The entries here are arranged from most recent to least recent. That way you can find out the latest news easily!
Sorry for the slow update. I've been a little run down what with Max being home and all. He's doing very well and we're now pretty adjusted to each other. Lisa's been amazing. Who would've known she had all this latent Mommy instinct?
We'll be seeing his peditrician about once a week for awhile to make sure Max is gaining weight. We also have appointments with various specialists (cardiologist, opthomologist, developmental) to monitor Max's various special conditions. But he is showing every sign of being an extremely good baby so we're trying to enjoy him as best we can.
It feels like a totally new beginning. It's as if the time in the hospital never happened (sort of). I think we're dealing ok. We're both very very happy to have him at home and the little challenges will be tamed eventually (assuming I don't die of exhaustion). Lisa's been amazing. Her Mommy-skills are very impressive, I don't know where she's been hiding them. In addition to being a patient and tireless caregiver, she absolutely loves being with him and seems to be helping him develop at an incredible pace.
Today we've started to pick up on a few more of his signals and that might help make things easier. We discovered that he has a different behavior when he's hungry than when he just wants to suck on something. We had been feeding him whenever he looked hungry with the result that he was never hungry enough to eat a whole meal. Hopefully now he'll take more, less often.
Another thing that made today special was that there were two other sets of parents that we were close to in the Special Care Nursery and the last of their babies went home today. So we really are into the next phase now.
Anyway, it's only been a few days but were exhausted. But when I see Lisa holding Max I get so happy have to giggle. We really are a little family...
more...
The nurses visit was ok. Lisa said that the nurse thought that Max was very smart. The nurse also gave her pointers on feeding and so forth.
We've also been to Dr B's (the pediatrician's). He said that Max looks great and that he's ``one for the record books'' in that Dr. B didn't think Max would make it when he first met us in the hospital (a day or so after Max was born). Anyway, he seems pleased and impressed with Max's progress so far. He said we should worry about Max getting a cold (which would prevent him from eating) and that he should gain about an ounce a day (I don't think he's doing that).
We're holding up fair to middling. There are many, many demands on our time. We're getting advice from lots of people and I'm not sure it's helping at all. I'm really not looking for help --- I just wish things were easier right now.
Max is feeding well, more or less. The two issues seem to be: (1) He doesn't burp well. The result is that he gets an air bubble and that makes him want to stop eating until it's cleared out. But since he's so hard to burp, the whole meal process stalls at that point. And (2) for a few days he seemed to want to ``graze'' in that he would eat for a few minutes and then sleep for an hour and then repeat. I think he's getting enough food that way but it's hell on us.
I'm pretty sure Max feels the change in environment. I think it's a positive change but it's one that he's still adjusting to.
o -()- _/\_so skating is probably not in the cards for awhile. (I'll try to make this a drawing in the web diary). He'll need a little physical therapy but it shouldn't be too major.
I've begun telling the nurses that we're taking Max home next Tuesday. Maybe if I say it enough times and make it sound like I know what I'm talking about, they'll think someone official told them and we'll be ready to go early next week. We're signed up for the ``discharge class'' and we're going to sign up for the CPR refresher. Those are the last few things we need to do. Max, meanwhile, has had the temperature in his isolette turned down to see if he can keep himself warm. Aside from weight, that's his last hurdle unless the doctors choose to correct surgically some of his physical problems before we leave. He hit 1600g (3 1/2 pounds!) today. He is still basically on track for hitting 1800g on his due date (next Tuesday). He's actually a tiny bit ahead but the four day average is showing a slowing down. I predict a photo finish.
I don't mind you showing Max off. In fact, Newsweek has a weekly column about cool things on the web and I sent them a reference to Max. They say they'll warn me before they print anything.
We're going out today with my mom to buy knicknacks like cloths and undershirts and so forth for when Max goes home. We finally picked out and ordered a crib comforter set. It's primary colors and it has cartoon vehicles driving around with the noises they make written in big letters. Slowly but surely things are coming together.
Max is still hovering just below 3 pounds. My prediction curve has him finally breaking 3 pounds on Tuesday. We'll see.
(Separate note...)
Max is doing very well. We're getting to feed him more often and I'm learning Dad stuff like how to burp him and change his diaper. It's been pretty fun. He enjoys playing with us with his little black and white flash cards. We're hoping he'll be able to come home in 3 weeks.
You ask why it is that women seem to know all about babies and preemies and related topics. From my experience in the hospital it's partly because other women tell them things. It has been very common for the two of us to be at Max's bedside and for a nurse to start telling Lisa all about what Max has been doing and good ways to change his diaper and all sorts of juicy tid-bits. I often have to insinuate myself into their conversation just to find out what's going on. So, at least right now, I think guys have to make a concerted effort to find out about babies. I think it's worth it though.
Yesterday I successfully burped him for the first time. He was feeling kind of full and fussy when I was bottle feeding him so I gave him a few nice taps and he burped. He definitely seemed to feel better afterwards. See, I can learn this daddy-stuff.
The move to CCN is delayed until tomorrow at the earliest.
And aside from that, he looked so darn cute. We also got a picture of him with his friends Justin and Andrew both of whom will probably go home in the next week or so.
Then there's the whole CCN controversy. The CCN is the ``continuing care nursery'' (or ``convalescent care'', depending on which sign you believe). They also call it a ``level 2 nursery'' or a ``step-down nursery.'' It's basically the place they let babies grow if they are small but medically stable. Anyhow, last week people (nurses, social worker, supervisors) started dropping hints that they might like to send Max there.
So this morning, our social worker called to set up a time when Lisa and I could meet with her and the fellow to talk about moving Max to the CCN. This is a good sign and it would probably be great for Max but it would be very disruptive to us. We're familiar with the routine in the SCN (special care nursery/level 3 nursery/NICU/ICN/...) and we have made some very close friends there that we would miss a great deal. In particular, Max has had several primary nurses that have been caring for him since the very beginning. They would miss him and we would miss seeing them every day. They are an integral part of our support network.
So, fine, we'll think about moving Max to the CCN. Meanwhile, about 30 minutes after the social worker calls, we get a call from the intern in charge of Max. She tells us that they are about to move Max to the CCN and just wanted to let us know. Whoa! After several more phone calls, we were able to get them to delay the move until after our meeting tomorrow. Yow. We'll see what happens.
Meanwhile, medically, some interesting stuff has come up. He still has a clot in his right atrium as well as his hypospadius and hernias. Recently, they discovered that his bilirubin was slightly high so today they did an ultrasound of his liver and started some blood work. Apparently this is relatively normal and no one's too worried. All the tests have been normal so far. There is some link between small (for their age) babies that have received the intravenous feedings and elevated bilirubin. It usually resolves itself.
Then, as we were leaving tonight, the intern mentioned that the liver ultrasound revealed that Max has a kidney stone in each kidney. Hello! They don't seem too concerned about this either (there's been no clinical manifestations) but it is something they'll have to track.
So lots of stuff is still going on but all signs point to him coming home soon and healthy.