Four Weeks Old

Andrew is four weeks old today! He has grown in so many ways over these past four weeks. This morning, they decided to move him to a crib. I’ll have to post a picture tomorrow. We like to call it a Tupperware container, or a tub on a cart. It’s not exactly what you would picture a crib to be. It does make things easier when changing him and getting him in and out during the day. His isolette is still next to his crib…just in case. Now that he is in the crib, he wears a onsie, sleeper and a hat. He is swaddled in a blanket and he has a blanket draped over him. As he maintains his temperature, he will lose some of the layers. He has maintained his temperature really well today. The next thing to go will be the gavage tube. He hasn’t had to use it that much, but it’s still his little crutch. We signed the paperwork today for his vaccinations and circumcision. So the last thing we are waiting on is eating. He needs to prove that he is eating enough and gaining weight. We feel like we are getting closer to going home everyday.

New Pod

Well Andrew moved to pod D today. This pod is one big room that holds about 12 babies. Of course moving to a new room means he is not considered a critical baby; however, we miss our cozy little private room. It’s a big change…kind of loud, bright lights and not much privacy. He had to have the gavage tube inserted last night…he’s still too tired to take all of his feedings from me or the bottle. Today was a mix…he needed the gavage tube about every other feeding. The nurse tonight said that she may move him to a crib, so that may be the change for tomorrow. He’s still growing and with time he will have more energy!

I don't want my gavage tube!

Our nurse from Sunday was back today and when she saw me this morning she said, “After Sunday, I would have never thought…he had a great night.” Since the 8:00 feeding the night before, Andrew did not have to take any feedings via the nose gavage tube. Of course, he did great with me at the 11:00 feeding and then was just exhausted for the next two feedings. So he had to be fed with the tube. This brings us to the feeding after the shift change and when we got back he had pulled his gavage tube out of his nose. He clearly does not want this in his nose! So he didn’t eat much for the 8:00 feeding…he’ll be starving by the 11:00 tonight. Of course after having a great night, the conversations started about moving to a crib, new room and possibly home within a week. Now this is from the resident who likes to make predictions…but we do know that the light bulb is getting much brighter! Hopefully he won’t have the gavage tube in tomorrow morning and with any luck he won’t need it anymore! One of our friends left the NICU today; someone is expected to leave on Friday and two more on Saturday. Andrew’s turn will be next!

Eye Exam

Today was a busy day for Andrew and he was exhausted. First of all Andrew hit the 5 pound mark! He is starting to fill his outfits a little more. He had his eye drops to dilate his eyes and then a visit from the eye doctor. They said that his eyes were still immature and that they were developing the way they should be for his age. They said that he would have another exam in two weeks and then he would have follow up appointments after he goes home. Thankfully Beaumont has the best ophthalmologists. Children come from all over the world to have eye surgeries done at Beaumont. The nurses have told us that they have had families from as far as Israel and Saudi Arabia

35 Weeks

Andrew’s gestational age is 35 weeks today. When I arrived this morning, the nurse was feeding him a bottle. He had taken his entire feeding (43 cc.) at the previous feeding and he was wide awake, so she decided to give him another bottle. I finished the feeding via the gavage tube because he was just exhausted. We then met with the lactation consultant and I was a little nervous because he seems to be tired after working so hard on his bottle feedings. The nurse said he must have wanted to show off. He did great! She weighed him before, during and after the feeding and she said that he was taking about 1 cc. per minute. She said that this is something that a baby who is ready to go home would do. Now he’s not coming home yet, but it was a great day feeding wise. Since we were able to get an estimate of his intake, they can reduce how much he gets via the gavage tube. So he won’t take the entire 43 cc. of milk after I feed him. Hopefully this will help the reflux…he may have been getting too much milk in the past few days. He took the entire bottle for the next feeding and then did really well at the evening feeding. When we left for the night, he seemed pretty tired. It’s a lot of work in the NICU, especially for such a little guy. Tomorrow (Tuesday morning) he will be getting eye drops to dilate his eyes before his visit with the ophthalmologist. All preemies have eye exams when they are four weeks old. Please pray that everything will be fine.

