After 3 hours of “sleep” we are back up. Time to pump, wash pump supplies and get the day started. We go grab the car and head to DEERS, we are early so we call the hospital and talk to our nurse RT had a stable night. Some extremely thick secretions throughout the night. Cranial ultrasound scheduled for today. His hematocrit is down to 29. Likely blood transfusion in the next few days before surgery. Mostly 40’s %oxygen through the night. He had a small poop not nearly what we want.

We are still early so we go into the CG chaplains office and have a good talk, it’s good too see him. He’s going to come be with us during RT’s heart surgery.

Then we go to our appointment down the hall. It takes about 2 minutes to get things corrected. It looks like no name was entered.

Back in the car we head to the hospital. It doesn’t take long, but boy do I hate traffic.

Back at the NICU RT is at 50% oxygen. Nurse today is the same one for the last two days! Today will be 3 days with only 2 different nurses! I take a little peek through his incubator curtain, his little eyes are open staring at me peeking through. Then he shuts them tight.  He is getting more swollen again.

His cares were a little bit ago, so his oxygen was turned up a little. Mom gives him a hand hug and talks to him a little. The nurse has his milk warmed and ready, puts it into the pump and it’s time or his first full feed of 25cc over the course of 30 minutes.  He high sats  so the nurse slowly turns his oxygen down.

1000 his oxygen is down to 44% he is looking stale and relaxed. We tell him how much we love him and then was back to hotel for a brief nap.

Back up to hospital for moms 6 week appointment. They are running a little behind, then up to cafeteria for an early dinner.

Back in NICU nurse had him down to the high 40’s % oxygen. She put in an IV on the first try!

Blood was ordered around noon. I have learned that there has to be an order to transfuse and a request for blood. Blood bank won’t prep the blood unless the request is put in properly, I ask the nurse if she noticed if both were done. It sounds like they were.

1717 Oxygen percent is at 46. He looks pretty comfy. Mostly smaller evens today, plus the ones caused by bugging him. Only a few random ones so far where she had to turn him up.

1900 passdown/shift change,  back to one of his primarily nurses! Stable shift for off going nurse!

2000 cares, 37 for temp,  excellent! Diaper change is quick,  and even a medium small poop! Way to go RT!

Suctioned out, nurse says he sounds better in his lungs than last night,  listens to his bowel tones,  easier to hear tonight than last night.  Maybe his gut is getting back up and running.

Blood for transfusion still isn’t here.  One last feed before going NPO  ( is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase “nil per os,” which means nothing by mouth.)

RT remains pretty stable only having to be turned up to 60 temporarily for suctioning. Good amount of chunky secretions.

Then they work on slowly weaning down oxygen.  I give hand hugs and talk to him. He hits 100 spo2 and opens his eyes to see his pop taking to him.  He kind of smiles when he manages to open both eyes. Eventually I slowly turn down the lights over his bed and sneakily remove my hands from his incubator. His spo2 dips slightly so I keep talking to him.  He does like hearing our voices,  I think he can understand inflection and tone even if he can’t understand the words.

2100 blood is here and ready to be infused!

Oxygen prefect down to 43.

2200 Blood transfusion begin. That means NPO till about 0800. Hopefully he can keep his gut working. Maybe it will be a short rest.

2210 oxygen percent down to 37. He is looking so comfy in his bed.  Time to let him sleep, and get some for our selves.

When you get older it will be wonderful to hold you whenever we can. I hope you have sweet dreams of hand hugs and milk sponge on a stick. I guess he must dream?

Blood transfusion #10

Yesterdays First skin to skin in two weeks!