Sunday 5/16

Jeff and I went to visit Jaxson at his noon assessment today. Jeff dropped me off at the door while he parked so I could go up...our usual weekend ritual (It's really sweet. He knows I can't wait to get up there).

When I walked into his bay, rounded the corner and looked toward his bed, I noticed it looked different. He wasn't surrounded by the shiny, hard plastic case. He was in an open air bed!!! I walked as fast as I could to his side and his nurse came over to say hello. I was so excited, I started jumping up and down. She said his bed was switched during the night shift. She also said that they turned the pressure rate on his CPAP OFF!!! It is no longer giving him bursts of air to the lungs but is still keeping them open. He has been tolerating it well. He's breathing on his own...just has some backup in case!!!!

He was a little stressed today when we visited...but it makes sense...lots of changes. He was a little fussy and fidgety. But that's ok...He's going to be off the CPAP very soon. I'm saying (his doctor thinks so too!) two weeks...and that's being generous. I think, if everything keeps going this way, he'll be home right around his due date and possibly before. We still have to contend with the oral feeding training once he's off the CPAP. But, I'm feeling confident that he'll get it. The main thing he might have trouble with will be remembering to breath, suck, and swallow at the same time. We will cross that bridge when we come to it.

So, there are a couple of weeks left in this month....If he's off the CPAP by the time June starts...and, for instance, it takes him 4 weeks to learn to eat, then we'll have him at the beginning of July! If he catches on quickly, we could have him sooner!!

He's 4 lbs 9 oz...so size won't be an issue...he'll probably be 5 lbs by next weekend. they just increased his feeds for the 2nd or 3rd time this week.

They will weigh, measure length and head circumference tonight, I'll report on that tomorrow.

So, Jeff took his temp, changed his diaper and held him today. I took some pics. He was swaddled (again, the boy wants to pull the tubes off his head!). He was fussy and kicking and he had his little legs stretched out straight. His little feet were pushing out of his blanket (see pics). We kept looking at the cute feet and goo goo gaga-ing over them. Jeff went for a bike ride a little while ago and when he came home he said he kept thinking about Jaxson's feet! (so sweeeeeeet!)

He didn't open his eyes much. Being in an open air bed makes for a much noisier environment, so I think that's why he was cranky. He's going to have to adjust to that and to the CPAP. He might have a couple of rough days, but he's maturing like he should be. I just called to check on him. His nurse said he's doing very well...no episodes tonight and is sleeping away!! I can go to sleep in peace.

Goodnight all!