Overnight Update

Our overnight with Carter went really well! For the most part he would eat every 3 hours and sleep in between. It was a bit nervewracking because we are used to there being monitors on him to check his breathing, heart rate, etc. - but we were monitor free! At home he's also supposed to sleep with no blankets, etc. but the room was so cold the nurse had us bundle him all up. They almost had to take him back to the nursery to warm up, but some mega cuddling time kept him warm enough. We were able to stay in the room all morning until we were ready to leave ~ which was about 2:15pm. We can't wait...only 1 more full day til we bring him home and get to do this every night!

Coming Home!

Carter is coming home on SUNDAY!!! As much as I wish it were today, I know Sunday is best for EVERYONE, and the next 2 days will FLY by between rehearsal dinner and the wedding. Did I mention that Sunday is also our 1 year wedding anniversary? I couldn't imagine a better present!

Carter is currently doing his carseat challenge. The nurse isn't too sure he'll pass on his first attempt, because she waited a little while after he ate and he's probably getting hungry again..which means getting fussy! To pass the challenge he has to stay in the carseat for an hour - without any respiratory or heartrate issues. He is SO incredibly tiny for the carseat right now and it was also suggested that an adult ride in the backseat with him for awhile - which I would anyways since I'm not driving yet.

Finally - later tonight Mike and I are doing our "overnight" with Carter! HOORAY! Before babies in the NICU go home, they suggest/offer for parents to spend a night in one of the suites where you will take on full care of the baby. So I'm going home to gather some things together - then Mike will meet me back at the hospital after work (he doesn't know it yet though!).

Check back later/tomorrow for details on our stay!

But Mom...I Want to go Home!

When I got to the NICU this afternoon, the nurse started talking to me about bringing in the carseat for the carseat challenge. HOORAY!!! Sort of. Of course, then I ask how long after that til he goes home and basically he could come home ANY TIME. HOORAY AGAIN!!! But not really. I kept talking to Carter over the past two weeks about growing and learning to eat so he could come home...and he sure listened!! Even faster than we thought. He even kept smiling today as if to say "I'm so proud of myself! Aren't you proud mommy?"

Unforunately, my brother's wedding is this weekend and EVERYTHING I've heard says not to take a preemie anywhere, especially around large groups of people for TWO MONTHS - but I cant miss the wedding. And absolutely no offense to anyone, because many of you have offered...but I will not leave my baby alone with ANYONE when he has just come home from the hospital.

So...I had to ask if they can keep Carter at the hospital until Sunday. It breaks my heart. I have to wait until tomorrow to talk to the doctor about it. I know either way it'll work out...I just feel like a horrible mom asking them to keep him there (or a horrible sister if I have to miss, or not fully participate in the wedding festivities). Of course, it doesn't help that the nurse looks at me like i'm absolutely insane asking to have him stay longer. *sigh*

Look Mom - No Tubes!

Carter is getting closer and closer to coming home each day! This morning I was told that he is on "at liberty" feeding. Meaning that at EVERY feeding he can either breast/bottle feed - and only needs to be tube fed if he won't take a bottle. I don't know specifics - but I remember a few days ago the nurses saying that if he can take EVERY feeding by breast/bottle for 24-48 hours, the tube would come out. He's also up to a maximum of 46ml (prior to today it was 37) with a minimum of 33ml per feeding. At 6am he took 31ml by bottle, 9am he took the entire bottle, and 12pm and 3pm he did a combo of breast/bottle feeding. 6pm was 35ml bottle, and 9pm was another combo. So far, so good. Yesterday and today he's had a lot more "wakeful" periods as well. Hopefully this is all a good sign. When I returned to the NICU for the 9pm feeding, I noticed that Carter didn't have his feeding tube in. Apparently he decided "heck with waiting 24 hours, it's coming out now!" And since he's feeding well - they will leave it out unless they need to put it back in. HOORAY!

I'm anxiously waiting for them to tell me to bring in his carseat for the carseat challenge (baby must be able to handle 1 hour in the carseat) - as this means he is ALMOST ready to go! A set of twin girls who were in the NICU with Carter had their carseat challenge 2 days ago - yesterday they told the mom she could spend the night to test it all out - and this morning they were discharged!

I really don't know how parents do this for MONTHS when their baby is even more premature than Carter was. After only 2 weeks, this is starting to get overwhelming (yet I feel unnecessarily guilty if I'm not here ALL day). Although it won't be easy having a "newborn" baby at home, I honestly think it will be easier than spending all this time in the hospital.