Reflux

Andrew weighs almost 4 pounds and 15 ounces. He’s gaining weight everyday which will increase his feedings. They will increase the amount of milk he is getting based on his weight gain. I forgot to mention yesterday that he lost his umbilical cord with the nurse’s help. It was hanging by a thread and when she was cleaning it with the alcohol, it came off. He had a little bit of reflux when eating today, but no dips on the monitor. So I think we are past the scary times of dips on the monitor, but he is still refluxing. It’s hard to see him reflux because it seems to irritate his little body. Sometimes he acts as if he is going to spit up and his little hands clench. Hopefully this will pass and it helps to hold him up after each feeding.

Cheeks

Well with the increase in weight gain, comes another increase in cc. The doctor’s increased Andrew to 43 cc. of milk per feeding. He was wide awake when I arrived this morning and I know he was hungry, but also a little stinky. He did well at the 11:00 feeding and our nurse today wanted to feed him at 2:00 to see how well he nipple feeds. She didn’t have much luck and she is a believer in not pushing babies who are still not ready for bottle feedings. He still doesn’t know what to do with the bottle in his mouth…the coordination is not quite there yet. He feeds well with me because he has more control. So he still needs to grow. He did well at the 8:00 feeding, but he did have some reflux. He didn’t have any problems on the monitor, but you can tell when he is refluxing because he grunts like an old man and he makes a funny face. The nurse said we know how it feels when we throw up and he probably feels somewhat the same. We just can’t wait until these stops. We pray that he will start eating from the bottle soon. He almost pulled his gavage tube out of his nose today. So the nurse re-did the tape. He did not like this and it broke my heart to see her pull the tape off of his tiny little face. It was so red. We don’t want to rush him home before he is ready, but on the other hand we can’t wait for him to be able to leave.

I'm starting to get some cheeks.

"The light bulb is getting brighter!"

Andrew is 3 weeks old today! I can’t believe it has been that long. Even though I spend the entire day at the hospital, our daily routine kind of makes it fly by. When I arrived this morning, the doctors were just coming by for rounds. The only thing they discussed were his eating habits…especially any desats he has had. They didn’t sound concerned, because he is still a little young. The nurse last night said he took 31 cc. (out of the 41) during one feeding. Of course he was exhausted when I got there, but he is getting better. He really only had one desat episode today and he did great at the 8:00 feeding. The nurse said: “the light bulb is getting brighter!” This was just after he peed out of his isolette when she was weighing him. Luckily he didn’t get her. He is almost exactly 4 pounds 12 ounces.

Double Chin

It was a busy day in our pod today…the rooms are full and we almost had to move to another pod…the bigger pod. Andrew is not considered a critical baby, so he would be able to move if they needed the space for another baby. They moved our friend across the way instead. We really like our cozy little room, but moving is a good thing, because it means he is strong enough. Andrew’s weight increased again…he’s about 4 pounds and 11 ounces. We think he’s getting some cheeks and it sometimes looks like he has a double chin! I was there all day today and he did great at the 11:00 feeding. Of course he was exhausted for the next two feedings, but we’ll take what we can get. The nurses are bottle feeding him in the evening, so it won’t interfere with my feedings during the day. He tolerates a few bottle feeds, but is still tired. I left for not even an hour and when I got back, he was wide awake in his isolette. I then realized that he pulled the entire gavage tube out of his nose. He even pulled off the tape (including the new piece that the nurse had just put on to reinforce the tube). We were just talking about how he was due for a new tube…he obviously wanted it out sooner. So the nurse tucked his hands into his sleeper for a while. I had to leave the room when she put the new tube in his nose. I just couldn’t bear to watch that procedure. I wish there was a better tape out there. Overall, today was a great day with no desats. Brian read him his nighttime story and we wrapped him up like a little burrito before heading home for the night.

Weight Gain

Another increase in weight gain today, so the doctor’s thought he should increase his feedings. He is now up to 41 cc. for each feeding. They are starting to push the bottle feeds, but he is still pretty sleepy. It takes a lot of energy for him to drink from the bottle. We’ve met some other parents in the NICU (and gotten to know them during our 3 minute scrubs) and tonight during the shift change we went to a meeting with some of them. It was nice to talk to other parents and exchange stories and tips on managing the NICU. One of the nurses attended and was able to answer questions as well. So it was another good day…only one episode of desats during the feeding. We are praying that he will grow out of this soon.

