July 26, 2011

Peek A Boo

Peter had his two month check up today. Dr D is very happy with his progress and said he can go two weeks between appointments now. Peter is 19" long and weighs 7 lbs, 5 oz. In addition to the check up today, Peter had his first visit with Early On this morning. Typically, preemies qualify for Early On (a service through the school system that offers developmental support for kids prior to their entry into kindergarten) due to a number of reasons. However, after his assessment today, Mary Jo noted that Peter would not actually qualify if it weren't for the fact that he was born so early. Peter is right on target for where he should be. In fact, he is doing better than expected in many areas (he can roll from side to side, hold his head up for a short period of time, maintain grasp on an object placed in his hand, hold his legs up in the air for extended periods of time). As usual, we are very proud of the little man. The only area of concern was Peter's hearing. Mary Jo was concerned because Peter doesn't startle when there is a loud sound near his ears (he does, however, acknowledge quieter noises and our voices). I talked to the NICU social worker after his assessment to confirm the result of his hearing test . . . all within normal limits!!! She suggested that he may not startle because he is used to loud noises after spending so much time in the NICU.

Peter got his 2 month immunizations today as well. He is a little more fussy than usual, but he seems to be managing well. In fact, he is now sleeping comfortably after a bottle.

July 22, 2011

What a difference two months makes . . . Then . . .
Now . . . no more saggy skin here . . .

Then . . .

Now . . . fat rolls!!

Peter has grown so much in the past two months . . . it is strange to think that he is two months old, but technically should still be in the womb.

At two months old, Peter enjoys:

his bouncy chair (but not the swing/vibrating seat - HATES it!)

chillin' in the Boppy

snuggling on the sofa while Mommy or Daddy nap

EATING!!!!

That about sums up Peter's life right now . . .well, except for the unmentionables that occur on a very regular basis! As I write this, Peter is having some tummy time . . .not his favorite thing in the world. He is able to lift his head up and look around and has started to push up on his hands. Peter can roll from side to side on his own (and does, every night - I don't know why we bother trying to position him).

Aunt B had to head home this morning and we miss her already. It was so nice to have her here this week to help out and to bond with Peter.

I don't have a weight for two months. However, we were at the pediatrician on Tuesday of last week and Peter weighed 6 lbs, 13 oz (which was a gain of 1/2 pound in 5 days). I am guessing he is right around 7 pounds by now. We'll know on Tuesday morning as Peter has his two month immunizations at the pediatrician (not a fun day for the little man.)

Aunt B and I had a little photo shoot with Peter to document what he looks like at two months. I assured Brad that Peter was not traumatized in the process! Here are a couple of the pictures . . . we took lots, but these two give you a good picture of how much he has grown (and yes, for those of you wondering, his hair is on the red side . . . and no, neither Brad nor I have red hair . . . and yes, Peter is ours)

July 20, 2011

It was a busy day for Peter today . . . he had a bath this morning and a trip to Saginaw to see Dr Sahouri, the opthamologist. Dr Sahouri says Peter's eyes are perfectly normal at this point and doesn't need to see him again until next year (which is the standard follow-up time for a preemie). So, that was good news! Peter did really well with his first bath at home. Aunt B and I worked in tandem to get all of his "parts" clean. I would like to specifically thank Brad for installing our new sink. It made for a perfect bathtub for Peter.
We did have some drama late Monday night and Tuesday. Peter was breathing with a great deal of force (almost like he was "huffing and puffing to blow the house down"). I, of course was concerned since he has respiratory issues to begin with. Well, we decided that he might be congested which would contribute to this behavior . . . so, we purchased the battery-powered aspirator. OH MY GOODNESS . . . who knew such a large amount of "yuck" could come out of such a little nose! The breathing eased almost immediately. However, by morning, Peter was still snorting a little bit so we decided it was better to contact Dr D (Peter's pediatrician). We went in and Peter's lungs are clear (thank goodness). However, the oxygen he received at the NICU was humidified. The oxygen he receives at home is not . . . so, we are now using a humidifier in whatever room Peter happens to be in and suctioning his "snout" every night. Dr D said it is normal for preemies to snort and grunt and to not be concerned . . . that's all we needed to hear.
That's all from here . . . it is Peter's bedtime . . .

