It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

WOW! So much has happened the past few days!  It seems like things were doing a two-step (one step forward, two steps back) for such a long time, then everything was just stagnant with nothing happening, then the last week or so, things have been moving forward QUICKLY!  We are really looking good for this “home by Christmas” dream we have had.  Finn is doing very well, hitting milestones, and getting bigger and cuter everyday!  We’ve had a few “too cute for words” moments this week, and I want to share some pictures and events with you.

On Monday, I stayed in the NICU later than I usually do.  They were due to draw a blood gas at 5, and I wanted to stay for that, then I decided to stay for the 8 o’clock hands on as well so I would know who the night nurse was.  SO GLAD I DID!  Finn’s night nurse decided he needed a bath, and she wanted me to help out.  Since he was still on the CPAP, the RT was in there to help as well.  The nurse made us a tub of water, and the RT had me holding an oxygen tube up to his nose to keep his oxygen saturation up. Another of our favorite nurses just happened by to see what we were doing since we had the big overhead lights on, and I asked her to grab my camera out of my purse, and she took pictures:

So, how many people does it take to bath a 4 pound baby?  (Well, he was only 3 pounds 15 ounces at that point.)  I guess 4 is the right answer!  The RT was using one of her tools to make bubbles in the water, and he had lots of personal attention, so we called it is his spa treatment.  I am still a little nervous with the feeding tube in his nose that I pulled out last time, so I had the nurse wash his hair.  After we were done “playing,” we put clean clothes on him, wrapped him all up, and put him back to bed!

I spent part of the day Tuesday in the NICU as well.  Nothing much happened that day.  I got to hold him for a long while, but then headed back to Stillwater to be ready for my surgery on Wednesday.  When we called for a weight check late on Tuesday night, Finn had hit another one of his milestones!  He weighed in at FOUR POUNDS!!!!!  Wednesday morning was an early morning at our house (the big kids spent the night at Nana and Grandpa’s), as we had to check in for surgery at 6:00am.  Everything went well (from what I know – apparently there was a problem with my chest tube), and I was home by 10:30am.  Asleep by 11 and sacked out most of the day!  Wednesday night, Finn weighed in at 4 pounds 2.2 ounces.

Yesterday, I was planning on just keeping a low profile and sleeping all day.  One of our doctors called about 8:30 am and said that they had REMOVED THE CPAP!!!!  Finn was doing ALL of his own breathing, just on a nasal cannula for oxygen support!  THIS. IS. HUGE!!!!!  Because, as soon as he tolerates that well (which he did all day), they can start bottle feeding him.  Once he is taking all of his feedings through a bottle, HE CAN COME HOME!  Christmas is a mere 23 days away…  So, after celebrating that news, I took a nap.  Around noon, our nurse called (I assumed that she was calling to say he was back on CPAP) to tell me they were almost out of breast milk.  YIKES!  I called Britt to tell him we needed to get down there, so he took the afternoon off.  What better reason to HAVE to go down there and see him only on a nasal cannula!

While we were there, Britt and I each took a turn holding him, and we also asked the nurse if we could “play” with him.  She said, “SURE!” in a very happy tone, and  then said, “Wait! What kind of play?”  LOL!  We wanted to use a couple of props and take some Christmas card pictures.  Those will have to stay under wraps until we get our card done.  Your sneak peek is the lead picture – those are his feet from the adorable Christmas outfit he had on!

So, here we are on a happy Friday.  Finn weighed in at 4 pounds 3.3 ounces last night.  They are very close to starting bottle feeding.  (I’m not real clear on when this will happen.  My nurse on Monday said they won’t do it without me there, and I’m not going back until tomorrow afternoon)  And we are VERY close to bringing him home.  It really is beginning to look like Christmas!  (But not in my house.  Jake is very frustrated that we have not decorated yet!)