Better Feedings

Today was a better day in the eating department. Andrew has had some “nipple” feedings (what they consider from the bottle) from the nurses and has done well. He doesn’t take the entire 38 cc. of milk, but he is getting better. When I held him for the gavage feedings, he was desat free today. He did desat this evening when Brian held him, but overall it was a better day. The nurse said around 35 and ½ weeks we’ll see a difference. So we’re not getting our hopes up for that day, but hopefully that’s when the feedings will really start to “click.” Today on rounds, the doctors listened closely to his heart because they thought they heard a murmur. When he was born, they thought the same and the ultrasound showed that everything was fine. The nurse gave me a long description of what was going on at this time as he grows, but it was a lot of information and I didn’t quite understand all of the details. So Brian asked when he got there this evening and she gave him the same explanation, but again it was confusing. Bottom line…everything is fine and before he goes home he will probably have an echocardiogram just to make sure everything is well.

34 Weeks

Andrew’s gestational age is 34 weeks today. He is still growing and we can’t wait to hit the 5 pound mark. He’s not quite there, but he continues to gain weight daily. I spent the morning at the hospital and it was another day of desats and reflux while eating. The nurse thinks he gets too comfy with me…when she held him for his feedings he was completely fine. I did hold him for the 8:00 feeding tonight and he was desat free, so I just can’t figure it out. Hopefully he will outgrow this and hopefully it will happen soon! We just love being able to hold him and watch him grow and we are so thankful that he is doing so well. Knock on wood…but the nurses think he is such a calm baby and that he is very laid back. He doesn’t make too many peeps and he has been very good for all of the events of the NICU.

Cozy Isolette

Andrew is 2 weeks old, as of Friday. It’s hard to believe that it’s already been two weeks! It was a busy weekend. Aunt Erin and Grandma and Grandpa Mrozek came to visit on Saturday. They were able to take part of our treks to and from the hospital for a few visits. I think their favorite part was the 3 minute scrub every time you enter the NICU! Andrew has continued to gain weight over the weekend and he is now above his birth weight…about 4 pounds 5 ounces. He is also still maintaining his temperature but he is still in his isolette. We are hoping that he will stay in the isolette, (even though it is one of the steps to going home) because he is still working hard on eating. It takes a lot of energy to maintain his temperature and to eat, so he needs to work on eating and not worry about burning too many calories while trying to maintain his temp. We worked with the nurses to try to figure out the best way for him to take his feedings through the gavage tube this weekend. We had a few scary moments (for us, the nurses were carefully watching) with feedings and breathing. But by the end of the weekend, we think we have figured out the best way to keep him from having any desats on the monitor and reflux. There is a lot to watch for while feeding him and it’s scary to see his little face go pale. Keep us in your prayers that the feeding will start to “click” and that he will be able to eat without any reflux episodes.

Praying on Sunday.

I'm getting so big.

Snuggled with dad.

Andrew's cozy isolette.

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine’s Day! The nurse put on Andrew’s Valentine outfit today, compliments of our good friend Nikki; however, it didn’t last through the day. I was holding him for his feeding via the gavage tube and when the nurse was getting it started, part of it came off and milk went everywhere…all over Andrew and me. So after he ate I had to change him immediately so he wouldn’t get the chills. I attempted a quick picture through the isolette, but there was a glare and then he blocked his face before my camera died. So that started the day and he was exhausted after that. Plus the nurse tried to bottle feed him that morning and he was just too tired. Today’s nurse provided me with some literature on both Understanding Apnea and Feeding and Nutrition. Apnea is a pause in breathing that can last longer than 15-20 seconds, cause the baby’s heart rate to slow down, or causes the baby’s color to change or blood-oxygen level to drop. This is observed by the monitor that they have Andrew on and if any levels drop, the monitor will go off. If it is severe the tone in the monitor will change. So we haven’t had a lot of apnea or bradycardia events; however, when learning to eat this has become more common. Of course it makes me very nervous but they have assured me that babies do outgrow this. It’s also important to let him have undisturbed sleep, hold him correctly (positioning his chin), watching his temperature, etc. So we still have a lot of work to do and most of it involves time and growth. The nurse today was a veteran…very helpful and realistic. She said the doctors wanted to put him in a crib, but she stressed that he was still young. As much as I want him to come home, I do not want to rush anything and have to come back to the NICU. She also said that he didn’t tolerate the vitamin that they started him on yesterday and that he needed to have it in smaller amounts. So she told the doctor and had it decreased. We are so thankful for all of the nurses. They spend 24/7 with the babies and they are their advocates.