July 17, 2011

Peter is so happy to be home . . . and Brad and I are even happier to have him home. He has done so well with the transition from NICU to home. He has managed to stay on the same schedule he was on at the hospital thus far (and yes, I realize it has only been a couple of days). He is eating well, sleeping well, pooping well (ok, that was more info that you needed, but these are really the only things he does . . . so . . . )He really likes to sit up in the Boppy and survey his world. As a newborn (his adjusted age is still only minus 2 weeks) he cannot focus on anything yet, but he does track with objects that are moved slowly close to his face. He had his first pediatrician appointment on Thursday morning. Everything checked out well and we'll go back next week for follow-up. At this young age, Dr D wants to see him every week to make sure he is gaining weight properly. We'll be heading back to the NICU (well, really the DAC - Developmental Assessment Clinic) on August 2 for a follow-up with NICU doctors, occupational therapists and nurses. We are crossing our fingers that Peter will no longer need oxygen after this appointment (specific prayers for this are appreciated). Dr Chai set up this free service as a way to evaluate how well the babies that spend time in the NICU do after discharge. We will also go back in three months for a developmental check to make sure Peter is reaching his milestones (again, based on his adjusted age).

We so enjoy spending all day with our little man (and it doesn't hurt that we don't have to drive to Saginaw anymore either! Uncle Greg and Aunt Beth came for a visit this weekend. Aunt B was here the day Peter was born, but was only able to see him briefly. She is going to stay with us the week and help out with the little man. She has already mastered the art of feeding, changing diapers and bouncing on the exercise ball (a favorite pastime of Peter's).

July 13, 2011

You may not recognize the swing in the above picture . . . but, it happens to be the swing that sits in our family room . . . that's right . . . Peter came home today!!!! So because of that, this will be a short post . . . Peter's last weigh in at the NICU was 6 lbs, 5 oz . . . He is 18 1/2" long and just the most perfect little boy ever. He did come home with .1 liters of oxygen, but will most likely not need that after one month . . .

Peter and Samantha had to have a photo shoot before they were separated . . . this is just one of the many shots . . . at one point they were holding hands . . . Love in the NICU!

I know you can't tell, but Peter is in the car . . . He did a great job on the car ride home . . . He didn't even make a peep . . .

July 9, 2011

This morning as I walked in to Nursery 1 I was greeted by both of Peter's favorite nurses, Jess & Kristen. OK, the truth of the matter is that Jess and Kristen are my favorite nurses. Chatting with them helps to pass the time. Kristen was Peter's first nurse in the NICU and Jess has been his nurse more times than any other. They are both super fun and funny. I can honestly say that I will truly miss them when Peter comes home.
Peter's "flow" was reduced to 1 liter today. He did very well with this transition. In fact, for a good portion of the afternoon, his nasal cannula resided somewhere between his mouth and his forehead. Jess and Kristen let us try this out and not put it back on as long as he stayed in the oxygen saturation range set by his doctor (and he did). We put the cannula back in place when the night shift arrived. Hopefully our little muffin will continue to do well tonight.
Dr Mohsini stopped by Peter's bed to say goodbye before she left this afternoon. She is certain that he will be home before she returns for the next "big switch" . . . so, providing she is correct, we are counting down a maximum of 14 days . . . please say a prayer that she is correct. Jess will be Peter's nurse tomorrow and Monday as well. She is going to try to get his circumcision scheduled for the coming week. She is also going to get an ultrasound scheduled for Peter as there is an area on his back that Dr Chai wanted checked out before he goes home (nothing of concern, just an unusual dimple that he wants to check out). So, these signs all point to Peter going home soon.
Our hope is that he won't need to go home on oxygen, but we'll bring him home however we can. Apparently, to qualify for home oxygen support (rather to get insurance to pay for home oxygen support) the baby has to be removed from all oxygen and flow and desaturate . . . so, when they perform this test, we will see if Peter can handle life without the o's (as the nurses call it).
Peter is up to 5 lbs, 15 oz tonight. We can't believe how fast he is gaining weight now.

July 8, 2011

Peter continues to amaze us with his progress. His weight is up to 5 lbs, 13 oz and he is 18 1/4" tall. Dr Mohsini will only be our doctor for one more day as the "big switch" (I'll explain later) occurs tomorrow. I had a rather lengthy conversation with her today and she is also encouraged by Peter's progress. He is still doing well on 2 liters of flow. Because of this, she will recommend that his flow be reduced to 1 liter either tomorrow or Monday. If he does ok on 1 liter, they will transition him to the home oxygen system to make sure he can tolerate it before going home. He will most likely come home with some oxygen support, but who cares, at least he'll be home . . . Peter has met all of his other requirements for discharge. Once the doctors are satisfied that Peter can thrive on home oxygen, we will have two more hurdles to jump over
1.) the car seat test (which should be no problem since he'll have the oxygen he needs)
2.) the dreaded circumcision (well, that's more dreaded for the little man)
So, stay tuned for more progress toward home in the next few days (I hope)
So, the big switch . . . there are 4 neonatologists, there are rooms on both sides of the NICU floor. The doctors work on a two week rotation . . .
Week 1: Dr Mohsini has one side of the hall, Dr Martin has the other (Drs Chai & Thurin are out)
Week 2: Dr Mohsini and Dr Martin switch sides (this is the little switch) Chai & Thurin still out
Week 3: Dr Chai has one side of the hall, Dr Thurin has the other (this is the big switch) Drs Mohsini and Martin are out
Week 4: Dr Chai and Dr Thurin switch sides (Mohsini & Martin still out)
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat
This system works so beautifully because all the doctors have a clear picture of all the babies and they can collaborate on the course of care for each individual baby.
I have to close for now because Brad & I are going to watch a movie . . . something we haven't done in, oh I don't know . . . about 47 days (give or take) . . .
PS - Peter wants you to know that he isn't nearly as tan as the pictures make him look . . . the night setting on our camera makes the pictures brighter without the flash, but they do distort color to some degree.

