August 1, 2012- Sleeping With No Attachments

Learning to be a parent with a baby at home has been very hard and very exhausting and something had to give, and it has been the blog.  My apologies for not keeping up with our time at home, but I am sure that all parents out there can commiserate with my exhaustion.  

Here's the update for the past few days.  Will was 8 weeks on Monday, and he is such a little man!  He now weighs 5 pounds 12 ounces and he is looking more and more like a little baby and not so much like a preemie!  He is still small, but he is definitely filling out and his head is getting a little more round and not so flat on the sides.  We had a great nurse in the NICU who was making it her mission to round out Will's head.  She would be so happy to see it now.  We have been using the head rest from his car seat (the thing that helps keep his head from falling to the side) in his crib, his pack and play and in his swing and it makes him sleep on the back of his head and he can't roll to his side.  We have definitely seen a huge improvement in the roundness of his head.  

Will has also been off oxygen for 11 days!  We have been putting his oxygen monitor on him at night so we can make sure he doesn't need oxygen at night.  Will has been doing really well with no desats at night, so Brandon and I made the brave decision to take off the monitor last night.  This was the first time in Will's entire life that he didn't sleep with a monitor, so needless to say we were both so nervous to not have our security blanket on Will, but we knew that we needed to give it a try at some point.  I thought that I wouldn't be able to sleep last night because I would be so nervous, but the mother of the year that I am, I slept right up until Will demanded my presence at 4:45am.  I was so sleepy because Will and I were up at 4am yesterday morning, and I didn't get a good nap, so when I slept last night, I really slept.  Brandon, on the other hand, was very nervous.  He fed Will and put him to bed at 1am, and Brandon got up a few times to check on Will throughout the night.  What a good dad!

Tomorrow, Will is taking his first road trip to Idaho.  It's a whole new ballgame having to pack for myself, the dogs and for a baby!  I have made my list of things we will all need, so I hope I don't forget anything!  Wish us luck!

July 24, 2012- IMC Common Bonds Fundraiser

Being in the NICU was one of the hardest experiences of my life.  Brandon and I didn't know what to do and how to be NICU parents.  We were so fortunate to have the experience and the guidance of the NICU nurses and the other NICU parents.  There is a group at IMC called Common Bonds, and this group is made up of former NICU parents that volunteer in the NICU and help the current NICU families cope with being in the hospital.  I remember one of the first days in the NICU and looking over on the nurse's cart and seeing a bag of goodies that were left for me and Brandon.  The bag had a little baby washcloth with a poem that brought me to tears (and it still does) and candies that had sayings taped to the back giving advice to the NICU parents.  

We also received scrapbook pages with pictures of Will taped to them, a CD with pictures of Will throughout his stay, crotcheted items, and a tile with a Dr. Seuss saying on it.  These are just a few examples of the items we were given throughout our stay.  This group also organizes a scrapbooking night on Tuesdays where all the paper and supplies are supplied free of charge and on Wednesday nights there is an event that is organized for the parents by this group.  The support that current NICU families receive from this group is absolutely amazing!  It makes it bearable to go through the NICU experience with the support of former NICU families. 

This group does not have an endless supply of money to help support their generous deeds.  While we were in the NICU, Brandon and I were trying to figure out how to give back, and we decided to organize a charity auction and fundraiser to support IMC Common Bonds.  We have organized this for September 15 at Union Park in Midvale at 4pm.  We are currently accepting donations for the auction and have already collected many items from around the Salt Lake Valley.  We will also have the International Dutch Oven Society making food and offering samples for a small donation.  Brandon and I are so excited for this fundraiser and we hope to give back to Common Bonds. 

Please join us on September 15 and help us give back to a wonderful group that help NICU families cope with their baby being in the hospital. 

July 24, 2012- Being Home

I know that I've said it before, but it is so surreal being home.  There are times that I look at Will and I can't believe that he is really mine.  I really like to look back at all the pictures of Will from his stay in the NICU.  I have pictures from everyday that we spent at IMC starting from birth until the day we put him in the car.  We have come a long way and we are very very fortunate to have a healthy baby.  

We are all getting used to being home.  Brandon and I have gotten into a rhythm with feeding and changing Will.  Will has settled in with an every 3-4 hour eating schedule and he loves his naps.  We are trying to be good about letting Will nap in his pack and play and sometimes on our laps.  We don't want him to get used to always being held, but it's hard because he is so snuggly!  Will is doing great with his feedings.  He is taking about 45-55ml when he takes a bottle and he is learning to nurse on both sides instead of just one side.  He is getting to be so big.  We go in for a weight check on Thursday and I think Will might hit the 6lb mark.  He is looking so much bigger to us.  I know that everyone says that he is so small and a peanut, but Brandon and I know just how big he has gotten since he was born!

Will has also transitioned off his oxygen!  He has been on room air since Friday with only a 3 hour stint back on oxygen on Friday night.  We are still monitoring his oxygen saturations every night and when we are in the car, but Will is a champ and hasn't needed his nasal cannula.  It has been so nice to walk around the house without all his cords attached to us.  I feel like we can get more done without the oxygen and the monitor.  Brandon and I are so proud of our little man!  He has come a long way from the 3lb 1oz baby on CPAP to an almost 6lb baby on room air!

July 17, 2012- Learning to be at home

Well, we've been home since Friday afternoon, and we are still getting used to being home.  I told Brandon the other day, that I still feel like someone will call us and tell us that we need to bring Will back and that he isn't supposed to be home yet.  It is very surreal to have him home.  