I don't like the flash.

My valentine outfit...before the nurse drenched us in milk.

My own outfit

Andrew is still gaining weight…almost back to his birth weight. Last night the nurse bumped his isolette’s temperature down and when I got there this morning, it was down again. One of the residents stopped by to chat this afternoon and we talked about how he was tolerating the temperature change. He said that he may be in a crib by the weekend; however, his isolette would still be close by in case he needed to get back inside. We talked about the temperature in our house…we will have to make some changes. When Andrew comes home, he will need the house to be at least 75 degrees! Brian and I have joked that we will have to wear shorts! The resident also told me about the vitamin that they are adding once a day for Andrew. He said that all breast fed babies receive this vitamin. When we got there this evening, Brian was changing his diaper and all was well until he got a surprise…just like the nurse did the other day! I think Brian jumped a little, as #2 came out of nowhere! So we had to change everything. We put on one of the outfits that we brought from home…Brian calls it a dress. It’s very convenient with the wires.

After getting daddy good, we had to put a new outfit on.

It's kind of tricky..."working through the port holes."

My own outfit.

Boiler Up

Andrew had another great day on this snowy, snowy evening. Not much has changed. They didn’t do a heel stick to check his bilie level because it has been down. They will probably check it again tomorrow. He has gained about a ½ an ounce today, which seems small, but we love gaining! The nurse said he woke up crying this morning, so she attempted to bottle feed him. He took about 20 cc. out of his 38 cc. that he should be getting. So hopefully by next week, it will just “click” like a lot of the nurses say happen at 34 weeks. For the last two days, I have been feeding him in the morning and at night and he has been doing really well. Each time seems to get better and better, but it still takes a lot of energy for him. The nurse’s gavage feed him for the other feedings and for the rest of the feeding that he doesn’t take from me. I have posted a picture of Andrew with Brian…in the Purdue sweatshirt. He was rooting for the wrong team tonight, as they beat the Spartans.

Daddy says "boiler up!"

Eater and Grower

Andrew’s gestational age is 33 weeks today. He has made a lot of progress and the nurses and doctors are really happy. They have told us that he is not considered a critical baby in the NICU…he just needs to learn how to eat and keep gaining weight. He gained 2 ounces since yesterday…he is now 4 pounds, almost back to his birth weight of 4 pounds 3 ounces. The nurse tonight did warn us that it still may change daily, he may maintain or lose. He is up to 38 cc. of milk at each feeding, which is still every three hours. He has been waking up for most of his feedings and acting hungry. The nurse this morning didn’t want to poke him to check his bilie level, but the doctor on rounds thought he still looked a little yellow. His level is down to 8 and the nurses don’t think he will develop jaundice. I was able to drive to the hospital today…first time driving in over a month and it’s nice to get there whenever I want.

Bottle Time

Andrew had a great weekend. He spent a lot of time working on feeding. It does take a lot of energy and he can be quite the slow poke. He is just getting used to everything, so the nurses gavage feed him every other time. They put the gavage through his nose, so he can still feed through his mouth. He is starting to stay awake for more of his feedings, but because it takes so much energy, the nurses have stressed that he really needs to sleep in between. They checked his bilie level today (Sunday) and it is down…so that’s great news. He did give his nurse a big surprise when she was changing him…good thing he didn’t save that for his daddy. So it was a busy weekend and nice to spend a lot of time with Andrew. Thank you to everyone who keeps thinking of us and keep praying that Andrew’s feedings will get better each day.

