July 6, 2012- The Best Part of the NICU
I was thinking today about what I should write about since Will is kind of on cruise control right now. At first I wanted to write about his cheeks and how he is starting to get some big cheeks and a double chin! This is really blowing me away especially when I look back at pictures from his first few days of life when he was a skinny little 31 week preemie. It wasn't until this afternoon, that I decided to write about the best part of the NICU, the nurses. I'm not just saying this because I am a nurse, but it is really true. The nurses are the people that are with my little boy even more than I am. They seem to know him as well as Brandon and I know him. Brandon, Will and I are so fortunate to have a core group of 4 nurses that take care of Will each time they work. On the days that none of them are working, I feel sad and even a little nervous that someone else are caring for my little boy. I can tell that these 4 nurses love my baby. I can tell this by how they dress him in little outfits, how they talk to him and how they come to see him even when they aren't caring for him. They all know his quirks and his likes and dislikes. Having them care for Will is almost as good as Brandon and I caring for him. When these wonderful nurses are caring for Will, I actually feel okay and safe leaving Will in their care. I think that says a lot about the care these awesome nurses give him.
I have had these thoughts about our nurses for a long time, but it really hit today. This afternoon I received a phone call from the NICU telling me that there was an influx of babies coming in and would we be willing to transfer Will to another hospital in Provo. IMC was even willing to pay for Will's transfer to the other facility. Brandon and I thought about this, and we decided no for multiple reasons. For one, we would not have Will's doctors, nurse practitioners, his nice room and most of all his awesome nurses. After 32 days in the NICU, I trust the people caring for my son, and the thought of an entire new team learning how to care for Will was too much to bear. Brandon and I felt bad about saying no to the transfer, but we had to think of what was best for our son, and it is in the best interest of Will's care to stay with the nurses that know and love him. I am not sure the the nurses want me to use their names, but a simple 'thank you' is not enough to express the gratitude that Brandon and I feel for these angels that have cared for our son.
Now for an update on Will. Will was dressed in a very cute outfit (a green hat and a frog outfit thanks to his night nurse) when I arrived to the NICU this morning. I was able to nurse Will this morning, and he did great! He is also doing well with is oxygen, and we are hoping to be able to wean his oxygen soon. He has been breathing easier everyday. I also nursed Will this evening, and again, he did well. He is going to feed with bottles tonight with his night nurse. Fingers crossed that he does well. Brandon made his nightly call to the NICU to see how Will was doing. He gained another 25 grams for a total of 2225 which is 4 pounds 14.5 ounces. We are hoping that he hits 5 pounds by our anniversary on Sunday.
I was thinking today about what I should write about since Will is kind of on cruise control right now. At first I wanted to write about his cheeks and how he is starting to get some big cheeks and a double chin! This is really blowing me away especially when I look back at pictures from his first few days of life when he was a skinny little 31 week preemie. It wasn't until this afternoon, that I decided to write about the best part of the NICU, the nurses. I'm not just saying this because I am a nurse, but it is really true. The nurses are the people that are with my little boy even more than I am. They seem to know him as well as Brandon and I know him. Brandon, Will and I are so fortunate to have a core group of 4 nurses that take care of Will each time they work. On the days that none of them are working, I feel sad and even a little nervous that someone else are caring for my little boy. I can tell that these 4 nurses love my baby. I can tell this by how they dress him in little outfits, how they talk to him and how they come to see him even when they aren't caring for him. They all know his quirks and his likes and dislikes. Having them care for Will is almost as good as Brandon and I caring for him. When these wonderful nurses are caring for Will, I actually feel okay and safe leaving Will in their care. I think that says a lot about the care these awesome nurses give him. 
I have had these thoughts about our nurses for a long time, but it really hit today. This afternoon I received a phone call from the NICU telling me that there was an influx of babies coming in and would we be willing to transfer Will to another hospital in Provo. IMC was even willing to pay for Will's transfer to the other facility. Brandon and I thought about this, and we decided no for multiple reasons. For one, we would not have Will's doctors, nurse practitioners, his nice room and most of all his awesome nurses. After 32 days in the NICU, I trust the people caring for my son, and the thought of an entire new team learning how to care for Will was too much to bear. Brandon and I felt bad about saying no to the transfer, but we had to think of what was best for our son, and it is in the best interest of Will's care to stay with the nurses that know and love him. I am not sure the the nurses want me to use their names, but a simple 'thank you' is not enough to express the gratitude that Brandon and I feel for these angels that have cared for our son. 
Now for an update on Will. Will was dressed in a very cute outfit (a green hat and a frog outfit thanks to his night nurse) when I arrived to the NICU this morning. I was able to nurse Will this morning, and he did great! He is also doing well with is oxygen, and we are hoping to be able to wean his oxygen soon. He has been breathing easier everyday. I also nursed Will this evening, and again, he did well. He is going to feed with bottles tonight with his night nurse. Fingers crossed that he does well. Brandon made his nightly call to the NICU to see how Will was doing. He gained another 25 grams for a total of 2225 which is 4 pounds 14.5 ounces. We are hoping that he hits 5 pounds by our anniversary on Sunday.
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