have been regulating your body height very well and your isolete has been turned to 28 degrees Celsius (Pretty much room temp). We are hopeful you can be moved to a crib over the weekend (or sometime in the near future). It would be an absolute HUGE milestone, because it would mean that when we come to see you we can pick you up without having to take you out of your isolete. Needless to say, we are pretty anxious and excited for this to happen. 

Your O2 has still been at 1 Liter per hour and anywhere from 25% to 32% for the past few days. 

You had labs today and they found that your hemoglobin was down just a bit BUT they did not want to start a transfusion because you are now starting to produce your own red blood cells. Because of this, they won't start a transfusion because they want you to keep doing this on your own! 

Tonight, when we were there you really seemed to be interested in your pacifier as evidenced by the pictures above. Then when we put you back in your "home" you actually held your "paci" in your mouth! 

It was definitely tuckering you out....hope you fell asleep and stayed asleep....you need to make some more gains! 

Love, 

Mom and Dad

Milestone Monday (Better than Taco Tuesday)

Dear Samuel,

It's only Monday and you've had a huge week!

This morning, you made your Television debut. Check it out: Look Who's 8

Tonight, your Mom and I were there for weigh-in. We were hopeful you could get to 3 pounds because Sunday night you were 2 pounds 15.6 ounces. Well, not only did you get to 3 pounds, you rocketed all the way to 3 pounds 1.2 ounces!

So, two milestones in one day buddy....That's a pretty good Monday.

Love,
Mom and Dad

An Important Lesson

Dear Samuel,

2 months.

8 weeks.

56 days.

Any way you say it, it's the measure of time that we have been witness to such a wonderful miracle from God. Where did the time go?

Most days in life feel like they are routine, normal, mundane. Very rarely does it feel like our days have a profound impact or meaning on our lives. But, maybe we are just looking at it all wrong....maybe it's the mundane things in life that stick with us the most? The things we remember most about people.

That's yet another lesson you have taught us..... For these first 56 days, 8 weeks, 2 months to never take anything for granted. What may feel like normal to some is anything but for us. Something as simple as giving a bath, holding, or putting clothes on, many new parents get to do within the first few days. Your Mom and I have had to wait to do these things. Now, my point isn't "Oh, woe is me"; my point is that these seemingly normal, routine or mundane things have become so much more.

You're teaching us how to become better parents. To never take any moment that may seem small or normal or routine for granted. These moments are a gift from God....don't let them pass us by. Because before you know it, those moments will be gone.

What's really cool is when you realize that you are in the middle of one of these profound, mundane moments. Today was one of those days.

Momma started out with getting to hold you through your feeding and then it was tubby time.

We were able to give you what's called a "swaddle" bath. Essentially it's wrapping you in a towel and submerging you into a tub (in your case a small rubbermaid tote). Apparently, it's very stimulating for you because right when we put you in the tub....poop......everywhere. Our nurse went and got another one for us to use and we didn't have any problems from there (Funny aside though, as she was cleaning up the "soiled" tub, her phone fell out of her pocket right into the tub-o-fun.....Quite the scene. Folks at Gundersen, just put it on our tab; we've got one going).

After we got you all cleaned up, we wrapped you up like a tiny burrito. Of course, we had to take more pictures. 

After your bath, I got to hold you for your next feeding. You handled it much better than the other night when I tried holding you for a feeding. You hardly alarmed at all. 

Earlier in the day, your doctor decided it was time to try and put you in some real clothes to see how you would handle regulating your own body temp. Your bed still has the ability to control the temp, but they will be turning it down gradually (once you pass your test) to help you do all of this on your own. After your 5:00 feeding it was time to try some of your clothes on. Here is the shot of you with clothes on for the very first time! 

Needles to say, this was A LOT for one day! You were zonked out pretty good but didn't alarm: 

As of tonight at 11:00 p.m. you are now 2 pounds 14.8 ounces and still haven't alarmed much since we left around 6:00. 

What an incredible day, buddy. I'm starting to think that what they say about parenting is true; that parents try to teach their kids but really it's the kids who teach the parents. So far that has been the case. 

Love, 

Mom and Dad