NOT having a Pity Party TODAY!

A little perspective goes a long way.  Urban Dictionary’s best definition of “pity party” is a way of experiencing grief, in which you spend your time feeling sorry for yourself and whining endlessly about how crappy your life is. The definition goes on (comically) from there, but that’s the main idea.  And I’ve been throwing myself a pity party in regards to Finn’s “condition” for the last week or so.  I’m still going to list the things that make me want to throw this party just to document them, but dwelling on them doesn’t change anything.  My perspective – which was very self-centered – was changed while thinking about the tests we all face.  What does it mean to test something? It means to put pressure on it to see if it will do what it says it will do. Will it hold up under stress?  I have, I am, and I will continue to do so.  We all do.  By putting my tests in perspective, I realize this isn’t that hard, just a minor inconvenience – with an end in sight. Joyce Meyer says (on being tested by God) The key is to keep trusting God, even if you don't understand. There is no such thing as trusting God without unanswered questions, but when you push ahead, despite your doubts, He will build you up and make you strong.

First, the update on Finn after he had his 4 month appointment with the pediatrician yesterday.  He weighed in at 9 pounds 6 ounces (!!!) and just over 20 inches long.  He is growing like crazy – which is GREAT!  Unfortunately, his 2 hernias are growing, too, so surgery is definitely in his (distant) future.  He got immunizations consisting of 3 injections and one he drank.  He has perfected the “hold your breath and turn so red you’re almost purple” post-injection cry.  I know it is a bit cruel, but it really makes me laugh.  He looks so pitiful! But, he also recovers quickly.  The doctor says he is doing GREAT and is perfect!  She weaned his oxygen to ½ a liter 24 hours a day and kept the heart/apnea monitor at 24 hours a day as well. While we are super pleased to finally be weaning the oxygen, we are equally bummed to still be tethered to the monitor.  But, she did indicate that she plans on him being done with all of it by his 6^th month day (in 2 months)!  We go back in 3 weeks to wean the oxygen again.  

And now for my pity party. I am utterly, completely, wholly, downright FRUSTRATED with the stupid monitor.  IT NEVER GOES OFF – in relation to the baby.  It goes off when the battery runs low (we forgot to plug it back in after moving the baby, or it falls out of the loose plugs in this house).  It goes off for “loose leads” (the leads on the baby are under his arms and held in place by a soft belt and Velcro – definitely not newborn wiggle proof).  It goes off indicating low heart rate or apnea while he is eating – which is just WRONG and I chalk it up to the imperfections of the leads.  And it goes off when I step on the cords which are always in the way and it causes the electrode wires to pull out of the data cord.  Every single time it goes off, it is LOUD, it is piercing, it causes anxiety in the people of this house, and the baby is fine.  SO ANNOYING. 

