Thursday, February 22
2 lbs, 8.8 oz
Debbie, Vic's sister, is kind enough to drive me around today and Ella's preschool was very gracious and offered to take her additional days during the week until Carson comes home. We are very fortunate to have such great friends and family. So after dropping off Ella at school and having my staples removed, we visit Carson. Carson does look tiny when he's wrapped up in his blanket, but he looks extremely tiny when he's unwrapped. They continue to increase his feedings: beginning at noon - 16 cc and at 6PM - 19 cc and he continues to put on weight.
Friday, February 23
2 lbs, 8.9 oz
Carson gains more freedom; they removed the monitor that was attached to his foot and took out his IV. Less wires and more freedom... This makes me a bit more comfortable with him. I check out his toes today; while his fingers are long and skinny, his toes are so so very small. He is staying awake more throughout the day. They are also switching from donor breast milk to formula (20 calorie) and increasing the quantity to 22 cc at the 6AM feeding. Danielle, his evening nurse, informs us that he has been experiencing some heart rate drops. It sounds scary so I have some trouble sleeping. After learning a little bit more though, it appears as if this is common in premature babies and that adults probably experience this, too. NICU becomes concerned if the heart rate does not come back to normal range and the baby requires stimulation to come back to normal. Doesn't he look like a doll in my arms?
Saturday, February 24
2 lbs. 10.3 oz.
While Vic & I are visiting Carson this evening, we experience 2 of these heart rate drops. It is displayed as an alarm on his monitoring screen; however, his heart rate bounced back to normal. I'm still not completely comfortable with this "alarm" and plan to read about this. One of the drops occurred while the nurse was changing his diaper and she referred to it as "bearing down." At the 6PM feeding, they increase his quantity to 23 cc and fortify his formula to 22 calories. The extra calories are intended to increase his weight.
Sunday, February 25
2 lbs, 11.3 oz.
2 lbs, 8.8 oz
Debbie, Vic's sister, is kind enough to drive me around today and Ella's preschool was very gracious and offered to take her additional days during the week until Carson comes home. We are very fortunate to have such great friends and family. So after dropping off Ella at school and having my staples removed, we visit Carson. Carson does look tiny when he's wrapped up in his blanket, but he looks extremely tiny when he's unwrapped. They continue to increase his feedings: beginning at noon - 16 cc and at 6PM - 19 cc and he continues to put on weight.Friday, February 23
2 lbs, 8.9 oz
Carson gains more freedom; they removed the monitor that was attached to his foot and took out his IV. Less wires and more freedom... This makes me a bit more comfortable with him. I check out his toes today; while his fingers are long and skinny, his toes are so so very small. He is staying awake more throughout the day. They are also switching from donor breast milk to formula (20 calorie) and increasing the quantity to 22 cc at the 6AM feeding. Danielle, his evening nurse, informs us that he has been experiencing some heart rate drops. It sounds scary so I have some trouble sleeping. After learning a little bit more though, it appears as if this is common in premature babies and that adults probably experience this, too. NICU becomes concerned if the heart rate does not come back to normal range and the baby requires stimulation to come back to normal. Doesn't he look like a doll in my arms?Saturday, February 24
2 lbs. 10.3 oz.
While Vic & I are visiting Carson this evening, we experience 2 of these heart rate drops. It is displayed as an alarm on his monitoring screen; however, his heart rate bounced back to normal. I'm still not completely comfortable with this "alarm" and plan to read about this. One of the drops occurred while the nurse was changing his diaper and she referred to it as "bearing down." At the 6PM feeding, they increase his quantity to 23 cc and fortify his formula to 22 calories. The extra calories are intended to increase his weight.
Sunday, February 25
2 lbs, 11.3 oz.
still 15" in length
When Vic & I arrive at NICU, Carson is sleeping. He wakes up shortly thereafter and stays awake during the entire visit. He definitely is more alert. He's moving more and more everyday and seems to stretch more. Up to this point, Carson was more curled up. He seriously must know I'm mom because he spits up again while I am holding him. OK, he does spit up on Danielle, the evening nurse, so he's not completely discriminating. The nurses aren't concerned about his spit-ups though because he's not crying or having gas and his stomach is still soft. He also gets the hiccups for quite a while. I achieve two things today:
When Vic & I arrive at NICU, Carson is sleeping. He wakes up shortly thereafter and stays awake during the entire visit. He definitely is more alert. He's moving more and more everyday and seems to stretch more. Up to this point, Carson was more curled up. He seriously must know I'm mom because he spits up again while I am holding him. OK, he does spit up on Danielle, the evening nurse, so he's not completely discriminating. The nurses aren't concerned about his spit-ups though because he's not crying or having gas and his stomach is still soft. He also gets the hiccups for quite a while. I achieve two things today:
- I place him back in his incubator on my own.
- I undress and dress him in a sleeper.
When I was dressing him, it was obvious how tiny he is. Imagine pulling his skinny wrists and legs through the clothing - so fragile. He was very patient with me and didn't cry or fuss. Vic & I also decorated his area with some pictures of friends and family. We are also planning to take Ella shopping so that she can buy a toy for her little brother. We're not sure how that will go since she is going through a "mine" phase.
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