Can you believe that it's just over 2 months since Rain was born?
Hayley and I were in stitches the other day over the picture of "the Grinch" and just look at hom now.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
First day out of the fish tank
Today was his big day out - the first day that he got out of the incubator and is breathing normal air without any oxygen! He's coping well.
Big event! This is his first day out of the incubator
Big event! This is his first day out of the incubator
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Its been three weeks
Just the other day Hayley said "Can you believe its been three weeks? Oh wow! Its only been three weeks".
Rain now weighs 1100g and is happily managing his feeds, with all the associated bodily functions. His eyes have cleared up and the only additional interventions that he is getting is a vitamin supplement and a bit of caffeine to promote his breathing.
The one issue still with us is his ability to breath. he is breathing without assistance, but with oxygen therapy (at about 30%). Being so prem this is to be expected, but the concern with this is that extended oxygen therapy can have an affect the development of his eyesight.
Despite this, our visits have become wonderfully boring. He is sleeping a good 21 hours out of 24. He has a regular pattern of nappy changes and feeds every 4 hours. Sometimes he is restless but most of the time when we visit he is sleeping and only stirs when we fiddle or when he recognises our voices (especially Mom's).
Rain now weighs 1100g and is happily managing his feeds, with all the associated bodily functions. His eyes have cleared up and the only additional interventions that he is getting is a vitamin supplement and a bit of caffeine to promote his breathing.
The one issue still with us is his ability to breath. he is breathing without assistance, but with oxygen therapy (at about 30%). Being so prem this is to be expected, but the concern with this is that extended oxygen therapy can have an affect the development of his eyesight.
Despite this, our visits have become wonderfully boring. He is sleeping a good 21 hours out of 24. He has a regular pattern of nappy changes and feeds every 4 hours. Sometimes he is restless but most of the time when we visit he is sleeping and only stirs when we fiddle or when he recognises our voices (especially Mom's).
Sunday, August 24, 2008
His vulnerability
Another week has passed and Rain is still with us. Not that we dwell on the negative, but we have a constant underlying awareness of the frailty and dependency of his life on medical interventions.
He is doing really well. We have seen a steady decrease in the interventions and a steady increase in his ability to deal with his environment and sustain himself. He now breathes on his own, being supported only by the supplementation of oxygen. All the drips have been removed and he is able to digest 22ml of milk (courtesy his dedicated Mom) every 3 hours. It seems that every time we visit his intake is increased. His poos have been recorded as "yellow seedy", "yellow soft" and now "yellow VERY LARGE".
The only really medication that he is being given is some antibiotic drops for his eyes that have had a bit of an infection and some caffeine that assists his breathing reflex.
Now he just needs to grow. Last weighed he was 5 grams shy of his birth weight of 890.
He is just so little and vulnerable, but he has a voice and clear objections to the interference of the nappy changes, cleaning of nooks and crannies and especially the smell of the surgical spirits.
Clearly he is gives no nod to his own vulnerability.
He is doing really well. We have seen a steady decrease in the interventions and a steady increase in his ability to deal with his environment and sustain himself. He now breathes on his own, being supported only by the supplementation of oxygen. All the drips have been removed and he is able to digest 22ml of milk (courtesy his dedicated Mom) every 3 hours. It seems that every time we visit his intake is increased. His poos have been recorded as "yellow seedy", "yellow soft" and now "yellow VERY LARGE".
The only really medication that he is being given is some antibiotic drops for his eyes that have had a bit of an infection and some caffeine that assists his breathing reflex.
Now he just needs to grow. Last weighed he was 5 grams shy of his birth weight of 890.
He is just so little and vulnerable, but he has a voice and clear objections to the interference of the nappy changes, cleaning of nooks and crannies and especially the smell of the surgical spirits.
Clearly he is gives no nod to his own vulnerability.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
He looks like...
We saw the little face a bit better today, less cluttered by medical apparatus. The respirator feed has been downscaled to a small pipe that supplements the oxygen supply and adds a little pressure.He is largely breathing on his own and while they don't expect that this change will be permanent, it is another step.
More importantly we can see his features more clearly, see who he is. This is an important step for us. We can feel like we know him more and better.
He responds to us. He reacts to our voices and opens his eyes as response. Not really seeing eyes, they are a gesture of recognition. We feel.
As we walked into the ICU we were looking at the pictures of all the prem babies (before and afters) and had the distinct sense that the little piggy nose with tube flared nostrils is indeed permanent, despite the assurance from the nurse that when he is twenty he will not have a piggy nose.
We also decide that he has a distinct touch of the Komen in his features. High cheekbones, but the chin definitely is a legacy of his grandpa Benington.
More importantly we can see his features more clearly, see who he is. This is an important step for us. We can feel like we know him more and better.
He responds to us. He reacts to our voices and opens his eyes as response. Not really seeing eyes, they are a gesture of recognition. We feel.
As we walked into the ICU we were looking at the pictures of all the prem babies (before and afters) and had the distinct sense that the little piggy nose with tube flared nostrils is indeed permanent, despite the assurance from the nurse that when he is twenty he will not have a piggy nose.
We also decide that he has a distinct touch of the Komen in his features. High cheekbones, but the chin definitely is a legacy of his grandpa Benington.
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