Welcome to the Neighborhood!!!!

Par has a new neighbor...you guessed it! Ella moved in right next to Par. We are hooking up the paper cups with string as we speak so they can talk to each other in their beds. Seriously, we've already had "the talk" with Par--He and Ella are just TOO young to be getting serious and they are not to be alone together--thankfully we are able to have 24 hour chaperones!

I could tell that Par definitely felt better today--although he is not all the way back to normal, he does seem to be feeling better. He was a rock star today when it comes to breastfeeding--he latched on immediately and did well. He has a tendency to stop and just sort of hang out--but it doesn't matter--this is great progress. Tomorrow I hope to have him breastfeed at 3 different times. The nurse practitioner and I spoke for a while about his feeding today--she was disappointed that he wasn't offered the bottle very much over the weekend and I was frustrated because of the same reason--I told her I didn't feel right trying to BF when I know he needs his feeds from the bottle (only because BF takes a lot of time--we can work on that in Birmingham, but getting him on the bottle and off the feeding tube is our ticket out of here). She completely agreed and wrote an order that upped his bottle feeds without interfering with my BF attempts. The not so great stuff--Par didn't do well with his bottle feeds today. He had some major reflux signs (he never does with BF). All he needs to do is take one little suck and swallow and he would turn red, eyes water and he would arch is back and then spit it out. It was so hard to watch--he has never acted like that before--but he also has never had so much in him--so maybe we've reached our limit. Whatever the case, we will have the upper GI study this week (Thursday) to see the severity of his reflux--then Dr. Kays will tell us the game plan for getting us out of here!



As always, I left for my ritual pump. I have been doing it at bedside--but Ella had just moved in and Rusty and Tina were chatting--so it was just easier to run to the pump room then try and get screens and stuff. Anyway, while I was gone--Dr. Kays came by! Of course--the one time I leave! I was glad Rusty was there--Rusty asked Dr. Kays to look at his abdomen and when he (Dr. K) undid his diaper--the protrusion "popped out"--Dr. Kays said, "Isn't that a neat trick!" Thankfully, he said he isn't worried and it should fix itself. That is good enough for us--we aren't going to worry about it anymore--although we may video it popping out and put it on YouTube and see how famous we can get. Dr. Kays also turned Par's oxygen down to 200 (was 300). He also chatted briefly with Rusty about his feeds-but that is about it.

Boo is back! My mom (sweet sweet mom) made the long trip back down here today and just in time! Par had ALMOST forgotten who she was--but thankfully mom made it and he DEFINITELY remembers her now. Of course, she stood there trying to be "so good" so she would get to hold him--and at this point, I'm glad the hospital puts the alarm bracelet/anklet on the babies--because the look in my mom's eye said that she just might take my baby and run. Luckily, she sat in the rocking chair next to his bed and just held him and rocked him. She only slipped up and called him "my baby" (like saying he was her baby)once while loving on him--I'll let it slide this time--but I have asked the nurses to keep an extra eye on her!



Every day I make a deposit of milk from the night before when I come into the NICU--I've been doing this since the day Par was born. Today I was told that I have taken over both the freezers for the NICU. They took me to see it so I could understand the magnitude of the situation. I was in awe. I have never felt more proud of all the hard work pumping than seeing hundreds of bottles of milk made by me. Bad news...it would be impossible to get it all home--but I'm going to take as much as I can. Good news is--I will be able to donate some of it--so I feel really blessed to have that opportunity to help out some other family who needs breast milk--pretty cool to think about--the world is sort of making full circle--back in the days of Jesus, if a mother died in childbirth, another mother would take the baby and nurse him until he was "of age"--4-5 years old! Can you imagine nursing your neighbors child for 4-5 years....anyway...

I had the very special opportunity to speak with Jasmine at Jonathan's bedside--she was holding him! She had been holding him for several hours--he is still on ECMO and I told Jasmine we are all praying for this precious child. Please understand, holding your baby while on ECMO is not a common occurrence...I ask you to pray for Jonathan and that God will heal his little body and allow him to come off ECMO and make a full recovery. I also told Jasmine that we are praying for her--there is nothing like holding your baby for the first time--I ask our Lord to keep that feeling close to Jasmine's heart in the coming days.

Rusty and I continue thankful for our wonderful friends and family who keep our spirits up, ourselves in check & our energy going. Of course we want our baby healthy and with us--but it is because of you that we want to come home--we can't wait to share him!! (but I still probably won't let him out of my arms for the first 5 years once we get home, so don't get your hopes up or anything).

Praise God for answering every single prayer but one from yesterday's blog entry--we'll find out about the reflux one this Thursday!

Much Love,
Liz, Rusty & Par