Just starting to remember all of the steps to eat from a bottle.

Suck, swallow, breathe.

He drank a little bit for me, but the nurse had to finish. He doesn't fall asleep for her.

Sponge Bath

Andrew is one week old today! He will be 33 weeks gestational age on Monday. It’s hard to believe that a week ago, our tiny baby decided to make his entrance into the world. He has made a lot of progress and the nurses have nothing but positive and encouraging things to say about Andrew. Another increase in feedings today, he is eating a little over 1 oz. It seems to be a lot of food for him sometimes, but his tummy is so small, he thinks he is full before he finishes. I hitched another ride to the hospital today but hopefully I will be able to drive soon! When I got to the hospital they said that his bilie level dropped a point, so they won’t check that again until Sunday. He is really avoiding developing jaundice. I fed, changed and snuggled with him until Dad came…just in time to change his diaper and give him his 5:00 feeding. When Brian was changing his diaper I noticed that the gavage tube was out of his mouth, so either the little guy yanked it out, or it came out during the transition to his isolette. We think he pulled it out! It worked out well for the next feeding when we came back from dinner because the new nurse (and new to us) was very eager to get Andrew going on bottle feeding. We haven’t tried lately, because he hasn’t been interested and they have been increasing his feeds, so they just wanted him to adjust to that. Before we fed him, we stripped him down to weigh him and give him a little sponge bath. He didn’t mind this, but he didn’t like having his leads (monitor wires) changed. I don’t blame him; it was so hard to watch the tape being pulled off of his tiny little body. We then had a nice lesson on feeding him. I’ve fed a lot of babies…but there is a lot to know about feeding a preemie. It can be a little scary because he just doesn’t have the suck, swallow, and breathe routine down. That is going to be our phrase for the next few weeks. So there were a few times where the monitor would go off because he just doesn’t remember to do all three. They have assured me that he will not be allowed to go home until he can eat and remember everything. So we are so lucky that we had the nurse that we did tonight and hopefully she will be assigned to us tomorrow night!

Getting weighed...it keeps going up and down.

Getting ready for my sponge bath.

Practicing sucking on a pacifier and snuggling after a bath and some unfriendly tape.

No More IV

The morning reports were good. His bilie level remained the same today, so we just have to keep holding off. It must be from all of those poopy diapers…keep them coming! He is up to 29 cc. of milk…almost 1 oz. When we called in the morning, they said that they hoped to take the IV out by the evening. So Uncle Dave picked me up (thanks to a snow day) and dropped me off at the hospital a little early today. I think I am getting more and more energy each day and I am thankful that I can be there a little more. When Brian came after work, they removed his IV! It is so much easier to move him around without worrying about the IV being pulled on his little head. We changed him and put a little outfit on…he just wears tiny preemie outfits and you have to put the onsies on bottom up to feed the cords through the little holes. It’s easy to do because he is still a little peep. Hopefully his breathing will continue to stay stable and he will not need the oxygen cannule in his nose. He also needs to continue eating like he has been and start to maintain a good temperature. When he can keep a good temperature, he will be moved to a crib. They will keep him dressed in a little outfit, with a hat and swaddled in a blanket or two. Then the goal will be removing layers gradually. I spoke too soon yesterday about our private nurse. A few babies came into the pod since the day before. Andrew still has a private room; he just has to share a nurse with the baby next door.

Just finished a big meal without the IV.


I could sleep like this all night long.

