Long Days ....

Our long days in the NICU are starting to pay off. We have seen some changes over the past few days with Charlie .. almost all are positive.

He is beginning to really eat. He is back up to his birth weight and really taking to his feedings. He still has the NG feeding tube in his nose, but he is now nursing and bottle feeding. The tube is supplementing his feedings to make sure that he is getting enough calories. He was started on baby "weight gainer" to help fatten him up! Overall, though, he is doing great with his feedings. The doctors decided today to up his feedings to try and help with weight gain. Since he is keeping it all down, they want to add an additional feeding to the daily schedule, which will provide more calories!

We are fighting jaundice right now with him. This is a common thing with newborns, especially preemies. The doctors are not worried about it, it will just take time for it to "pass through" his body. His skin has a yellow tinge to it right now ... basically what it means is that his liver is producing more billiruben than his body can process right now. As a result, it builds up. He must pass it and clear his system out.

Once his billiruben level is back down to normal, he will get to come out of the isolette!! He is maintaining his body temperature right now without assistance of heat so that is a HUGE step. Once the doctors can take him out from under the phototherapy light (treatment for jaundice), he will get to move to a crib and start wearing clothes!!

Mostly positives so far!