NICU Successes and Setbacks, Our Routine, and E Blowing Thank You Kisses

NICU SUCCESSES AND SETBACKS
Well, AJ is 6 days old today. He's still in the NICU. The nurses have been cautioning us from the beginning that a baby's NICU stay is filled with successes and setbacks...so we shouldn't get too hung up on either the ups or the downs.

Some of AJ's successes: he's not needed a ventilator so far, they took out his IV late last night, his bilirubin count looks good (as of last night) so he no longer has to sit under the special UV lamp, he was eating everything they gave him in a bottle, he was maintaining his own body temperature.

Some of AJ's setbacks: they had to put him on O2, he's having trouble eating the entire volume by bottle so they put a feeding tube down his nose, he's having trouble remembering to breathe while he's eating, he's having trouble maintaining his body temperature so he's back under the warming lamp, he hasn't breastfed in several days.

Relatively speaking, he's still doing great...the setbacks are normal and minor...the neonatologist calls AJ the superstar of the NICU. Getting the eating thing down (sucking - he's got this down, swallowing - he's got this down, remembering to breathe while he's sucking - he still needs to mature a little, and staying awake long enough to finish the entire volume - he still needs to mature a little) is AJ's next biggest hurdle to coming home. The pictures below are a few days old (you can see he still has his IV and there's no O2 or feeding tube).




OUR DAILY ROUTINE
We've been getting lots of comments from family and friends that it must be nice that we have time to get so much rest while AJ is in the hospital. In actuality, I think our days are stretched a little thinner than if we just had a newborn baby at home with us. Here's a picture of what our typical day has looked like so far...

1. I'm up at about 4AM to pump and this takes at least an hour if not longer (I have to pump every 1-3 hours in order to establish my milk supply...this is especially important because I'm doing this with the pump exclusively. In general, pumping takes longer than when I breastfeed because the pump is so much less effective at expressing milk. I'm also finding it difficult to wake up in the middle of the night in the absence of a crying baby. Waking up to my alarm just isn't as satisfying.)

2. Exia wakes up between 6 - 6:30AM. Andy's up by this time too. I get Exia dressed and breakfast while Andy gets ready for work. Andy and Exia leave for school/work and I immediately start pumping again.

3. I try to get a shower in and eat some breakfast and then pump one more time before I leave for the hospital. I pack up all my pump supplies, the milk I've pumped since last night, and some water for myself and head over the hospital to visit AJ.

4. When I get to the NICU (about 10:45AM), I wash my hands and find out how AJ's doing from his nurse. She takes his body temperature and examines him, I change his diaper, then I try to breastfeed him and follow up with a bottle of breast milk and burping. Then AJ goes back in his bed and I stay and pump again. Sometimes, I get to talk with neonatologist if his rounds are timed right.

5. I come home, eat/drink, try to take care of one or two things around the house, i.e., dishes and start a load of laundry (one day I got a nap), and then pump again. Then it's time to leave to pick up Exia from school. I get Exia some dinner, pump again, Andy comes home from work, then we get Exia ready for bed.

6. My parents come over around 7:30PM and Andy and I pack up my pump stuff, pumped milk from the afternoon, and we head over the hospital to visit with AJ one more time (Andy's first and only visit of the day). We get to the NICU, wash our hands, get AJ's update, the nurse takes his body temperature and examines him, I change his diaper, the nurse weighs AJ, I try to breast feed him and follow up with a breast milk bottle, and finally Andy burps AJ while I pump.

7. We're usually home by about 10PM, we go to bed, I'm up at midnight to pump and then again at 4AM. And we start all over again.

EXIA BLOWING THANK YOU KISSES
My friend Tony brought us dinner last night. Tony and Becky also got both kids a present (Exia got a baby doll and AJ got a few preemie clothes). This picture is of Exia holding her baby doll and blowing Tony and thank you kiss. She loves the baby's eyes and ears and of course the baby's hat (she LOVES hats).