Photo Shoot for Festival

The boys had their pictures taken last week to be used at the Festival of Trees & Lights, benefitting Blank Children's Hospital (http://www.festivaloftrees.com/). I think they turned out pretty well, considering it was done right after school in a strange place. Well, strange to them, not for me. Of course, they couldn't go into the NICU, but I think it would have been neat to get their pictures taken in a NICU room next to an isolette. It's hard to imagine them ever being that small, these days!

I have started feeling better after being sick for a few days, Mom can tell I am starting to get back to my squirrely self! The good news is that they were able to continue feeding me this whole time, I have tolerated the feedings well, and they keep increasing how much I get. Right now it is just being dripped through a feeding tube that goes in my mouth and down to my tummy. Hopefully I will be off the vent soon.

Gavin is on the nasal cannula now, it is just providing a little more reminder to breathe, as he is still having apnea. He is one month old today! Hopefully only 2 more to go before we leave the hospital!

Another great surprise when Mom visited at lunch time.....Gavin came off the CPAP! Now he is just getting some oxygen flowing through his isolette. They don't want to use the nasal cannula because his nose is getting pretty dried out from air being pumped through there all the time. He is at 26% oxygen (room air is 21) so that is not bad at all!

Bridie went back to work today, which was kind of hard, but will be a nice distraction. She also remembered that she actually likes her job! She starts her day at 5 am, goes to the hospital before work, during lunch, and she and Chad go in the evenings. Gavin, you have to come soon! This schedule is going to wear her out fast! To make the day better, when she went to visit for lunch, Gavin surprised her by coming off the cycled CPAP and onto the regular CPAP. Good work little man!

I came off the ventilator today. I tried the CPAP, but then had to switch to the cycled CPAP a little later. The cycled just means it gives a little more pressure with the oxygen so that I don't have to work so hard to expand my lungs with each breath. There is a small chance that I may have to go back on the vent, but the doctors are really trying to avoid it.

I have started feeling better after being sick for a few days, Mom can tell I am starting to get back to my squirrely self! The good news is that they were able to continue feeding me this whole time, I have tolerated the feedings well, and they keep increasing how much I get. Right now it is just being dripped through a feeding tube that goes in my mouth and down to my tummy. Hopefully I will be off the vent soon.

Today was a scary day, I came down with a blood born staph infection. While Mom knew there was an extremely high chance of that, she wasn't prepared for what it would do to me. I had to go back on the ventilator since fighting the infection has taken all of my energy and I don't have enough left to breathe very well. They have started antibiotics and say that I should start feeling better in a couple days.

The staff was pretty ambitious today! Gavin was moved out of the little humidity tent and into an isolette. They also tried him on a nasal cannula instead of the CPAP. A CPAP maintains a constant pressure in the lungs so it is not so much work to expand them to breathe in, a nasal cannula just flows a blend of air/O2 in the nose. But he wasn't quite ready for it yet, and went back to the CPAP within a couple hours.

I got to meet my great-grandparents Lois and Joe this weekend! Thanks for coming all this way to visit me!

Mom got to hold me for the first time tonight!

After almost 3 weeks in the hospital, Mom finally got to go home today. Gavin, it broke our hearts to have to leave you there, but we know that you are in great hands. We are ecstatic that you have gotten off to such an amazing start. You are our little miracle, and you are such a fighter! Draw on that strength and the strength of all the people that love you in the months ahead.

This is the day that I made my appearance! It was very exciting...there were so many people there to greet me! I came out screaming with my eyes wide open, so Mom and Dad knew right away I was a little fighter. They even got to hold my hands when I was trying to pull the intubation tube out of my throat! Then Dad came with my to the NICU while they got me all set up in my room - 217 in Blank Children's Hospital. My lungs were pretty good because Mom got steroid shots while she was in the hospital....I only had to be on the ventilator for 6 hours, that really impressed the doctors! Mom and Dad visited me several times that day....Mom even got to change my diaper! I was 2 pounds, 5 ounces and 14 1/2 inches long when I was born. They put me on a warmer bed under a little tent that kept the humidity high, since my skin was very thin. I had a little eye mask on because of the bili rubin lights that kept me from getting jaundiced. Even though I was SO little and early (27 weeks) the doctors knew I would be ok, they even predicted I could be out within 2 months! Any time before my due date (November 26th) would be great!