Thank You!

Clearly, I’ve been negligent in my duties, having not updated the blog in so many days! Well, I can tell you, it’s been a heckuva few days, for sure! So here’s a big post to cover this past week.
First of all…thank you! Jeffrey’s baby shower was yesterday and there were a lot of people there. Mary and Liane did a spectacular job organizing the event, and the Hilton Fire Dept allowed us to use the multi-purpose room at the Exempts Hall. It all came together beautifully, and only Mother Nature saw fit to throw some flurries our direction. Everyone enjoyed the cupcakes, cookies and M&Ms while Danielle opened up gifts on his behalf. He received so many wonderful toys, clothes and baby gear. A great time was had by all, and it showed us what we already knew… we have really great friends! We can’t wait for you all to meet Jeffrey!
Now we back track to earlier this week. The boy’s done so well gaining and growing since he’s moved to an open crib. On Tuesday, Nurse Judy informed us, “The only reason he’s still here is because he has trouble drinking from a bottle,” Yes folks, the doctors have decided that they want to fast track our boy on outta there! During rounds that morning, they discussed that Jeffrey has not had a single issue outside of feeding in 5 days. They are considering, if they can get his feeds under control, of just having a 3 day countdown instead of the traditional 7 day. In fact, at his “advanced” preemie stage, they wave the car seat test after 37 weeks (Monday, Feb 27) – but we’re going to do it anyway.
Judy told us that we need to find a nipple for bottle feeding that will make him not de-sat or stop breathing. So that night we went to Wal-Mart and bought one of every type of baby bottle they had, save for the few we already had at home. Nurse Julie tried a few of them, but in the end he prefers the Haberman nipple provided by the hospital. Wouldn’t it figure that the one that works best is the one that $20 each?
Meanwhile, Mom hasn’t had a very robust week. She came down with the same upper respiratory junk that I had last week, except worse. Even still, she managed to drag herself into work each day, and up to the floor to see our son and nurse him. By Thursday, she was about at the end of her rope and only stayed long enough to manage the CAP inspection of her lab before calling me to take her home. Friday was the peak of it, and fortunately she started on the mend for her baby shower.
But let’s talk about Friday. I went into school for my Networking final practical exam. Just before the start of the exam, I got a call from Danielle. She had just gotten off the phone with Kathy. Kathy is the discharge coordinator at the NICU. She asked Danielle how she’d feel about sending Jeffrey home on a monitor. Dani told her that she was home sick, and she’d like to talk it over with me. Apparently they need our permission to do that, or something. Kathy was kinda pushy about when I might be home so we could call back with an answer. Dani told her I was in class until 4:00 PM, and Kathy said we’d have to leave it until Monday.
I went to the hospital after my exam (piece of cake, by the way!) to talk with his nurse and find out what’s going on. Julie had just finished administering oxygen to him following a pretty significant apnea spell. She was surprised that we had gotten a phone call and told me that Jeffrey was not ready to go home – heck, the doctor’s hadn’t even rounded yet for that day until just before I’d arrived. I told her that I was concerned that Jeffrey was being pushed out. She took the time to listen to my concerns, especially the fact that we’d been told all along that he wasn’t going home on a monitor. Julie told me that Jeffrey definitely was not ready to come home – breathing and eating are two very important things and he really needs to get the hang of both of them simultaneously.
Jeffrey had a pulmonary consult on Saturday. We’ll have a chance to talk to the attending doctor on Monday about it. But when it comes down to it, Dani and I do not want Jeffrey to come home on a monitor or before he’s ready. I know that the NICU is teeming at the brim. I know that there are lots of sick babies who need good doctors and nurses. But I also know this: our baby needs good doctors and nurses too. I know that when I’m on the ambulance, I don’t tell a less critical patient “I have another call… are you alright to make it to the hospital yourself?”
Until he’s really ready to come home… we’ll just take it one day at a time.
Vitals: 1940g (4 lbs 4.4 oz) today, which is a gain of 10g today and 50g yesterday. He’s still having a little trouble remembering to breathe, and he had another dip tonight where his nurse had to rub his chest to get him started again. He’s in a new room today as of 6 PM, and it’s a little crowded with 4 babies to a room. Because room is tight, he had to move into a smaller crib, and his night nurse Thembi is going to see if she can get his mobile to fit. Hopefully they will open another room in the morning so the nurses aren’t overwhelmed.