2 Weeks and Wide Awake

That would be Carter...not me! But he's eating great! They fed him 31ml at 3am...then since he was so awake and alert they gave him another bottle at 9am and he finished all 37ml! I fed him at noon and he seemed very unsettled (and still awake) after that. Turns out he had such a messy diaper, though even after it was changed he wouldn't sleep. So I just sat there and held him for a looong time. He finally fell asleep about 1/2 hour before physical therapy. Poor little guy was so tuckered out for the rest of the day. Oh, and they ordered his vision test...just one of the necessary things before going home. I decided to go home early myself to catch up on some much needed rest as I was practically falling asleep holding him all day.

"This is discharge talk"

That's what the Doctor said to me today while doing her rounds! Carter has done SO well feeding the last few days that he is now up to 4 bottle/breastfeeds a day! That's halfway there! He is also back in the crib, and will be starting some vitamins (that he will continue to be on when he is discharged).

At the 12pm feed, Carter started off very slow, but ended up eating VERY well (for about a half hour!). I attempted to give him a little bottle to make sure he had eaten enough, but he wanted nothing to do with it, just sleep. I left for about 1/2 an hour, and when I came back he was screaming. I picked him up and immediately he was quiet. We decided to give him just a little more bottle - and sure enough after a "snack" of 10ml, he was right back to sleep. I'm afraid we have another Justin here...eats a little at meal time, but as soon as the meal is over he wants a snack! Unfortunately when I returned to the NICU a bit later, I was told that he only slept about 10 minutes after I left...so he was VERY tired for the 3pm feeding and really didn't do much.

However - after sleeping most of the evening, Carter was a superstar at the 9pm feeding! I might call in a bit to see if he ended up sleeping through, because we only gave him 10ml of formula after he finished breastfeeding. I wouldn't be surprised if the doctor decides to increase his feedings to EVERY feeding depending on his altertness (i.e. if he's wide awake, we try to bottle/breastfeed, but if he's super tired then they just use the feeding tube).

So Big!!

Measurement time - 18inches!

Wearing his preemie clothes before he outgrows them!

Mike starts his new job tomorrow - so it'll be interesting to see what our schedule is like for the rest of the week. My goal is for Carter to come home next Sunday - what an awesome first anniversary present that would be! Of course, if he needs more time than that...it's ok!

Pictures

Almost done!!

Allison...even if this base doesn't look like yours, I'm going to try to figure out if they are compatible - do you know which version/style you have?

Kicked Out of NICU...sorta

Okay, so I wasn't exactly KICKED out, but Mike and I have been at the NICU from somewhere between 8am-11pm every day since I was discharged from the hospital a week ago. The hospital is about 30 minutes away, so we'd rather not go back and forth several times in one day. We take breaks by walking around, going down to the cafeteria, etc. The nurses keep telling me I need to go home and rest up.

So finally this afternoon a nurse offered to see if one of the suites (they often use for parents and baby to test out a night together before going home) was open so I could go rest in there. It was, so for now I am allowed in here all of today and tomorrow. And let me tell you...my 2 hour nap was FANTASTIC!

We are up to 3 feedings a day now! Carter did a GREAT job again with today's 12pm feeding. We didn't give him ANYTHING through the tube because after breastfeeding and bottle feeding, he was still wide awake, but not interested in eating, so we figured he had enough. Well, he wouldn't fall asleep and became quite fussy awhile later - so i'm guessing he needed more food.

At the 3pm feeding he ate for about 10 minutes, but then became very uninterested so I gave him the bottle. He had about 30ml of the bottle (his total feeding is supposed to be 37) then he didn't want anymore, but this time he was SOUND asleep. Hopefully when I go back for his 9pm feeding they will tell me that he slept all the way until his 6pm feeding.

The nurse encouraged Mike and I to begin watching the 3 safety videos we have to see before taking Carter home. I'm taking that as a good sign! Sarah & Nate visited tonight and finally got to see Carter, then mom and my brother's soon-to-be mother in law visited and drove me home since. Mike had left early tonight to go to my brother's stag party for which he is now IN the wedding next weekend! Hmmm...we went from causing the bride stress that I would go into labor at their wedding, to having the baby early and being able to relieve other possible stress factors. I guess that's what sisters and brother-in-laws are for!

Leaps and Bounds

This morning we arrived at the hospital in time for the 9am feeding. Carter was very eager to eat and did a great job breastfeeding. We decided to only give him 1/2 of his bottle (but by feeding tube). It's hard to figure out how much to give him because we really have no idea how much he got from me. But, it seems like our estimation worked because he slept until his next feeding 3 hours later without getting upset/hungry.