Will has adjusted well to being at home.  He is eating well and gaining weight.  When we went to the doctor yesterday, Will had gained 5 ounces since Friday.  Will is also sleeping in 3-4 hour time blocks.  This, I have to thank the NICU for training Will to eat that often.  We are very lucky to have him on that kind of schedule.  Also, Will doesn't cry that often.  He definitely will express his displeasure with his diaper changes and that he is hungry.  After we acknowledge his issue, he is a happy and content baby.

 Will also tolerates the dogs.  The dogs are very funny with him.  They always walk over to his pack and play to see if he is in there and what he is doing.  Every morning, they come with me into the nursery to see if Will is awake and they love to sniff his head as a way of saying 'Good morning'.  Our boy beagle, Bonez, gets very upset when Will cries and he wants to make sure that he is okay and that we aren't torturing him.  Our girl beagle, Harley, likes to come over and lay by me when I am holding Will and she likes to check on him in his bed.  She is like a little mama.  

As each day passes, I am truly reminded how lucky I am to have such a wonderful healthy baby and that we could have had a rougher and longer stay in the NICU.  I can't wait to see what each day brings for this little man!

July 13, 2012- Home Sweet Home

Friday the 13th isn't so spooky this time around.  It is still a little bit scary, but not in a horror movie kind of way.  Today is the day that Will graduated from the NICU!  We are finally home and learning how to be a family outside the hospital.  Brandon and I can't express how grateful we are for the extraordinary staff at the IMC NICU, especially the nurses and Will's primary nurses.  Last night two of Will's main primary nurses were working and we were able to say goodbye to them and thank them for taking care of our son.  Today, Will's other main primary nurse worked and discharge us.  Having primary nurses really allowed us to leave the NICU and know that Will was in the best hands.  We will never be able to thank these individuals enough.  They are truly angels and we will never forget them.  

Putting Will in his car seat today and driving away from the NICU was truly a surreal experience.  Brandon and I have been waiting for this day for 6 weeks and it was finally here.  There were times on the way home that I kept thinking "do they know that we took him from the hospital?".  Indeed, they knew and now Will was our baby to take home.  When we finally got home, the dogs met Will.  Bonez was interested, but Harley was definitely more intrigued and a little scared when he would cry or squeak.  So far, Will has been eating a lot and sleeping.  He seems to like his pack and play and has been napping in there for a while.  Will is doing really well on his home oxygen.  He is down to 1/16 Liter and I could wean him to 1/32, but I don't want to tonight since he is in a new place and might be a little freaked out by his new surroundings and new schedule.  

Thank you all for your interest in our NICU experience and your kind thoughts and prayers.  Brandon, Will and I could not have made it through this experience without you all.  A special thank you to the IMC NICU, the staff and all the volunteers.  It was so nice to visit Will and see really nice scrapbook pages with his pictures, little gifts and really nice poems for us to take home.  Being a NICU parent is not an easy thing to be and to have other people who have been through the same experience come and talk to you, leave notes for you, and post inspiring words on the IMC NICU page is truly helpful when you are knee deep in a life changing experience.  Brandon and I hope we can give back and help other NICU parents just as we were helped.   

 

Here's to a wonderful life with my amazing husband and my wonderful little miracle, Will. 

July 12, 2012- Rooming In

This post will be short because I am writing it from my phone and I won't have pictures tonight for the same reason.
Will had a great but tiring day. He passed his eye exam which means that there's no sign of ROP. ROP is a preemie condition that affects babies' eyes. Since the exam was negative, Will is able to be on his home oxygen need. Again, establishing the need is one step closer to going home. In order to go home on oxygen, I am rooming in with Will. We are in our own room right outside the NICU, and I am taking full care of Will. It's like a practice run for home. Wish me luck! I love being able to feel like a real mom!
Check back tomorrow for pictures and a new update!

July 11, 2012- Light at the End of the Tunnel

Finally, there is a light at the end of the tunnel!  I made it to the NICU in time for rounds this morning, and the doctor used the word 'discharge'!  I knew it was coming, but to hear the doctor say it, means that it really really is coming true!  I was so excited that tears of joy came to my eyes as I went back to Will's room and held him. 

Before we can go home, Will still has a few tests to pass.  He has to continue to feed everything by mouth and not the tube.  Check.  He has to gain weight. Check. Last, he has to pass his eye exam. TBD.  Will's eye exam will be tomorrow sometime, I hope in the morning, but we have no control when the doctor will come in.  

Today, Will did great nursing and did okay with his bottle.  Unfortunately, Brandon was not able to come to the hospital today so it was my job to give Will his bottle.  I have to say, Brandon is way better at giving Will the bottle than I am, but Will finished the bottle.  Will also did great with his oxygen today.  His flow was decreased to 0.5 Liters and his percentage of oxygen ranged from 21%-23%.  He really is getting better!  He is learning to coordinate his breathing with his eating, and he is so good at stopping when he's eating to take a breath.  He's my little big man!

Finally, Will gained weight.  He gained another 15 grams.  He is still hanging out right above the 5 pound mark.  I don't even think I can give him credit for an ounce, but hey, I will take 15 grams.  At least he gained weight. 
I can't even begin to explain how excited Brandon and I are at the thought of taking Will home in the next few days.  We have been running around getting Will's room ready, washing his clothes and making sure his car seat is ready to go.  I hope in the next few days, I will be able to put into words how excited and scared I really am at the thought of finally taking my son home and becoming a real family in our home.