More Milk

Brian called the nurse early this morning on his way to work, to ask the nurse from last night how Andrew was doing and they said that he was fine. He is taking the milk and not having any problems, so they upped his feedings to 19 cc. We called during the afternoon and he things were the same…he is taking the 19 cc. of milk. They checked his bilie level and it went up another point. If it reaches 13, he will get to sunbathe. That number goes up to 15 on Friday when he will be one week old. We made it to the hospital a little earlier today; I’m moving a little faster. So we were able to be there for both of his evening feedings. I held him skin to skin while he ate and then he immediately fell asleep. Of course I can’t forget that when we got there, we took his temperature (which he is adjusting better) and changed his diaper…another poop. He must know when we are coming. He was wide awake and he didn’t seem to mind ALL of the cotton pads we needed to clean him up! It’s still a two person job. The nurse had him stripped down when we got back from dinner, because she needed to weigh him. He did lose about a ½ of a pound since he was born (they weighed him this morning), but all babies tend to drop in weight. They added a little “fat” to his IV and hopefully with the increase in feedings, he will plump up soon! They did have to move the IV to another spot in his head. Everyone just worries that he will pull it out because he loves to have his hands so close to his head and he holds on to the tube sometimes. It was so hard to leave, but once he was swaddled in, we left for the evening. We are very fortunate that he is in a pod with only one other baby and they each have their own nurse to care for them. There aren’t a lot of babies in the NICU right now and right now he has a private room, which works for us!

Gavage Tube

Hello...Andrew decided to keep his eyes open for a long time this afternoon!

He has the IV in his head for now, so he loves to keep his hands close to his face.

Peek a boo!

Very sleepy with dad, after a big meal!

Our first time feeding him via the gavage tube.

It takes a lot of energy to eat so the gavage tube is a little easier.

Now it's time for a big nap!

Day 2 at Home

Today, I spent the morning and early afternoon camped out in our bedroom upstairs. Brian headed off to work and I didn’t attempt to make the trek downstairs on my own, so I had a nice cooler full of snacks, compliments of Brian, not Beaumont. It was hard to be here and not at the hospital with Andrew, but we are able to call Andrew’s nurse anytime for updates. I have to say that I was able to move around a lot better today, after spending some time resting. Yesterday felt like a marathon event and I started to feel the affects take place in the evening. I waited for Brian to come home from work today, to take only my second standing shower for the month…just so I wouldn’t fall over. It has been quite a luxury for the past two days, just to do that. We headed to the hospital right away to be with Andrew. We are able to be with him 24 hours, except from 7-7:30 am and 7-7:30 pm when the nurses have their shift change. When we called this morning, the nurse told us that he has been fine and that they changed his IV from his hand to his little head. We were sure that this would happen soon, as they have said that they move it often and we saw a baby across the way having the same thing done the night before. It actually is better because he loves to have his hands so close to his face and the IV in the hand kept smacking him in the face. The IV is checked often and moved often. The nurse also told us that he had pooped and that his bilie level was still not high enough to present jaundice. So good news on that part! When we arrived at the hospital, he was free from the cannule and breathing without the little oxygen that he needed. The nurse told us that they did a chest x-ray to check his lungs and he still has a little surfactant (or liquid) in his lungs. This is not a huge concern and it is actually a con for having a c-section, as a vaginal delivery would have helped to squeeze some of that liquid out of his lungs. He was bundled up in blankets and had a new outfit on…a onsie, shirt and pants. The nurse said he seems to be cold and they definitely are keeping him snug, as he likes the warmth. I told them that I am always cold and he must have gotten that from me! The best part of today’s visit is that he opened his eyes right away when we got there and he kept them open for a long time! He is usually so sleepy and snuggled in…he barely gets his eyes open. It was such a blessing to see his eyes and watch both of us as we talked to him and changed him. We checked his temperature and changed his diaper. This has gotten a little easier, although the diaper change was a two man job…he had pooped and it is still “tar like” (according to the nurse) from some meconium. But we were thrilled to see the poopy diaper even though he does still look a little yellow. Another change for today was an increase in feedings. They increased from 5 cc. to 10 cc. So basically they added another teaspoon. The nurse did put the gavage tube through his mouth and not his nose (in case he needs the cannule for more oxygen). This seemed odd to see; however, he is handling the milk well and we were able to feed him through the tube for his 5:00 feeding. Brian snuggled him until we had to leave for the shift change…which didn’t go as slowly last night. We dined at the Beaumont café and of course rushed right back up to be with him for the evening. The new nurse helped us strip him down and I held him kangaroo style, skin to skin. He was able to have his 8:00 feeding like this and he feel asleep immediately after eating. He seems to enjoy being held like this…the nurse commented on how he snuggles in so quickly and seems very content. Brian and I have to agree and the research says that this is very important for a NICU baby. This nurse was there last night and she said that he really enjoys his pacifier and he let her know when he dropped it from his mouth. She told us he is an eater & grower!