July 7, 2011

I can't tell you how excited we were this morning when we entered Nursery 1 to find that Peter had been upgraded to a crib! This is a major step towards him being able to come home. As of this afternoon, Peter is thriving in his new living arrangement.

There are two main concerns when babies move to cribs:

1.) the baby won't be able to maintain a healthy body temperature (between 97.6 and 99.6)

Peter has maintained a temp between 98.3 and 98.7

2.) the baby won't be able to handle the extra stimulation from lights, sounds, etc . . .

Peter spends ALOT of time being held so we are hoping that will help him adjust

Dr Mohsini again moved Peter's air flow back to 2 liters (our never ending battle). He was doing well as of this afternoon so hopefully that will remain the case. She is beginning to wonder if Peter just has a higher respiration rate (some babies do) as he doesn't seem to be struggling or stressed by the fast breathing (with the exception of the day he was retracting).

July 6, 2011

I have to start this blog by saying Happy Birthday to one of Peter's two Great Grandmas . . .

Happy 99th Birthday, Great Grandma Flesher!

Peter, being the thoughtful little guy that he is sent GG some flowers for her birthday. We sure hope she liked them!

I'm a little tired tonight so I'll keep the update brief. Peter now weighs 5 lbs, 10 oz. He has gained 3+ pounds in only 45 days. We are so proud of him. The feeding tube is a distant memory as Peter is now "eating" all of his meals on his own. In fact, he is quite the little oinker. He is getting roughly 60ml every 3 hours. It should take a baby his age and size about 20 minutes to get all the "food" down. Not our Peter . . . if given the choice, he would have the whole bottle gone in 5 minutes. We try to pace him a little and give him a chance to burp. Even with the little breaks, he is typically done in under 10 minutes . . . what an piglet! Peter is still struggling with the respiratory hurdle, but is making strides. Dr Mohsini says he will be in a crib either tomorrow or the next day . . . this will make everything easier as we won't have to reach in the "house" to interact with him.

We sincerely appreciate all the prayers that have been lifted up for Peter. He is our little miracle and we know that his outstanding progress is a direct result of the many people praying for him. Dr Mohsini has started talking to us about the possibility that Peter will come home with some oxygen support. Since he is doing so well with his feeding, they may be comfortable enough to discharge him in the next week or two. We will do whatever it takes to bring our little boy home sooner rather than later (but would obviously prefer to have him unencumbered by an oxygen tank . . . albeit a teeny tiny oxygen tank!). I would ask that you specifically lift up Peter's breathing struggles in your prayers.

July4, 2011

HAPPY
4th
of

JULY

July 3, 2011

Guess who had his first real bath today? If your answer was "Peter" you're correct! I suppose the picture probably gave it away, huh? We have been waiting very patiently for the steri-strip used to secure his healing broviac site to fall off . . . well, it finally did and today was bath day at the NICU. Up until this point, Peter has had sponge baths to keep him smelling fresh and clean . . . this was a totally new experience! He was unsure at first, but settled in nicely after a few minutes. Brad didn't want to much to be revealed in this photo so he strategically placed the Johnson's baby wash . . . talk about product placement!
Peter was moved back to his original nursery on Friday . . . I was very upset by the whole move (as it would seem that moving back to a more acute nursery would be a setback). After a visit from Dr Martin (who prefaced our conversation with "your baby is doing fine . . . not doing worse") I understood that since they are trying really hard to wean Peter off any oxygen (even the minuscule amount he uses) they need for him to be in a nursery that can monitor his respiratory behavior more closely. So, we are back in our favorite nursery . . . As it turns out, Peter is happy to be "home." He has not had any episodes of fast breathing and really only needs a little oxygen boost after he has finished a meal . . .
Speaking of meals . . . Peter is doing SOOOOO well with feeding. All the nurses and doctors are so pleased with his progress. Since he was allowed to have his bottles back, he has completed all but one in 10 minutes. We are hoping that this behavior continues and that the ng tube will be able to stay out. We are very encouraged by his excitement about feeding, but understand that he may need the tube to finish some of his feedings . . . using a bottle for 8 feedings a day is VERY taxing on such a little body . . .