But beyond the maddening alarm going off, the sheer logistics of caring for this baby on tethers is exasperating.  The oxygen tubing and the monitor cords literally act as leashes for my baby.  I can’t move freely from one room to the other without extensive preparation and equipment toting.  It hurts my heart to not be able to just pick him up and take him with me.  I can’t even reach my front door with him in my arms due to the restrictive monitor cords.  The monitor has about 5 feet of power cord, then about 6 feet of “patient cord” from the machine to the baby – that’s basically 10-11 feet of slack.  There is a battery on the box, so the power cord can be unplugged for short periods of time (until it alarms for being low on battery!), but you have to be near the box in to do that.  During the day, the large (heavy) oxygen concentrator is out in our living room – plugged in to a power strip that originates behind the couch.  The power cord on this machine is about 9 feet, then there is about 25 feet of tubing that runs from the machine to the baby.  So, there is approximately 30 feet of range on the oxygen for the baby and I.  That’s not much.  Luckily, I live in a small house.  If I detach the power cord from the monitor, I can take Finn and his oxygen to the kitchen, and down the hall - including the small bathroom and the girls' room to just inside the door to Jake’s room.  But, to take him to his crib (my room) at night – or for a nap or bath, it involves several steps: Hook him up to a portable tank of oxygen; turn off the concentrator; unplug and move the concentrator to the bedroom; plug in the concentrator; go back and transport the baby, the monitor and the tank; turn on and hook the baby back to the concentrator; turn off and store the tank.  And that doesn’t even include the gymnastics of the monitor!  Each move involves unplugging it from the power source, putting the monitor bag over your shoulder to carry while bringing the power cord with you, then plugging it all back in at your destination.  This process is neither easy, quick, nor FUN in any way.  There is tubing and wiring strung all across the room we are in, and when there are other children home, you hear a constant chorus of “Watch out for the cords! Don’t step on the tubing!  The tube is caught – can you get it for me?”  And so forth…  And when you inadvertently step on the monitor cord while walking and carrying the baby, it jerks the leads out of their ports on the patient cable, therefore causing the alarm to scream.  And me to curse.  Plus, we have all gotten our feet tangled in the various cording - causing us to stumble, jerking the baby, and/or causing Finn stress by pulling too hard on either cord so that it affects him.  And, bathing or dressing him?  FORGET ABOUT IT! To bathe him I hook him to the portable oxygen tank and cart it to the bathroom with us.  Luckily, I can remove the monitor belt and leads, but he is still on oxygen – so the tube gets a bath, too.  Then, to dress him, anything that goes over his head (most baby clothes do – especially his undershirts) has to have the oxygen tubing thread through it before it goes on the baby, and the monitor lead cords have to be threaded OUT of the clothing when you finish up.  Plus, everything that goes over his head tends to pull the oxygen tubing and/or the adhesive that holds the tubing to his face out of place.  Add to that he is a wriggly newborn, and dressing him quickly becomes a strenuous wrestling workout.  Thankfully, we are mostly homebound, so beyond keeping him warm and comfortable, clothing doesn’t really matter.  And on that note – you can IMAGINE based on what I have said so far what putting him in a car seat and going out in the car is like.  WHEW! I desperately want to be able to pick my baby up and carry him, dress him, bathe him, cuddle him, feed him and care for him without all the DRAMA!

But none of that matters.  He is recovering.  He is home.  He is OURS for a lifetime.  He is doing all the things he is supposed to be doing – and so am I.  The doctor said 2 more months and we should be done with the monitor and the oxygen.  After as far as we have come, I can totally do that.  I know I will have challenging moments and exhausting days.  But, I will have joy.  And I will have peace.  And I will have understanding – knowing that this is all part of God’s plan.  He is testing me.  Teaching me patience and endurance and COURAGE!  And He is more than enough.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:6-8

All Babies Cry

Some babies cry A LOT!  FRW would trend toward the latter category, I would say.  Wikipedia defines infantile colic as a condition of a healthy baby in which it shows periods of intense, unexplained fussing/crying lasting more than 3 hours a day, more than 3 days a week for more than 3 week.  I’m not sure we’ve been dealing with it for 3 weeks yet, but 3 hours 3 days a week qualifies.  Some days less, but it’s still there.  “They” also say it is usually in the early evening, and Finn’s tends to be from about 8pm to about 11pm.  But I’m calling it colic.  Emma has THE WORST COLIC EVER, so I am an experienced mom, and I know what this is.  It’s colic.  And it’s so frustrating for us all!  I also know it will end as abruptly as it as started, so we will survive.  In the meantime, my heart breaks daily as my sweet baby cries and cries for no evident reason.  Poor little dude!

In the meantime, another week has gone by.  Jake’s Power Rangers party was changed to a Star Wars party at the last minute since I couldn’t find party supplies locally, and it was a GREAT time at the Oklahoma Wondertorium!   We had never been there, and it was so fun and the kids and adults all loved it!  Jake got loved on by so many people, and his room is now full of fun new toys to keep him busy.  Also, the RSV shot situation has been resolved.  Last Friday, I got the 2 phone calls that got that ball rolling, then on Monday I was informed the medication was overnighted tome to show up on Tuesday, as well as the name and number of our home health nurse.  The meds arrived at 1:30 on Tuesday, and the nurse got here about 4:00 to administer the shot.  It was about 4 days late, but we are approved for the next few doses so it won’t be so hard next time!  My dog is still gone, and I am still sad about it.  Britt found us the PERFECT puppy on Craigslist earlier this week, but it was spoken for before we could get ahold of them, so the search continues.  And I am still jobless.  I am happy to be here at home for the time being, and I am determined to enjoy it.  I still feel like a puppet on a string in this area of my life, but it is what it is, and God’s plan will prevail.  I just need to be patient and prayerful and the answers will come!

