I'm still alive, Pierce is still doing well in the NICU, J is still surviving going to school full time and working full time...all while balancing trying to sleep and see his son.
That's pretty much our life right now, we visit Pierce at the NICU every day at 8, 12, 4, & 8. Spend about an hour there each time, travel time round trip is 30 minutes, so 2.5 hours at home between each visit in which I pump and try to keep the apartment from looking like a homeless camp (seriously, it's not nearly that bad, but trying to keep my head above water takes some effort).
Pierce is doing well. He's still on oxygen and CPAP. He's down to 23/24% oxygen, we're trying to get him down to 21% which is room air oxygen levels. He can tolerate 21% for a few hours, then his oxygen saturation dips too low (low 90s) and they bump it back up to 23/24% and he's just fine. He has to get to room air and do well before his CPAP pressure gets turned down and he starts to wean off of that. So, he's being quite stubborn and hanging on to that last few bits of oxygen. Which, is just fine because he was SO SO very sick.
Pierce is acting more like an average newborn, waking at meal times, crying when his diaper is changed, fussing when he's generally unhappy about something. Generally unhappy usually means that his paci isn't in his mouth. Ya'll, he is so cute, he sucks on his paci like Maggie Simpson...makes that sucking sound, it's hilarious.
He has gone from eating 40ml to 60ml (2 ounces) in just the last 24 hours. The 40ml just was not enough for him, he was getting hungry before the 4 hour mark. I'm sure he won't keep the every 4 hour schedule when he gets home, and it'll be more like 3 hours, but things are different in the NICU.
Pierce is awake and alert most of the time when we're there, and we don't leave until he's asleep or right about there. I just can't bring myself to leave when he's awake.
We got to hold him for about an hour or more last night. His night nurse doesn't see the point in letting a baby lay in the bed and fuss, cry, and get all worked up when if he's held and content he gets better use of his oxygen and CPAP. So, she got us a rocker and we took turns rocking him. He slept like a log and his oxygen saturation was high the whole time.
I've wanted to hold him for those very reasons for so long, I knew that being in his parents arms would be so beneficial to him, but I also understand that he has to be very stable for us to be able to do so. I'm excited that he's that stable now!! Pierce is a fighter!
I'll add pictures soon, promise...just have to head off to the NICU to tell my tiny love good night!
Please continue to pray, and know I am eternally grateful for everyone who is praying and has been praying. I firmly believe that he is as well as he is because of all of the prayers he's been getting from across this country!!
That's pretty much our life right now, we visit Pierce at the NICU every day at 8, 12, 4, & 8. Spend about an hour there each time, travel time round trip is 30 minutes, so 2.5 hours at home between each visit in which I pump and try to keep the apartment from looking like a homeless camp (seriously, it's not nearly that bad, but trying to keep my head above water takes some effort).
Pierce is doing well. He's still on oxygen and CPAP. He's down to 23/24% oxygen, we're trying to get him down to 21% which is room air oxygen levels. He can tolerate 21% for a few hours, then his oxygen saturation dips too low (low 90s) and they bump it back up to 23/24% and he's just fine. He has to get to room air and do well before his CPAP pressure gets turned down and he starts to wean off of that. So, he's being quite stubborn and hanging on to that last few bits of oxygen. Which, is just fine because he was SO SO very sick.
Pierce is acting more like an average newborn, waking at meal times, crying when his diaper is changed, fussing when he's generally unhappy about something. Generally unhappy usually means that his paci isn't in his mouth. Ya'll, he is so cute, he sucks on his paci like Maggie Simpson...makes that sucking sound, it's hilarious.
He has gone from eating 40ml to 60ml (2 ounces) in just the last 24 hours. The 40ml just was not enough for him, he was getting hungry before the 4 hour mark. I'm sure he won't keep the every 4 hour schedule when he gets home, and it'll be more like 3 hours, but things are different in the NICU.
Pierce is awake and alert most of the time when we're there, and we don't leave until he's asleep or right about there. I just can't bring myself to leave when he's awake.
We got to hold him for about an hour or more last night. His night nurse doesn't see the point in letting a baby lay in the bed and fuss, cry, and get all worked up when if he's held and content he gets better use of his oxygen and CPAP. So, she got us a rocker and we took turns rocking him. He slept like a log and his oxygen saturation was high the whole time.
I've wanted to hold him for those very reasons for so long, I knew that being in his parents arms would be so beneficial to him, but I also understand that he has to be very stable for us to be able to do so. I'm excited that he's that stable now!! Pierce is a fighter!
I'll add pictures soon, promise...just have to head off to the NICU to tell my tiny love good night!
Please continue to pray, and know I am eternally grateful for everyone who is praying and has been praying. I firmly believe that he is as well as he is because of all of the prayers he's been getting from across this country!!
Go Pierce! We can't wait till you get home baby boy :)
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