Letting A Few More Days Go By

So it's Tuesday ... and I am having a hard time sometimes with keeping up with what day it is exactly. It's probably because of us having just got off of Christmas Break. With the kids home, we did the very same thing every single day. Wake up, eat, go to hospital, go home, eat, read, play games, go to hospital, eat, bed, lol ... Every single day! I'm sure there were a few variations, but the past 9 weeks have flown by for me when in the beginning I could not see how I would even make it the first week. Strange how our hearts and minds can become adjusted to such volitale situations and make it work. I never imagined being able to cope in an environment where there is such unexpected changes as often as is in the NICU.

Things have pretty much been the same for the past few days. It's the same road with different scenes now and again ... JT has gotten to spend more time with Kadin and even Robbi has gone in a lot more lately with me. Kota will be seeing and holding Kadin FIRST when the time comes since he has never gotten to see him.

We are still on the vent but he is putting on good weight. Currently, he weighs 4 pounds 5.1 ounces. His feeds have been increased again. I am thinking they increase it due to his weight. He is on 34 mls and is about 16 1/2 inches long. I helped measure and weigh him the other night when Kimber (way cool RN!) was on duty. That Cadillac of a bed is fabulous!

I was able to hold him yesterday with JT in there with me. Kadin did very well. I helped with his breathing treatment also. I held the vibrator on his sides/chest to help break up the mucous in his lungs. Dr. Porter said that it isn't really fluid, it's more like mucous from his body fighting the vent being in there. They have taken a culture (again) of the lungs secretions to see if he is getting another infection. The nurse tonight told me his secretions were a little yellow now, but that he is not acting sick. Not sure what they will do about it except give him antibiotics again and wait it out. Dr. Porter will be gone on about the 14th, so we will have to become adjusted to another Dr. at that time.

There's not really much else to report on him at this time. He is really growing. A nurse that had him when he was much smaller (and who I can quote as saying her paychecks were not nearly big enough for the butt-whoopings he gave her while she was his nurse!!!) had him last night and tonight and commented several times on how big he has gotten !!!! He really is growing ... I'm just more ready than he is. It's been 9 weeks now .... can you believe we have endured this for NINE weeks? Again, I'm ready to get off the ride.

I think I wrote about the eye exams. Something about the zones and stages and something something ... I'm not a Dr. but I understood the basics of what he told me. I will let you know when he has his next exam and what the results of it are.

For now, I'm going to pass out in my bed and TRY to rest. JT went back to Breckenridge today and we miss him terribly.

Buenos noches .......

Leslie