Our big excitement of the week was the follow up article the O’Colly did on Finn and the OBI blood drive.  I was contacted about the possibility late last week, then this week a photographer came to the house on Monday, then a reporter interviewed Britt and I separately (due to the home health nurse and RSV shot) on Tuesday. On Thursday morning, the front page of the Daily O’Collegian featured a HUGE picture of me and sweet Baby Finn! 

CLICK HERE for the link to the article.  I think they did a really good job.  Donating blood is a simple thing to do and it can affect lives on so many levels.  We are so grateful for all the strangers who have helped us out along the way.  Whether praying for us, supporting us financially, and especially those who donate blood regularly to provide for needs of people that need that kind of support.  If it were not for the generosity of other people, Finn might not be here with us today!

As of the nurse visit on Tuesday, Finn weighed 8 pounds, 14 ounces and was just over 20 inches in length.  He is growing so quickly these days!  He will be 4 months old on Sunday, and his adjusted age is 4 weeks.  It seems like we just came home a few days ago, but he has been home 1 month and 6 days.  In the past week, he has started to sleep a little longer during the night.  We used to feed him 3 times overnight, and we are down to 2 – or just one depending on how the schedule goes during the day, and how early we need to get up the next morning.  THIS is a major milestone for me, as I really need my sleep! LOL!  He still eats every 3 hours during the day, and still sleeps A LOT during the day as well.  My mom and my sister-in-love are thrilled that they have both gotten to see him with his eyes open for more than a few seconds at a time lately!  He finally enjoys his swing, and he likes to lie under his play gym and watch the things hanging above his head.  He is still on supplemental oxygen at ¾ Liter for 24 hours a day, as well as the heart/apnea monitor.  I am REALLY hoping to change some of these statistics when we go for his 4 month visit to the pediatrician on Tuesday. This is my prayer request!  We NEED to start weaning the oxygen as he keeps pulling the cannula out of his nose, and I am SO OVER the heart monitor that only goes off with false alarms.  UGH!

The other project I am working on now is for the 4^th grade STATE NIGHT at Emma and Lara’s school coming up in a few weeks.  Each student is assigned a state, and they have to do a report on the state as a famous person from that state – as well as a report on that person. The person reports were due last week, so now we are working on the STATE part – as well as costumes.  They are supposed to dress up as that person for the presentation on State Night.  Lara has the state of Nebraska, and the famous person she chose was Swoosie Kurtz.   This costume will be pretty easy.  Lara has the perfect looks for this character, so we just need a “red carpet” dress, and perhaps an award to carry.  Emma has the state of New York.  Her “person” she chose is StefaniGermanotta.  Lady Gaga.  Yeah, we had to ask the teacher if that would be acceptable. It was, so now I am on a costume hunt!  I got a dress that I think will work perfectly.  Now for a wig, some shoes and other accessories. WHEW!  I can’t wait to see how this turns out for both of them!  They are pretty excited!

HAPPY New Year!

WHEW!  We made it!  I am sitting in my living room, with my husband beside me, my tiny son on his chest, and my other 3 kids playing together (loudly) with Christmas presents on the floor.  Our TV is blaring a mindless game show, there are baby things scattered about, and the whole house could use a good cleaning.  And, my heart is FULL.  There have been times this past year I didn’t think I would feel this way again.  We are SO blessed and so thankful as we turn the page to 2012.  It has been QUITE a journey to get to this point, and we have been so loved by so many, we will never be able to acknowledge or repay everyone’s thoughtfulness and generosity.  Looking back (and forward, for that matter), I know we would have never made it without all of YOU, and we are eternally appreciative.  “Thank You” just doesn’t seem adequate.

