Big Boy Beds and Bottles

Hi Everyone,

I apologize for not updating the blog sooner. It's been hectic around the house. There wasn't a lot to report in the last few weeks. Jaxson was just growing!

He's 6 lbs. now and 17+ inches long. A huge leap from the 2 lb. 5 oz., 13.4" on March 31st!!

The last time I updated, he was on the nasal canula, but only for about 2 days. He was not tolerating it well, so his Doctor put him back on CPAP. He lost a few ounces over that. They wanted to try again about a week later....and did....and he's been on it ever since and has been doing remarkably well. Very few A's and B's and pretty far between. They also moved him to a smaller bay with babies who need less attention. He's been there for several weeks.

The two weeks (35 to 36 weeks gestational age; he's 69 days old today) have been very exciting. He's been more alert, eating more, gaining weight, rooting sucking on his passi, smiling, opening his eyes and looking at things, and tooting up a storm. I never knew babies could rip like that! It's quite funny.

THE TUBES ARE OUT OF HIS MOUTH AS OF TWO NIGHTS AGO!!!!! HIS FEEDING TUBE IS NOW GOING THROUGH THE NOSE, SO HIS CHIN IS NOT TAPED ANYMORE AND I CAN SEE HIS MOUTH!!!! BEST THING EVER! Weeeeeeeee!!!!

I gave him a bath last night.... He likes it (I can't wait to give him a bath in the cool tub I picked out...someone please get that for him!!!). He gets all frisky after a bath!!

Afterwards, I changed his diaper and got him a clean outfit, then swaddled him...he was flailing and stressed after all that action and it was time to eat. The nurse hooked up his feed and I gave him his passi (a move the speech therapists want me to do when I'm there to encourage him to learn that sucking on something can make him feel full). He went to town on the passi like I've never seen him do and I've been noticing that when I hold him near my chest that he kind of makes a half-hearted root motion. I noticed that he was doing something with his hand, so I moved the blanket down a bit and he was holding the passi in his mouth with his hand! It was such a great thing to see....a new milestone.

His night nurse was wondering why he hadn't been moved to a crib and I mentioned that it was talked about a couple of weeks ago and someone was supposed to be getting him one, but nothing ever came of it. She said there were some newly cleaned ones sitting in the hallway, so she went and got one and we moved him over. I was so happy. It was a good night for the boy.

This morning, I was home getting ready to go to see him when his primary nurse called and said he was doing great and that they had bottle fed him for 10 minutes. She said he had done pretty well....just a couple of dips in heart rate, and some gulping, but otherwise it went fine.

I'm going to bottle feed him tomorrow at 12:30!!! I'm so excited. This is the beginning of the end of his hospital stay. I am feeling really optimistic that he'll be coming home on or before his due date. We'll see!!

I will update again tomorrow after the feed. I haven't spoken with the speech therapist who will be working with me tomorrow...so I'll get the feeding plan and post that too. I do know that as of now, the plan is to bottle feed for a short time once a day, so we don't wear him out and then move up from there....I'm the speed at which we move on that will be totally up to him and how well he tolerates the feeds. So, cross your fingers (and toes), pray, meditate, whatever, that he gets it quickly and can come home soon!

Jeff and I would like to thank Miss Jessica K.W.W. Kraybill for the incredibly gorgeous and perfect HERB THEMED shower she pulled off, herself. It was a feat of feats. I really could not have asked for better! She made my favorite, RIBS, potato salad, cole slaw, deviled eggs, lemon and cucumber water, lemon-thyme cakes, herbed almonds and the most gorgeous POOFS a girl could ever dream on! It was all delicious and beautiful!! She truly thought of every detail.

AND>>>ASHLI and her family showed up to surprise me! I still feel tingles!!!!
Pickle and his Lady Pickle ( I need more cow bell!), Ann, Bill and Kathy, Randall and Jo, for making the journey from Brownwood and Dallas

Jenny Bond for providing the fun activity of customizing onesies for Jaxson....they are so funny!!

And to everyone for the lovely gifts...although your presence was the best gift of all!


Thanks to all of you who came out and celebrated with us! It means more to us than any thank you card could ever say! We feel so loved and in turn love you all right back!!!



Enjoy the pics of the party and of Jaxson.

LOVE, LERVE, LUFF