Pod Dome Down
Hello to everyone!
Today marks one week before Xavier's due date. He weighs 1080 grams (3.04 pounds) and is 38.75 cm (15.25 inches) in length today, and began his life out of the womb eight weeks ago.
This morning, one of the doctors overheard the nurses discussing how Xavier cools when he is feeds. He asked some follow-up questions then wrote orders to have the isolet's dome down when Xavier is in it. Xavier gained a mere 30 grams over this past week and the doctor thinks it is because he is expending his calories keeping up his body temperature rather than growing and adding ounces. (His pod dome has been up the past week)
Though back in his pod, Xavier is still on an ad lib schedule for care and feeding. The dome comes down only to help hold in heat. The isolet bed is still in manual mode and set to a temperature of 27 C (80 F), so Xavier still gets to regulate his own body temperature. With the dome down, in a sleeper and wearing a hat, he is keeping himself at 37.3 C (99 F).
Raquel, Xavier's day nurse today and one we had not met, explained that it is common for the nurses to work to ween preemies from their pods as soon as they can. Even now, with the dome back down, the weening process continues.
Although this past weekend gave us a jump-start about bringing Xavier home sooner than we expected, it now appears it will not be this week. Given we are packing boxes deep in a migration from the Northern Outpost to the Southern Outpost, this is a mercy!
Though back in his pod, he is still a champion eater, taking 45 cc in one sitting with mom and 50 cc from dad today, both within the same 12 hour window. That is 95 cc and 15 cc over his minimum 80. Those were not his only feedings in the same 12 hour window either. This is a very good thing, and his prowess at eating has everyone impressed. Every nurse comments on it. It appears his "ad lib" rhythm for eating is becoming every four hours.
Always, we thank you for your prayers.