As of right now, we have been home for 4 days.  As parents, Britt and I are exhausted.  We have had to learn so much about taking care of a preemie baby who is on a heart and respiration monitor, as well as oxygen.  This is much more intense than I thought it would be.  Add to that, we were advised by our NICU team to keep him on the 3 hour feed schedule for the first 2 weeks as he adjusts to his new environment.  So, we have all kinds of alarms set on our phones to make sure we are awake and we feed Finn at 5, 8, 11 and 2 – am AND pm!!!!  We are only sleeping for short periods of time…  We got home on Wednesday about noon, and the first few hours we spent just trying to get situated.  The home health guy came out later in the afternoon to set up the concentrator and to leave us with some oxygen tanks to keep up going.  I am thankful for my small house.  I only have about 30 feet of tubing from the oxygen machine to Finn.  That means, you can’t go far with him before either hooking him up to a portable oxygen tank, or moving the concentrator to another room.  I have had a few instances in the past few days where that frustrates me.  I hate having to leave him in the back of the house while I go to the front of the house, but sometimes moving his equipment just isn’t an option.  Add to that the monitor.  Its cord is only about 5 feet long.  Luckily, it can be unplugged and runs on battery, but the battery life is only about 3 hours.  If the battery gets low, it alarms.  If the leads on the baby move, it alarms; if the cords from the baby to the machine are loose or get unplugged, it alarms.  And the alarm? LOUD!  And startling.  Luckily, we have not had any “baby” alarms, just “equipment” alarms.  The machine would alarm if the baby has a problem if his heart rate was above or below a preset limit, or if he doesn’t take a breath for more than 20 seconds.  So far, we have not had any of those kinds of alarms. YAY!  Oh – and you know when else it alarms?  If you don’t turn it off “right.”  For some reason, Britt and I both have had a hard time remembering those instructions!  We have to turn it off to bathe Finn and to change the leads everyday… We’re getting better!

We have had a few “newborn” moments that we’ve had to deal with.  We have had some issues with Finn acclimating to the temperature of our home and maintaining his body temperature.  Doesn’t help that the Oklahoma weather has been crazy!  It was 70 yesterday!  But 3 days ago it was 40 and tomorrow it will be COLD.  We’ve had the heater on, nothing on but fans, and then even the A/C on yesterday.  SHEESH!  We were advised when we left the NICU to take his temperature every 3 hours to make sure he was acclimating.  After a bath on Wednesday, he was a bit cool, so, I dressed him, Britt warmed a hat and blanket in the clothes drier, and we put him down to nap dressed like that.  Next time we checked him, you guessed it, he was super warm! LOL!  This has gone the other way, too.  Had him swaddled, decided he was too hot, took off a layer, checked again later, he was too cold!  Day four (and a new thermometer) and we are finally evening out on this issue.  (We were using the same thermometer from the hospital as advised and taking his temp under his arm, but the leads from the monitor were interfering with this reading and saying he had a low temperature over and over and over, so we bought a behind the ear version and have had much better luck with it.)

The only super scary moment we have had was during the evening on Wednesday night.  Finn was sleeping in his bouncy seat, and it was time for his next temperature check / diaper change / feeding.  Britt got him out of the seat to get to work on him while I fetched a bottle (I am still pumping, but we chose to feed him from bottles to be able to keep track of his intake better).  I came in to our darkened living room, and Britt mentioned that Finn looked like he was glowing blue from the reflection from our big TV.  When he picked Finn up to cuddle him, I could see the baby didn’t look ”right.”  And he wasn’t just blue, he was GRAY!  I told Britt something was wrong with the baby, and we immediately flipped on the overhead light, and started rubbing Finn’s back.  Britt – the quick thinker between us – immediately disconnected Finn from the home oxygen concentrator machine and hooked him to an oxygen canister that was sitting nearby.  Finn immediately started to pink up, and after a few minutes, we decided to try to feed him to see if that would help.  Finn recovered from this episode very quickly, but now we had to find out WHY this happened to our precious baby.  Britt began examining all the equipment, and found that there was a loose connection on the concentrator.  Even though we discovered that, we still didn’t trust the machine, so that night Finn used one of our large canisters for sleeping.  WHEW!

Thursday, we had trouble with the machine maintaining the flow pressure.  Finn is supposed to be at ¾ of a liter. The machine kept falling down between ¾ and ½.  While we hope to wean Finn to that soon, right now as he adjusts to everything else, we want him to have ALL of the support he needs.  So, that day, we spent a lot of time on the canister as well – including overnight.  Friday, we put a call in to the home heath guy to see if he could help up with the problem.  He walked Britt through a few steps, and since then we have had no problems with the machine, and Finn has been able to spend his last 2 overnights hooked to it.  We have also moved it to new places in the house to see if that helps with the cord issues, and that has made the set up a little different, as well.  Having Finn on the machine more is good, because those large oxygen canisters are kind of pricey!  We went through 2 in 2 days!