The doctor had come in to visit while Carter was eating, and told us that since he was gaining so much weight and all of his temps except the ONE yesterday were fine - they were going to start weaning him back off the heat/into the crib. He also said to expect 1-1.5 more weeks. They gradually turned down the heat, and finally turned off the heat in his incubator throughout the day. Also, since he was out from the heat, we were able to put one of Carter's new outfits on him. It fit PERFECT. Check out the little frog feet!

Mike's mom came to visit Carter because she took the day off for her birthday, and she gave us the travel system so we can bring Carter home when he is ready! Sorry, this is the photo from the internet for now - we will have a real pic in the next day or two when we get it put together.

Oh - I forgot to mention yesterday that his umbilical cord fell off! HOORAY!

At 3pm I fed Carter again - and after breastfeeding for 20 minutes, I was able to get him to finish all but 5ml of his food via bottle. We figure he was probably very full, because he was still wide awake and alert - but the nurse gave him the last 5ml via feeding tube. We were all SO impressed, going from not knowing what to do AT ALL yesterday - to getting ALMOST a complete feeding without the feeding tube. We are hoping that tomorrow is more of the same and they will up his feedings from 2 to 3 or 4 in the next day or so.

This evening we worked on the nursery some more. The wall stickers look SO cute. Check back for pics later!

UGH - 2 Steps Back....sorta

When we returned to the nicu tonight for Carter's 9pm feeding, this is what we saw...

He's back in the incubator because apparently his temp was too low. However, I doubt it was. All day, if you used the thermometer in his drawer (a cheap-o digital) it was 1 degree lower than their good digital...which makes a huge difference. His temp is supposed to be between 36.5 and 37.4 or so. Well, his temp was 36.2. So add a degree and that's 37.2 - perfect! When i mentioned this to the night nurse, she completely ignored me.

Then, they always weigh him just before the 9pm feeding. So the nurse took his temp (with the good therm) and it read 37. She asked if i wanted to change his diaper...i said yes, but asked if she was going to weigh him first. She said no, because he was still too cold. Ummm....what? So now i don't have his weight for tonight.

Finally i went to feed him, and he was warm and really sleepy - he wouldn't open his eyes, much less nurse. He is NEVER like this when it's time to feed. I usually change his diaper and that makes him so mad he's wide awake, mouth open wide, arms reaching out. After 15-20min. we put him back in his incubator and he was tube fed. Any other nurse would have tried to help, etc.

I'm not worried that he's back in the incubator. I want what is best for him...and he still needs to learn to eat, so no rush. I just think this nurse is too lazy. Tomorrow we may request that she never work with Carter again.

5 Star Hotel

Carter has upgraded his NICU accomodations to an open crib! I was so excited to see that when we walked in this morning. The feeding is still a very SLOW work in progress, but he'll get there eventually. The nurse and OT (occupational therapist) were both very impressed with his good start though.

The Magic Number 4

This morning when we arrived in the Special Care Unit to see Carter, he was screaming his lungs out. I KNEW he had a good set of lungs that he was just waiting to use! We were going to leave him in the incubator awhile to save his energy, etc. but we took him out and he calmed down pretty quickly. I then changed his diaper and was able to attempt feeding again. He started off very slowly, so I was worried that it would be another day of frustration. However, he quickly got the hang of it and, while no where near perfect, he was feeding 100 times better than he did yesterday!

When he got tired, the nurse showed us how to bottle feed. (I've bottle fed a TON of babies before, but none quite so small. Rather than regular cradle hold, she had us hold him more on his side - to support his neck, and make it easier to "suck-breathe-swallow". He took about 18oz via bottle (which was great compared to the 10 he took two days ago, especially considering he breast fed a bit first) - then finished with tube feeding. He quickly fell asleep after that and Aunt Cheryl stopped by for a visit (sorry you had to wait in the family room for awhile!) .

This afternoon Laura came to visit Carter, and FINALLY got to see him! She's one of our most frequent visitors, but had always come at a "bad time". During the 6pm feeding Carter decided he was done showing off and just would not wake up for anything. Finally the nurse gave him a bottle and he was able to drink 18ml before using the gavage (feeing tube). We came home after the 6pm feeding and began cleaniung and decorating the nursery. I'll have pics soon. A little after midnight I finallly slowed down and called the hospital to check on Carter. The nurse told me he weighed 4 pounds!!! HOORAY!!! If he can keep that weight up one more day he'll be in the open crib!

**If any of this entry has major typos or doesn't make sense it is due to finishing the blog at 2:30am

Moving On Down...

And that's a good thing!!! This morning we were told that by the time we returned for the night time feeding, Carter would be downstairs in the 2nd floor Special Care Unit. It is still special care, with all of the same staff and same procedures, but it is really for the babies who are almost ready to go home. Right now there are 6 babies in the room with 2 nurses.