Finally Home

This morning (Monday) when I went downstairs to the NICU to visit Andrew, he had a cannule in his nose to give him a little oxygen. He doesn’t require much, but since removing him from the CPAP, he sometimes needs a little extra oxygen because moving him from his isolette and now the most important part, feeding, has been a lot for his little lungs. He started feedings at just 5 cc. per feeding. It’s about a teaspoon, so not too much. He is a very slow eater, and at just 32 weeks, he is just learning how to suck, swallow and breathe. Sometimes he needs a gavage in his mouth and the milk just goes right to his stomach. He eats every three hours and I was able to be there for the feedings this morning and afternoon, before I made the journey home. I attempted a few bottle feedings, but he’s not only slow, but snuggled so much in a warm blanket, that he sleeps most of the time. The nurse helped me take his temperature and change his tiny diaper. They want us to do this as often as we can. It’s really tricky to change such a tiny diaper with a lot of monitor wires going every which way. So I finally checked out of Beaumont around 3:00, after staying for four weeks. Most of the time was spent in Antepartum, three nights in Labor and Delivery and three nights in Postpartum. There are so many wonderful doctors, residents and nurses and I got to know them really well during my stay. Everyone has been great and I had a lot of visits from them after Andrew was born, just to check on how we were all doing. I must say that I was eager to get home, but now I am not able to take the elevator one floor down to see Andrew. I attempted to get settled at home and then insisted on getting back to the hospital to see our little guy. It takes a lot of energy to do everything and hopefully I will be moving a little faster by next week. Brian had the lesson in temperature readings and diaper changes and then his night time feeding. He’s still adjusting to the bottle and we’re not quite sure how much actually goes in his mouth. Brian held him for a long time after his feeding and he said that Andrew had a lot of gas…which sounds funny, but we are praying for a bowel movement to keep everything going in the right direction. He had his first one right away, which is the most important, but we don’t want to slow down in that department. He has started to look a little yellow and they have been monitoring his Bilirubin levels to make sure he doesn’t have “jaundice.” The levels are moving up a little bit and the nurses have told us that it is not unusual for babies in the NICU to have to spend a little time “sun bathing.” Hopefully the evening will go well. Brian will continue his daily hospital visits; he will just have to pick me up on the way from now on.

Andrew Martin Hull

After spending almost four weeks on bed rest, baby Hull thought (according to his doctors) that enough was enough. Andrew Martin Hull was born Friday, February 1, 2008 at 6:35 am...a very snowy morning. He is 4 lbs. 3 oz. and 17 1/4 in. long. A lot happened on Friday. Andrew spent about 12 hours on the ventilator and then moved to the CPAP for a few hours, before quickly moving to breathing on his own. He has been breathing on his own now and is doing great! On Saturday morning, he had his first taste of milk and hopefully he will tolerate feedings soon. The nurses said he can be fussy at times and they think he is hungry. He loves to be held, especially the “kangaroo” hold. Super Bowl Sunday was another busy day. Andrew’s room seems more spacious, as the oxygen machine has been removed and he is in a new isolette. One of the nurses found a little onsie to wear and his I.V. is a little smaller on his arm. It doesn’t look like a large cast anymore. I will be checking out of Beaumont tomorrow (not sure I will know what to do) and I look forward to getting home. Tomorrow’s goal for Andrew is to start the feedings in full swing. Hopefully all will go well and he will be able to have the I.V. reduced gradually before eventually being removed. We are so thankful for all of your thoughts and prayers and we continue to pray that Andrew will grow stronger each day.

Andrew Martin Hull

February 1, 2008

6:35 am 4 lbs. 3 oz.

Snuggled in his little nest.

On the ventilator for the first 12 hours.

Moved to the CPAP...a little helmet.

Breathing on his own and he loves to be held "kangaroo" style.

Dad's first time holding his peanut.

Just a little peanut, according to his dad.

Lots of time to think.

He doesn't like the flash on the camera.