Also on Friday, he had his first visit with our local pediatrician!  I was so pleased when we got there and the staff immediately put us in an exam room to get us out of the germy lobby.  SO thankful for that!  The exam went well, and she told us we were doing a good job and that Finn was PERFECT!  But, we already knew that.  He weighed in at 6 pounds 6 ounces!  Growing so well!  He does have 2 hernias – the obvious umbilical one as well as one in his left groin, but we will address those when he is older.  We don’t have to go back and see her for 3 weeks –unless we just need to!  Time to stay home and stay healthy.

The last 2 days have been pretty smooth, aside from the tiredness!  Emma and Lara FINALLY returned from Christmas with their other dad yesterday afternoon, and I got the first picture of all 4 kids in our home. 

They hadn’t been here an hour when they left to go to a friend’s house for a New Year’s Eve sleepover!  Social butterflies!  We are adjusting to being a complete family of 6.  We get dad home for one more day before he goes back to work.  My big kids don’t go back to school for another WEEK, so I will be with all 4 kids all day for the rest of this week.  Please pray for my patience! LOL!  It is a challenge keeping every one fed, entertained, clean and dry - and to keep reminding them not to step on, trip over, kink or otherwise disturb all the cords and wires crisscrossing our house!  But, I am so looking forward to it.  THIS is my purpose! 

Rooming In

It is 6:00 in the morning, and I just spent my first full night with my son!  We were “on our own” for the night, and it started out a little rough! But more on that in a minute!  First, I have to tell about our Christmas celebrations and the way our family made a hard time for everyone into a special one!

Last I blogged, it was Thursday.  That was the last day of school for the kids before a 2 week break.  I spent the day running errands all over Stillwater, attending Britt’s work holiday lunch, Jake’s winter class party, and finishing up preparations for the weekend and week ahead.  Friday morning, we got up, and the Five Dream Weavers loaded up in Derek and headed to see Mr. Finn.  The kids were excited since they hadn’t been to the NICU in a few days, and we spent the whole day up here on Friday.  Saturday, our Christmas extravaganza and present palooza started!  We got up that morning and began cleaning the house a bit, and then Nana and Grandpa came over for the first round of gifts.  It was super fun since these were the first gifts the kids were opening, so they were OVER THE TOP excited.  Emma, Lara AND Jake  all got Fijit Friends, so OF COURSE, all the friends went with us to the hospital:

After my parents left our house, we came to Mercy to see Finn.  We realized we had never gotten a picture of all four of our kids in the same place.  It was time to remedy that situation – and here is the result!

We didn’t stay with Finn too long, as we had to get back to Stillwater for Christmas Eve with my grandparents.  We had a nice turkey dinner, and after dinner all the big kids were running and laughing and playing – having a good time!  UNTIL!  Jake puked all over me, the couch, the living room, himself, and the even the bathroom by the time Britt got him there!  This put present opening on hold until Britt could go back to our house and get clean clothes for me and Jake.  While he was gone, Jake was stripped down to his underwear, and running around playing again.  We attributed the puke to the fact that he ate 18 Krispy Kreme donut holes AND a whole donut on the ride home from OKC.  The kids all got clothes from my grandmother, so the presents weren’t as exciting (to the kids), but I sure am thankful for the new duds!  When we got back to our house, the kids donned their new pajamas, set out sushi for Santa, and listened to Dad read “’Twas The Night Before Christmas” and went straight to bed!

Sunday, Christmas Day, started out with just the five of us, in our own living room. The kids tore into their stockings, opened the gifts from Mom and Dad, and played their little hearts out while our traditional breakfast of Birthday Cake for Jesus was set out.  Between playing with their new toys, they kids HAD to get dressed – there was STILL more Christmas to come!  (One of my Christmas surprises? Starting my first post-partum period!  Between that and the puke the night before, I was thinking the universe was against me!) When we got them all moving, we headed to Aunt Paula’s house for a few snacks, and MORE PRESENTS!  It is so fun to watch kids open gifts!  They all got some great gifts – including Finn – and then it was off to the hospital in OKC again! We had a glamorous Christmas lunch of Lunchables and Capri Sun in the car as we drove…

We spent the rest of our Christmas day with Finn, and took a Christmas picture to celebrate:

