He's home!!

Sam came home on Thursday!!  I can't believe it's been 5 days now. He is doing wonderful!  He has learned well to sleep between feedings and is growing. We have our first check up with our pediatrician tomorrow. The boys have loved Sam being with us. It's unbelievable that we are finally all 5 under the same roof!  We are so thankful!!  I can't thank you enough for being a part of this journey with us. I really can't tell you how helpful the support of our community, friends & family have been. We are forever grateful for you & are so thankful how God has chosen to bring the desire of another child into our family to life!!

Very soon

So our little Sam has turned a corner with the bottle! He has taken one each feeding for more than 24 hours. They began preparing us today that he will likely be home soon!  He had to gain weight for 3 consecutive days and not have any difficulty breathing or maintaining his body temp for 7 days. He has done those, so now he just needs to continue on the bottle (no feeing tube) for another couple days. Hoping he'll be home on thursday. I tried to nurse him today & the lactation consultant said he did well for trial #1... We'll keep working on it. Obviously, the main goal is for him to eat plenty, so until then, I'll keep pumping (oh joy... But well worth it)!

bottle

Sam is taking a bottle occassionally, but still not consistent. I guess I originally thought once he took a bottle one time, that he would "get it" and be good to go. So I thought he would be home with us this weekend. Apparently, that isn't how it works. It still just takes so much energy for him to take a bottle. I have been going to see him at least once a day and sometimes I'm able to give him a bottle. I typically change his diaper, take his temperature and hold him now each time I go. He pooped on me today when I changed his diaper... a first for me in all the diapers I've changed over the years!  I have enjoyed being with him over this past week, but now my heart is aching for him to be with us!  Last night, he was the most alert I'd ever seen him. Here is a picture of him in my lap... Please pray he will come home soon! 

 

Sam has graduated to a crib in the NICU. That means that he can breathe well on his own and also regulate his body temperature well.  He still has his feeding tube. The nurse told me that sometimes their ability to suck, swallow & breathe simultaneously can happen overnight. He has taken a bottle a little bit and has shown signs of wanting to suck, but at the moment it takes more effort than it should and therefore is too much energy for him to expend on eating right now. It sounds like they will give me a couple days notice when they think he will be ready to come home. Once he starts taking a bottle, they will keep him a day or two to make sure he is good to go. I am trying to fit in all that I can... errands, haircut, a few last minute shopping trips, etc before he comes home. We joke that we are in the calm before the storm. I am feeling much better physically and am able to do a little bit, but I know my time will be more limited once he arrives home. But, oh, we can't wait!!  From the first times we really began praying for another child until now has been about 3 years, so we are ready to finally be a family of 5!! Thank you for being a part of this journey with us.

progress

Yesterday we grabbed donuts at Krispy Kreme so conveniently located next to Baptist and headed on over to hang with Sam for a little while. I wanted to just sit with him and I'm so glad I did!  The neonatalogist stopped in to check on him. She ordered his oxygen tube to come out and the jaundice lights to be removed!!  He also needed a diaper change, so I was able to do it for the first time!  After the boys finished their donuts in the waiting room, they came in for a visit too. They don't like us holding and talking to him too much because rest is still vital for his development, but while he was being checked we were able to talk to him. For the first time we saw him open his eyes... He opened them when he heard our voices. It captured my heart and I was on cloud 9 all day! 
Another big milestone was that he took a little bit of milk from a bottle... not a full feeding, but he is progressing. Our little guy is fighting to get stronger. The doctor said he wouldn't come home before 34 weeks (Saturday, Sept 8), so that is what we are praying for. Here is a picture from today...

We can't really tell who he looks like. He doesn't seem to look like Jacob or Luke to us. I do think he has some good lips though :) As far as the surgery goes, I'm healing well. I'm getting good rest to get ready for the little man to come home!