Opposite Day and Misadventures in Mini Hot Tubs

Dear Samuel,

Each day throughout this journey, you continue to impress us.

Today was another good day. Your weight is now up to 2 pounds 9.6 ounces. It's actually the same as your weigh-in from Thursday night, but is up 40 grams from the last post. You keep heading in the right direction for weight....pretty soon you are going to be a chunker!

Your "high flow" oxygen was taken down to 1 Liter per hour (the lowest setting for this particular device) and are around 30% O2. The next step down from that would be what's called "wall air"; which essentially is just a lower flow of oxygenated air OR removing all ventilation/air altogether. If that were to be the case, it would be a HUGE milestone for us AND an earlier than expected one at that.

Momma gave you your first real bath on Thursday. She said you were wrapped in a towel and submerged into a "mini hot tub" (as I call it)....and each arm and leg were taken out separately to be washed. This process is called a swaddle bath and apparently you either REALLY liked it or REALLY didn't. Let's just say that your leg's and bottom had to get washed twice because there was some not so nice stuff ALL over the place, according to Mom.

Tonight when we came down to see you, you were backwards in your isolete. Maybe it was opposite day in the NICU or something, but it threw us for a loop.

I got to hold you for a little bit tonight, before they started your feeding. It was the perfect way to end my day.....

Love, 

Mom and Dad

Making Gains, 'Brah'......

Dear Samuel,

Not a whole lot of change over the past two days, save one:

Monday Weigh-In: 2 pounds 5.4 ounces

Tuesday Weigh-In: 2 pounds 6.8 ounces

Wednesday Weigh-In: 2 pounds 8.2 ounces

Making Gains! It's almost 3 ounces in 2 days! AND it's halfway to 3 pounds! 

Otherwise, not a lot has changed. You have learned how to pull your nose prongs out of your nose. You did it twice tonight, while we were there. 

Still on the high flow oxygen and at 25% to 30% O2. 

Keep making those gains little man...If you keep this pace up, we will get to move you to a crib and it won't take an Act of Congress to hold you! DISCLAIMER: It doesn't really take an "Act of Congress" to hold you but it does take some advanced planning. Your mom and I aren't used to not being able to hold our own children. 

Love, 

Mom and Dad

Channeling the Magic

Dear Samuel,

Well, our Wisconsin sports magic may have run out.....I think you may be channeling it back to yourself.

Two really good days. You are still on high flow oxygen at 2 Liters per hour and at 25%-32%. You have a fair amount of your apnea spells which lead to alarms/de sats but this is still "acting your age", as your nurses say.

Weigh-In last night had you at 2 pounds 5.7 ounces, up 40 grams from the night before. Saturday night you were up 30 grams from the previous night, as well. A trend the doctors want to see continue (20-30 grams per day).

On Sunday nights, they measure your length as well....You are up to 14.5 inches. Last week you were at 13.25 inches. Growing bigger each day.

One change of note is that you have been getting whats called Enfacare instead of Prolacta (These are fortifying agents added to the breastmilk). The Prolacta was overworking your kidneys, as it's chalk full (pun intended) of protein. Therefore, your doctors thought it would be wise to switch to the Enfacare which has a lower concentration of protein and calories.

You've started working with Occupational Therapy to help with muscle and bone development, as well as your head shaping. Essentially, it's a workout for premies.....A workout you WOULD have been getting inside mommy with all of the pushing and kicking you would do. We just have to simulate it now since you are here. So far, so good. 

Love,

Mom and Dad

P.S. I love that picture above where you are smiling. 

Go with the Flow

Dear Samuel,

Sorry for not posting last night....we didn't get home from the hospital until late.

Not much change though. You are still on the "high flow" oxygenated air.....the only change is that you have gone from 4 liters on Thursday down to 2 liters, today. Liters refers to the amount of air pushed through your house in 1 minute. So, the fact that you are down 2 liters in one day is pretty amazing.

The other piece of news was from last night. You have finally reached the 1,000 gram mark (1 kilogram)! You were actually 1010 grams. In pounds, this translates to 2 pounds 3.6 ounces! This was an increase of 30 grams from Thursday night. Your doctor wants to see you gaining anywhere from 20 to 30 grams per day; so when you hit 30, your mom and I were pretty excited.

Otherwise, not a lot to report. We got some skin to skin time this afternoon and have been getting plenty with mom over the past few weeks. Looking forward to your mom holding you tomorrow during the game...I'm thinking that will be the magic we need to swing the momentum to the Green and Gold.

Sleep tight little man.

Love,
Mom and Dad

Standby. Patient not ventilated

Dear Samuel,

Just a quick update tonight....

Another "milestone" today. You were switched over to "high flow". So, instead of the CPAP machine now you just have a "high flow" of oxygenated air. (Wikipedia definition: Humidified high flow nasal airway respiratory support is a method of delivering a high minute volume of respiratory gas via nasal cannula. The respiratory gas is heated to near body temperature and humidified, usually to saturation vapor pressure.) This is slightly different than the CPAP you were switched to yesterday, in the fact that it's less invasive (so to speak). You are around 25% for your O2 levels on the new high flow method tonight, but were as low as 21%! 

Weigh-in tonight had you at approx. 2 pounds 3 ounces (I say approximately because there may have been some rounding involved).  

When I was there tonight, I experienced a "first" with you. I was there for slightly longer than one hour and you had Zero Alarms. That has never happened for me during your lifetime! It was pretty cool. 

Otherwise, not a ton of news today.....And No News is Good News. 

Love, 

Mom and Dad