Today we met with a lactation specialist to get some tips on feeding since that is Carter's last hurdle to overcome. He's still being very lazy and waiting to be fed instead of working for it. We used a supplemental feeder today - which basically is like his feeding tube (but it only goes into his mouth, not stomach) - it works by using gravity, no sucking required. When I put my finger in his mouth he sucks like crazy...so we attached the tube to my finger, making him think that sucking=food. Let's pray for some improvement tomorrow on the real deal! At least he has no problem withe the whole "suck, breathe, swallow" routine!

According to the sheet we received as we entered the 2nd Floor Unit today, it is time to start really getting things in order for Carter to come home. We need to get/install our car seat (we have to actually bring the seat in a couple days prior to discharge so he can do the "carseat challenge"), and watch several safety videos. We picked up a few items at Babies R Us and Target that we will need before the homecoming.

Mike and I decided that tomorrow we will get to the hospital as early as possible (well...after he fills out some paperwork for the new job, so probably like 10) - but only stay until 6:30 so that we can get the rest of the nursery organized. I can't be tripping over things with a new baby! We have been at the hospital until almost 11pm every single night, so it makes me sad to miss out on some of this tomorrow, but once he's home there won't be time to do the stuff we need to. Not to mention, I need some sleep! Yes, I know..."Sleep? What is that?"....Dont worry, I'm already up every 2-3 hours...I just meant SOME sleep!

One Week Old....Notice Anything Different?

NO MORE CONTROLLED TEMPERATURE ON THE INCUBATOR!! When we walked in the room today I noticed Carter had an extra blanket on. Mike said "look at that" - pointing to the temperature monitor on the front of the incubator...it was off. That's right...Carter is now maintaining his own body temperature. With the help of an extra blanket, he was actually a bit warm today without added heat. They still won't move him to an open crib for a few days, but several doors on the incubator are left open. We can also technically hold him anytime we want, but we still want to be careful because the more we keep him awake, the more energy he is using and he needs all of his energy to gain weight.

We were also told that he is the next baby on the list to move to the step-down special care unit. Basically it's still special care, with the same group of nurses, etc. but instead of small rooms with only a few babies in each room - it is one large room. However, they currently have some extra space in the small rooms, so unless a bunch of new babies come in, he may not move.

Finally - Carter is also starting 2 bottle/breast feedings a day and is up to 34ml of 24 calorie formula...they're trying to fatten him up! The nurse gave him a bottle at one of his morning feedings, but it took him 10 min. to eat 10ml (so he probably used more calories than he gained) - so the rest was given to him via feeding tube. At 9:30pm I got to breastfeed for the very first time. He did ok for such a little guy, but let's just say...he's lazy! haha. Again, he had to finish with the feeding tube. Tomorrow at 12:30 we meet with the lactation specialist to help out a bit. I keep whispering to Carter that this is really all he needs in order to go home...so eat up!

Thank You ~ Baby Shower

Today was a wonderful day! Carter was doing great and we had a short morning visit. I was able to kangaroo with him for an hour, but was not able to "fake feed" due to timing. I convinced Mike to change Carter's diaper. He wasn't too excited because the entire time I was kangarooing I kept commenting how Carter was passing gas or pooping. In the end Mike did a good job!

We then returned home for the baby shower. It was a bit strange having a baby shower but no longer being pregnant...yet not having baby home. It was so nice to have everyone there and we are very thankful for everyone's generosity! Carter has many books to add to his library, will be the best dressed baby in town and is off to a great start with what we will need to bring him home. When we returned to the hospital, I told Carter all about the party. An extra special thanks to my sis for all of her work planning the shower from games to favors, etc. and mom and Grandma Rose for helping her as well as dad for helping with the set-up. (Though I have to say, I told Jen when she was first talking dates for the shower to make sure it was early enough that I would have time to get things ready and finish shopping after the shower before Carter arrived - she assured me he would be late if anything....OOPS)



"Mom, is this a real baby?"

When we returned to the hospital, I was so excited when the nurse told me that she talked to the doctor and got permission for me to do another hour of kangaroo and "fake feed" tonight since I didn't get to this morning. She is by far my favorite NICU nurse! She always goes out of her way to do whatever she can for Carter/us without us asking.

Carter also gained a LOT of weight today (2 ounces!!!). This means he is getting closer and closer to moving from the incubator/isolette to an open crib. They have been turning down the temperature in the isolette because he has actually been getting TOO warm. He is definitely making progress at maintaining his temperature.


I better rest up, tomorrow is our first full day of visiting Carter as an "out patient".