Along for the Ride

First...random fact of the day. Northside hospital has more babies born than any other hospital in the nation...about 18,000 a year. Makes me feel even better about LJ's care there!

This week was a bit of a roller coaster ride...with all of LJ's progress I guess we were starting to think he was nothing but a rock star (he is) and that he would just continue to make such great progress he would be home well before his due date. Come to find out, as they increased his feedings, there comes a point where he hits a threshold that he cannot take anymore. This happened Wednesday...I was in a panic all day because his oxygen saturation kept dropping and his heartrate kept increasing.  The alarms were going off non-stop and by the time Matt joined me that afternoon I was about at my breaking point because the constant beeping was getting to me! They ended up putting him back on oxygen.  They don't think it is a respiratory issue but a food issue.  He has reflux with the increased feedings and it causes him to be unable to breathe.  They have lowered his food intake again, but they have increased the calories that the food contains.  This means that he is still gaining weight (he was 4 lbs. 8 oz. today...he has officially gained a pound!), but he is eating less. They say that this is common and that it is just a matter of him growing more before he can tolerate the food.  It fasicnates me how they have it all down to an art.

They also gave me the go ahead to start trying nutritive breast feeding today...they weigh him before a feeding and after to see if he has actually gotten any milk.  Today he actually lost weight after trying to breast feed because he pooped in the middle of it. We will keep trying. They also will start trying bottles tomorrow. In order to go home, he has to be able to drink 8 bottles a day.

Matt got LJ's first explosion today...he was changing his diaper and as he took it off, LJ pooped.  It was like nothing I have ever seen! It was all over him, the wall, his cords and wires, the crib and many blankets, his dresser, etc. The poor nurse had to sterilize it all.  She set up a blanket shield around him for if he tried to do it again...luckliy for me, who got to change his next diaper, he didn't.  I'm sure it won't be the last time and luckily it wasn't at home :) He sure seemed to feel better afterwards though!

Today my wonderful neighbors had a baby shower for me.  It was great to hang out for a few hours away from the hospital, and of course, I got spoiled rotten. Between the meals, the gas gift cards, and the shower, I couldn't ask for more supportive friends and family! It has been truly amazing!

The dogs have been great! All four of them know something is going on (well there may be one who lives his life a little clueless), and they don't like being in the basement all day, but Matt comes home and plays with them every night, and they get to smell all of LJ's clothes and blankets every night.  They know what he smells like if nothing else. Of course, we will be very watchful of them when LJ gets home, but we think they will all be just fine. They have all been around kids since they were puppies, so they are used to the noises and pulls and tugs that come with little hands...its me and the 6 boys now!