A Short-Run Weight Trend
Hello everyone.
We managed to get most of the Northern Outpost packed up this past four-day weekend thanks to the help of so many volunteers. We had several people drop by throughout the day Friday to help pack and load. Rebecca will be back up on Tuesday to oversee the professional movers pack up what is left.
We were blessed on Saturday by a neighbor of the Southern Outpost offering to help unload. Our friend Roger, whom I have known since college, was on his way down from Boulder to assist us, but Tom from across the street seemed eager to roll up his sleeves; I couldn't say "no". Rog did get to help move some of the more awkward items. Plus Roger was the only volunteer this weekend who stayed around long enough for us to feed him lunch to thank him for his help!
After enjoying a late lunch and Roger's company, Rebecca and I visited Xavier late Saturday afternoon. We walked in on a new nurse, Jody, a woman with four boys of her own and still full of energy, she radiated joy, fun and encouragement. She was just finishing up changing Xavier's diaper. As we approached, she was talking to herself and commenting on the color of the diaper's content. It was a good color and she was impressed. So, after introducing ourselves, we began to get to know Jody by talking stool. Xavier's liver function seems to be improving.
Last week, the day Xavier's isolet dome went down, the doctor and dietitian decided to increase Xavier's calorie count from 24 calories per ounce to 26 calories per ounce. This, in combination with being back in the isolet is hoped to help Xavier catch up on his weight gain.
Friday, he gained 35 grams, bringing him to 1485 grams. Saturday Xavier weighed n at 1490, a gain of 5 grams. Today, he weighs 1500 grams, or 3 pounds 4.9 ounces.
We ran into Dr. Liz, who rotated back into the NICU. She praised many things about Xavier's development, including saying Xavier looked like a "baby doll", but said she was not liking his slow growth. This has led to moving Xavier to a three hour feeding schedule. Though he is still on an ad lib schedule, the thought is he may take an extra feeding and get a few more calories during the day.
We are expecting another eye exam this week, probably Wednesday. Xavier will also be having a hearing test, but that, it was explained to us, will likely be the very day he leaves the NICU because those who do the test are volunteers and are always last minute in scheduling the test.
Xavier will also be getting his first round of inoculations soon.
Always, thank you for your prayers.
Rebecca helps prepare Xavier for his second immersion bath. He's is not all that happy about being wakened, handled and not being fed.
Though Xavier was not as stressed by being set into his bath this time, he was very upset about not being fed first and he wasn't buying the rationale of bath first, dress, then food. He did settle down eventually. We had a new tool in the tub this time, a little scrub brush to help exfoliate his scalp.
Temporarily free of all his wires and oxygen tubes, and clean and freshly dressed after his second immersion bath, Xavier posses with his mom and dad. Waiving at the camera, he thanks everyone for their prayers.
Happy Fourth Of July!
Hello to everyone and Happy Fourth of July!
Our plan was to head north this morning with the 16-foot U-Haul we rented last night and start packing up the Northern Outpost. We had resigned ourselves and told the nurses we would not be in to see Xavier on the 4th or 5th because of the moving process. Both Rebeca and I decided, "it's the Fourth and what is the hurry to get moving?" (no pun intended). Everyone helping us pack volunteered their time on Friday or Saturday, so we decided to spend a couple of hours with our son. This made the long weekend easier to bear.
Xavier packed on 30 grams on Wednesday (3rd) bringing him up to 1420 and added another 35 grams as of last night for a total of 1455 grams, or 3 pounds 3.3 ounces! Perhaps the pod dome being down is helping, but more data are needed.
Also noteworthy (and praise-worthy) is Xavier is free of another encumbrance: his feeding tube! It's gone, and on purpose (he didn't sneak it out and hide it under his snuggy). All his meals are now by breast or bottle. Even his medications (the vitamin supplement, his iron and his Actigall) get mixed into his bottle. Father, thank You!
This happened on Wednesday morning. Rebecca noticed it and called me to chide I hadn't told her his NG was removed (I was there in the morning due to our tight schedule Wednesday). I had not noticed its absence, but was excited to hear the news! Thanks You, Jesus!
Always, we thank you for your prayers.
Laying on his patriotically dressed bed, Xavier has no idea the excitement awaiting him later in life when he can celebrate the birth of so great a nation. Hidden under his swaddle, his onesy also has patriotic pictures.
Rebecca holding her son before we head north to help pack up the Northern Outpost. It's hard to leave him, and tomorrow will be the first break in continuity for Xavier in seeing his parents every day.
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.