Nana and Grandpa came by for some Christmas Day hugs – Finn style, and we all spent the afternoon just hanging out!  Britt made a special snack of Ranch Oyster Crackers for the staff, and it was a HUGE hit!  Emma and Lara were picked up by their other dad at the hospital for a week with him, so we left that night with just ONE baby!  Monday morning, we got up super early and came back, as we were meeting with the nurse practitioners for a FINAL plan – to bring Finn home on Wednesday!  We spent most of the day Monday with Finn.  His big adventure for Monday was his circumcision!  My mom came down for one last NICU cuddle with Finn, then she took Jake back to Stillwater with here so we could have more time with our baby boy.  Later that evening, we left without our baby for the VERY LAST TIME!  We headed home to a dinner out with family, then getting things ready at home!  Tuesday morning we cleaned the house as best we could, dropped Jake off with my parents, and drove to the hospital for the VERY LAST TIME to get this “rooming in” thing started.

We had to be at the hospital by 4:00pm to meet with the home health company representative to learn about the oxygen and monitor we will be taking home.  We actually got here a little before 2 (after a “last meal” of sorts at Pei Wei), and got to feed Finn that bottle before starting our next class.  And we were definitely schooled!  MAN!  That was a lot of information in a short hour!  It went by so fast!  So glad Britt is a GREAT listener, and the monitor came with a manual!  WHEW!  The room wasn’t quite ready yet when we were done, so we did Finn’s 5:00 hands on in our old room.  This is when we disconnected him from the NICU monitors, and hooked him up to the home ones.  CRAZY stuff!  Then, we wheeled him down the hall to the “Rooming In Room.”  In here, there is a full size bed, storage, a mini-fridge, sink, TV (on an A/V cart with a DVD player AND a VCR!  Kicking it old school!), and the regular NICU medical equipment.  It’s a bit crowded, but it works.  Once we got all set up, it was our turn to show what we’ve learned!

About an hour after we moved down here, Britt left to go to a cupcake shop in Edmond that we frequent.  We have become friends with the owner, and she had told us to come get the leftovers to share with the NICU staff.  The staff was ONCE AGAIN thrilled with their treat from the Weavers! Normally, they have 1-2 dozen cupcakes left over.  Last night for some reason, they had TONS!  Britt brought 72, but that’s all because his box was full! LOL!

At the 8:00 feeding, we were getting things all settled in for the night.  I had planned on blogging after that feeding and before getting some rest, but Mr. Finn Weaver had OTHER plans.  Like, cry for THREE HOURS other plans!  Poor Baby!  We were all pretty miserable!  This is a baby that never cries!  He had his first RSV immunization shot this morning, so I thought that might be bothering him.  Or his circumcision, but we had given him Tylenol with his last feeding, so it should have been working by then!  At the two hour mark, I was convinced it was the new monitors – it had to be poking or pinching or something, so I stripped him down.  That didn’t help!  We stood, we walked, we rocked, we sat, we lay down, we sat up, we traded him back and forth… Finally, about 30 minutes before his next feeding, we gave in and pushed the nurse call button.  She came in, assessed him, and decided it was probably gas.  She thought we should try a swing and see if that helped work it out.  After lugging a HUGE monster of a swing into our already crowded room and trying him in it, we discovered Finn doesn’t like the swing!  This baby was so miserable!  So, we fed him the 11:00 feeding, and the nurse got a vibrating bouncy seat to try.  He liked this MUCH better, and actually slept in it until the next feeding.

The rest of the night went MUCH better!  I got up to feed him his 2:00 feeding, and Britt slept through most of it.  Glad he got some rest so he can drive us home later!  I woke him up with me for the 5:00am feeding since I needed to make the bottle this time – it wasn’t ready ahead of time like the others (we are feeding him fortified breast milk and supplementing with NeoSure).  So, we tag teamed the 5:00 feeding, and now we are just waiting for the day!  I went down the hall to return my breast pump before I sat down to write, and the unit is so quiet.  Shift change is at 7, and that’s when Dr. Scott is due here to check Finn’s eyes one last time before we go, so things are starting to get busy around here!

I cannot believe we are taking him home in just a few short hours!  There are only a few things left to check off on his discharge check-list!  WOW!  This is REALLY happening!  From the snoring coming from the bed in the corner, sounds like Dad is resting up for the drive home!  Can’t wait to see what this day brings!

