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

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

Twice as Nice

Dear Samuel,

It's official.

You now weigh twice as much as you did when you were born....2 pounds 13 ounces.

Otherwise, there hasn't been a whole lot of other changes. Feedings have been bumped up to 25 ccs every 3 hours. This is almost 1 ounce (Approx. 30 ccs in 1 ounce according to momma). Probably why you have been packing on the pounds!

Oxygen is still set at 1 Liter per hour, and around 30% O2.

On Tuesday we got to meet with the Speech Therapist. She will be working with you to help with sucking so that you can eventually start eating without the use of your feeding tube!

Now we just need to keep working on getting bigger!

Love,
Mom and Dad

One down.....Plenty more to come

Dear Samuel,

Hard to believe, it's been one month.......

This has been one of the longest month of our lives, bud. It's also been one of the shortest. I can't believe that you have been here for a whole month. It feels like yesterday that we were heading to the hospital, meeting you for the first time, holding you for the first time...... 

I can't wait until the day when I get to look back at this blog and say, "It feels like yesterday that (insert favorite memory here)". 

Today has been a little up and down. When Mom was down to see you this morning, you were having a great morning. Your O2 levels were all the way down to 34% with no chin strap and your O2 saturation was at 99%! The picture from up there is actually how she found you this morning and the nurse didn't take your strap off......

She also gave you another bath again today, so hopefully you won't smell like a foot anymore (You don't really smell like a foot). 

It was a different story when I came down to see you tonight after work. Your nurse told me that you had two big ABD's during the afternoon that required the use of a "Neo Mask" (Just a mask that goes over your nose and mouth to give you Oxygen). When I got there your O2 levels were set to 54% Your belly looks to be a bit "distended" as there is a lot of air in your stomach from the CPAP machine. The only way to reduce this is to "vent" your stomach using your feeding tube. 

Tonight, you have had two more spells of ABDs that required stimulation (rubbing your back/tickling your toes) to help you to remember to breath but not the "Neo Mask". Your O2 levels are still around 50%. 

You are SO close to having your 2 pound party. Weigh-in tonight was at 1 pound 15.8 ounces. About as close to being 2 pounds as you can be. 

Hoping the overnight goes a little better than your afternoon. 

Happy 1st month buddy. Here's to many more! 

Love, 

Mom and Dad