Growing

There haven't been big changes over the last few days, but we are on the verge of some big changes. They have turned Nick down to 2 liters on his nasal cannula. YEAH! That means he will be able to try a bottle very soon, providing he does well with it over the next few days. He has been growing like a champ... 4lbs 12.7 ounces. Only a few more ounces to the 5lb mark.

So, because he is almost 5lbs, and trying the bottle soon, we are really weeks away from him coming home. He has to eat well, which may take some time. They figure he won't get the whole bottle feeding thing very quickly. He will probably get very tired by sucking, and not want to take the whole thing. It will come though, it might take a little while. They will also continue to turn down the oxygen until he is able to be on room air with no assistance and no de-sats. Once he has that fairly mastered, they will do the hernia surgery. That is his last hurdle to coming home.

They took the feeding tube out of his mouth. Now it is down his nose. That is a good step, although it doesn't sound terribly comfortable for him. They leave the tube in the nose until he has really got the feeding thing down, and can take a whole bottle in 30minutes or under. At first, most babies get so tired, they stop after a little while, so the nurses will give the rest of his feed through his tube. Eventually he will be able to just have a bottle.

New pics of Nick with even less tubes!

(before bath)

during his bath (don't worry, this won't embarrass him later)

after his bath, all clean and wrapped up.