Caffeine!!

Our little man received his first ‘taste’ of caffeine today!

Dr. N started Ryan on IV caffeine today and tomorrow he will receive caffeine through his feeding tube daily. This is supposed to help with getting him ready to come off of the ventilator!

He also decreased some of his vent settings. Weaning the vent and taking the tube out all together scares the mess out of me but at the same time I can’t wait to hear him make noises! I’ve had two silent births and to hear my child make any kind of noise. . . I just can’t imagine how that will feel!

Ryan has been happier today his feeds resumed at his 8am feeding. They are also no longer mixing Alimentum and Similac. He is only receiving Similac! Even better news is that he is tolerating his feeds very well. He is having regular stinky diapers and doing very well on wet diapers since the Bumex has been disconnected!!!

Ryan only had one minor bump overnight. His blood sugar was down to 15 this morning on his labs most likely because his feeds were held while receiving blood. The doctor had them start D10 through his IV until his feeds were resumed. His sugar is now much better.

 

Hopefully he won’t have to have the IV for much longer. He likes to remind me by waving his arm and making his crying face when I tell him I can’t help him with the IV.

He is too precious when he is sleeping. When i visited him at lunch today he had his hands folded together. At one point it looked as if he had praying hands.

He reached for my finger and crasp both my hands and fell back to sleep. I could sit and watch him grow all day long!

Ryan received his second IV dose of caffeine this evening. He should be well wired for the night shift.

I guess we will have to wait a bit longer for his days/nights to straighten out!

I almost forgot! He had his second eye exam today and he is staying on his every two week schedule for eye exams!!

Not So Happy Baby

Ryan has been a very unhappy baby today! His blood count had decreased so the doctor ordered for him to receive 12mls of blood. Unfortunately that means no groceries (only pedalite) while he is getting blood.

He was too pathetic at lunch. He was trying his hardest waving his arm with his IV as if he was saying ‘mommy fix it!’ He just couldn’t understand why I couldn’t fix it. It kills me that I cant make it better but I know this is just the first of many situations that will be completely out of my control.

He should get his groceries back at full strength Similac tomorrow at either his 5am feeding or his 8am feeding.

His Gammie brought him a fresh blanket. He is learning early. He gravitates to Gammie when he decided that Mommy isn’t doing what he wants.

On another note our little man is very close to crossing over to the 2 pound mark! He weighed 820 grams which is 1lb 13oz!! He is soo close! I imagine by Sunday’s weigh in we will have a 2 pound little boy!!

Big Boy

Ryan is looking so much like a little baby I just LOVE it!!!

I know we see him every day but some days his progress takes me by surprise. We spent a few hours with his house open today. He is usually on his tummy or his side but today he had wormed his way onto his back from his side.

I guess it’s been over a week since I’ve seen him on his back (they place them on their tummy’s while on the vent because it is supposed to help with digestion). He just looked SO BIG!!

I am just so proud of our little man!!

His nurse has been trying for a week now to have time to do his foot prints!

 I know he is not hers but between her and another nurse I’m not sure that they do not love him like he is their own.

I know they take the BEST care of him!!

It was so much fun watching him get his foot prints made.

Dean just happened to wear the New Dad 2011 shirt today and since he didn’t get footprints in the OR he got a set on his New Dad shirt!

He is over the moon about our little man also!!

We took Ryan a few furry friends for Halloween.

They seemed like they were tiny until we placed them next to Ryan!

He wasn’t too sure of what was in his bed but after feeling around for a bit he seemed to like them much better.

He has quite the collection of furry friends that stay with him in his room. He has soo many more here at home also. He isn’t spoiled. . . .He is just LOVED!

I could look at pictures of this little guy all day long!

Ryan is still doing sooo well! His food was changed again today. He is now receiving 2 parts Similac to 1 part Alimentum. So far he hasn’t had any residual!

He LOVES his groceries. Today his nurse allowed me to place a small drop of formula on the tip of my pinky and place it on his tongue. He seemed to really enjoy his treat. He instantly began to suck and even bit harder with his gums on my pinky when I tried to take it out of his mouth!

He is no longer receiving a diuretic. It had been backed way down and only given every 48 hours. Hopefully his urine output will stay at a sufficient level!

He managed to go throughout the entire shift without sedation! His nurse has had him since day 1 (she was with him the second he was born) and says that as long as you make sure he has a clean diaper, groceries every 3 hours, and he is comfy in the bed that he is a Very Happy Baby!

Mommy Time

I absolutely adore Mommy Time!

My mind knows that he is mine and I will once day get to take him home but when we have Mommy Time my Heart feels so much closer to being a ‘real’ Mommy. I love how Ryan almost immediately calms and falls asleep when he is placed on my chest!

He gets squirmy and very serious at grocery time though! Around 10-15 minutes before his next feeding time his mood definitely changes and he becomes increasingly cranky until his feed is started. Once it heard his nurse bring in his syringe he calmed down and was a happy baby again!

He spent close to 2 ½ hours on my chest this afternoon. The only reason he went back to bed was because it was change of shift.

He was very awake when she returned him to his ‘house.’

His nurse worked some magic and put his Razorback cap on his head!

Mom came over and helped me move big brother’s cloths to his new closet and Ryan’s cloths in to his closet. We found a premie Razorback onsie and took it to Ryan this evening. Unfortunately he may have to wait several more weeks before it will fit. It did however make a pretty good blanket!

I’m thinking Ryan needs to wear his cap actually ‘on’ his head more often!

The Hogs have sure played much better this game!!

Ryan has done exceptionally well with the change to his feeds. His nurse said that it seems that the new formula didn’t phase his body one bit! Tomorrow night he will be weighed and measured again. It should be interesting to see how he’s grown!!

Go Hogs. . .Beat Auburn!!!!

Hokey Pokey

Your put you’re your left foot in. . . .

You take your left out. . . .

You put your left foot in. . .and you shake it all about.

You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around.

That’s what it’s all about!

Your put your right foot in . . .You take your right foot out!

Ryan was all about stretching after his diaper change.

I LOVE Baby Feet!

He even has my Wonky little toe!

And YES! We will teach Ryan a little Canadian!

Ryan took another step to becoming a bigger boy today. He is now getting Similac 25 calories mixed in a 1:1 ratio with his Alimentum 25 calories. He will still receive a total of 14mls. The Similac formula is more difficult to digest so they are going to introduce it slowly as to not shock his system. So far so good he hasn’t had any residual and he has had a dirty diaper so, so far so good!