Most wonderful time of the year!

Things have been moving along at a hectic pace the last few days!  I love this time of year because there is always something going on and something to do, but I hate it for that same reason!  Due to all the loose ends I am trying to tie up before the end of the year, plus Christmas parties, shopping, to do lists and keeping my family moving forward, I have not been able to stay down in the city with Finn like I have been doing.  So added to all the other hustle and bustle are countless trips back and forth to the city to try to bond with and take care of my boy, while still making Christmas special for the rest of my family.  Plus the stress of all the unknowns about bringing a preemie baby home.  WHEW!  I know we will look back on this time in our lives next year and it will just be a memory, but right now, it feels like I am in the last 5 miles of a marathon that I didn’t train for!

As for Mr. Finn, he is just 5 pounds 10 ounces of amazing!  He is really loving being over on the A wing and is doing very well over there.  He is now a bottle champion, and because of that, he got his feeding tube removed early yesterday.  That means he has nothing invasive in his body anymore!  He is still on oxygen support with a nasal cannula from the vapotherm.  As of last night, he was on 2.0 liters at 100%.  His test numbers yesterday were good enough that he could have been weaned to 1.5L, but he was scheduled for a (routine) MRI of his brain, so they wanted to leave the support up in case the testing caused any stress.  For an infant MRI, they sedate them slightly, put in some ear plugs, and will them to lay still! Finn came through his just fine!  He’s a pretty relaxed baby anyway.  We did hear about one of his friends on the ward that failed hers on Tuesday – she “freaked out” and was screaming.  Poor baby girl!  They re-did hers yesterday as well, and she did great!

While we were there yesterday, we learned that there was a “leak” on the 6^th floor Tuesday right above the B Quad of the NICU, which led to some major ceiling damage – right outside Finn’s old room.  So, the NICU was in a tizzy today!  They moved the most well and stable babies from the A quad to pediatrics on the 5^th floor, then, they had to move all the tiny babies from the B quad over to the A quad.  This is not ideal, but they are hoping with the B wing empty, they can get that ceiling fixed quickly and be back in business.  I feel so bad for the staff – it is QUITE a mess.  Luckily, Mr. Finn did not have to move.  I guess if he weren’t on so much oxygen, he might have gone to peds…  Anyway – this is a mess for the nurses, and I feel bad for them.  At one point, the nurse practitioner was at Finn’s bedside, and her phone rang.  She told us to hold on, as it was one of the nurses “out on Survivor Island!”  This has been nothing if not an adventure during my 4.5 months at Mercy – domestic situations, tidal waves… What next!

Britt and I spent yesterday getting schooled on bring our preemie home.  In the morning, he and I, as well as my mom, went to a class to get infant CPR certified.  It was just the 3 of us in the class, and it went really well.  I feel better knowing this information as I bring my baby home. While my mom came on back to go to work, Britt and I hung out with Finn as he got ready for his MRI.  (I just realized I didn’t get a new picture of him without the feeding tube!  It was a crazy day…)  We each got to hold him and cuddle him and feed him, which really makes my day complete.  We also made a quick Target run for stocking stuffers – so Christmas shopping is officially DONE!  While Finn was at his MRI, we went to our last NICU class.  We got a lot of our questions answered about bringing him home, but we still had quite a list left for our nurse practitioner as well. We met with her later in the afternoon and got all of our questions answered, including THE BIG ONE.

We are (currently) set to bring Mr. Finn Weaver home to Stillwater on Wednesday, December 28!

He has a lot left to do to make that appointment, but we are confident!  We has to pass his hearing test, get one more eye test, start his RSV series, get circumcised, pass his car seat test, and most importantly, wean down off the vapotherm to regular oxygen.  I will stay overnight in his room with him Tuesday night, and that afternoon, the home heath people will come out and train us on the monitors and home oxygen he will go home with.  The morning we are discharged, he will get his hospital pictures taken!  SO EXCITING! Today, I have to make his first appointment with the pediatrician here for next Thursday or Friday!  YAY!

So, the hash tag is officially changing. We are planning a fun Christmas for the big kids, including some Finn time.  And we are praying he continues to improve, so we can have him #homefornewyears.