A Good Day

Here is an update in pictures ...


Here is a picture of our little family taken tonight. Danny & I moved back home yesterday and had the best night's sleep we've had in 2 weeks. We are now driving back and forth to the hospital.


Britton snoozing with Mr. Wilson. He actually was so much more awake & active today -- a result of the phenobarbitol wearing off. They are holding the medicine until his level drops. Nurse Amy carried him around all day b/c he decided he didn't like laying in his bed any more. His fussiness is another indication that the meds are wearing off. His muscle tone is also a lot better today. He will go back on the phenobarb at some point, but the docs are wanting to keep it at a much lower level than it has been.


Like my big hairy guns? (Danny's contribution to this post.) This picture (taken yesterday) shows his nasal cannula, which provides room air-level oxygen. Today, he is off the cannula and is doing well. He occasionally has "d-sats," where his oxygen saturation level drops. This is going to be one of the biggest obstacles to us coming home. The d-sats appear to be positional -- he only does it when his neck is at a funny angle -- or when he is feeding and he can't breathe deeply enough and suck & swallow at the same time.


This is nurse Amy feeding Britton. She is able to get lots of food down him! A tough task for a baby that doesn't want to eat too much. She is going to start teaching us how to feed him tomorrow. Feeding & gaining weight is the other obstacle to him coming home. He has to start gaining weight. He has lost for the past 3 days, but is only down to 5lbs., 11 oz. (2 oz. down from his birth weight). We are hopeful that he shows a gain tomorrow. He has to show an upward trend of gaining weight before we can take him home.


Britton is Amy-fied! Amy (above) is a master at positioning the babies so that they are comfortable and don't move around. Britton seems to like all the body pillows.


Tired Mama. Tired Britton.

Thanks so much for being on this journey with us! We are amazed every day at his progress, and are so thankful for the miracle that he is. We are so thankful for every day we've had with him, and are still, at times, in unbelief that he has not only survived such a traumatic birth, but that he is thriving. We are blessed beyond belief...