Its the amazing growing baby!

Josh had a good night last night, with only a few desaturations.  Josh's nurse gave Mom and Dad a bit of a scare by saying that his belly was bigger, and she was going to have to talk to the nurse practitioner about it, and then said that it probably was nothing.  Way to make a set of new parents feel great at 1:00AM!?!?  When we called again at 5:00AM, she said that Josh had a very big poop and his belly was back down to normal size.  Mom and Dad were very relieved and thankful for that.

Even after his big poop, Josh still managed to gain 20 grams.  This puts our little man at 1420 grams, or 3 pounds 2 ounces!  He has officially gained one pound from his birth weight, and 1 pound 3 ounces from the lowest weight he was measured at!  Josh's feeds have been increased to 27 ml per 3 hours, which are full feeds for Josh.  Because Josh is back up to full feeds, they started putting the fortifier back into the breast milk in order to add a few extra calories and help Josh gain weight more consistently.

Josh's air coming through his high flow nasal canula (HFNC) has been fiddled with a bit.  His oxygen was reduced to 21-percent (room air), but the flow rate was increased.  This seems to have helped out, and he is keeping his oxygen saturation up much better and having less bradicardias.  Josh continues his quest to remove his nasal cannula but with a twist.  He has taken to putting it back in himself!

Overall, Josh is doing very well.  So well in fact, that it is almost impossible not to think about the criteria that he would have to meet in order to be discharged.  The progression of his care is that he must first be transferred to the NICU 2, which is the step down unit from the NICU 3, where he is.  In order for him to move down to the NICU 2, he needs to meet the following:

1. Be off of the ventilator or CPAP
2. Be off of any IV fluids or IV nutrition

Josh is very close to being ready to go to the NICU 2.  Once he makes it down to the NICU 2, the milestones that he needs to reach to be discharged are the following:

1. Must not have any apnea or bradicardia for 1 week
2. Must be able to maintain his own body temperature (usually starts at over 1,800 grams [4 pounds])
3. Must be off of oxygen
4. Must be taking his feeds completely orally (not by feeding tube)
5. Must be gaining weight consistently

So these two lists are things that everyone can be praying for as the day comes closer for him to be transferred to NICU 2 and then to be discharged.

Prayer Requests:

• Josh continue to tolerate his feeds well, and that he not have any reflux (which causes him pain and he stops breathing)
• Josh continue to gain weight
• Josh have constant, high oxygen saturations so that he can stay on low oxygen levels
• Josh not get sick or develop any infections
• Josh's suck, swallow, breath reflex would develop quickly so that he will be ready to start breastfeeding in the next few weeks.
• Mom continue to get better and that Dad not get sick again
• Mom's milk supply increase to meet Josh's needs
  

Praise:

• Josh is up to 3 pounds 2 ounces!
• Josh is back up to full feeds with a fortifier!
• Josh is doing well overall and making progress toward going home
• Josh is starting to need less help from the isolette to maintain his body temperature

(Josh resting like a little angel this morning)

(Hey there Daddy!  Where's Mommy?)

 

(Look at that beautiful blond hair!)

 

 (Are you still taking pictures of me Daddy?  I'm trying to sleep!)