No more O2

Apparently our multi-pronged “attacks” on Colin’s problems are doing the trick. He has now been off oxygen for a day and a half and has been doing well without it. And, whether it’s because he no longer has the annoyance of the cannula, or the transfusion has given him the extra energy, or the reflux was making him refuse the bottle, he is doing better on his feeds as well. 

He took nearly all of his feedings by mouth yesterday — including actually nursing for the first time for a full feeding. As of 11:00 last night, he had only needed one full feeding by tube (he was so sound asleep at 3:00 that I couldn’t wake him up) and had only one partial feeding (at 9:00 yesterday morning). 

Eat, Colin, eat! 

We took Veronica in yesterday afternoon to see the nurses again (and to peek at Colin through the window, since she’s not allowed back in the nursery). Everyone was amazed at how big she is getting (as are we), and it was fun to be able to show her off to the people who played such a large role in getting her to this point.

She also had her first follow-up appointment at the high-risk clinic on Friday. She saw both one of the neonatologists and a occupational therapist. Unfortunately, the neo who was supposed to be at the clinic, and who had reviewed the data from Veronica’s monitor, was in labor when we had our appointment. Because he hadn’t seen the data, the doctor who saw Veronica was uncomfortable making any kind of recommendation about her monitor, so we’re still on it for now. 

Yesterday the overwrite light came on (meaning it’s out of memory), so I’ll have to ask if they want to have the data downloaded already. If so, maybe we can get her off the beast once and for all. (We get a lot of alarms, but I don’t believe any of them have been for real episodes in the last at least 3 weeks. Instead, they are because the headband that holds the leads down is getting stretched out, or because she’s nursing and snuggled close and they’re picking up my breathing, not hers.)

Other than that completely understandable disappointment, Veronica’s appointment went well. She’s very healthy and developing well. Her adjusted age (how old she would be if she had been born on time, and what they measure development from) is only three weeks, but developmentally she is between a one-month and two-month baby. So she’s actually a bit ahead of where we’d expect her to be. 

So we’re back on the top of the roller coaster and simultaneously bracing for and hoping against another drop down. Fingers crossed … maybe we’ll all be home together yet.