Today we have moved back into room 1, it has been painted purple.  We have moved one spot over from where we first were when RT was born,  in the nice corner window spot! One of RT’s good neighbor babies was in this spot.  Hopefully he is finally free of the hospital and thriving at home now!

Weight on the board is 1580. A loss of 60 grams, not sure I believe it,  he is working harder to breathe, and more agitated so I guess it is possible but hopefully just a different weight because of different ventilator,  head gear and tube. Hopefully he isn’t loosing weight like this it would be bad.

The nurse today is one that he has not had before.

Nurse tells us he tolerated the nasal canula last night for 6 hours!  Awesome,  it will help give his face a rest from the mask!
His oxygen percent is 34%, not bad but obviously I wish it was lower. He is also on the Nasal cannula again,  he seems relaxed!

But still good!  He is also breathing mostly on his own,  less in back up.

He has been running hot over the night possibly because he has to wear a hat to strap his tubes to,  or maybe because he is working harder to breathe. Maybe just getting older.

They have turned his incubator down again, 28.4.

Cares.  Just pee, they got a poop over the night and this morning though! His inguinal hernia is still big,  but not discolored or too firm.

Respiratory therapist swaps him back to the mask. The break off the ventilator while switching from the cannula to nasal mask  RT seems to really enjoy. He smiles big, no air is gushing out of his mouth,  nothing strapped to his head.  He is free for a little.  But he still needs his pressure he can breathe a little on his own but his heart rate slowly comes down.  They put a mask over his face with a constant air pressure, he likes this too. He just breaths and then has to push the air back out.

Then the respiratory therapist puts his hat on,  and swaps him to the nasal mask. His mouth is open and makes whooshing and snoring sounds. Angry face!

The only sounds he has made so far are little squeaks. It can take some time to him to find his voice.

Swaddled him back up, I hold his binky next to his lips,  he turns towards it and opens his mouth, good boy! He is good at suckling and chewing on it but can’t keep it in very long. I stand there and hold it for him till he calms down, and the. Close up his incubator, I have to do this several times before he is ready to stay calm.

He is liking less and less to be left alone, little social boy!

Lunch then  back up to the NICU.

Everything is about how we left it.

1400 cares,  just pee. Temp 37.1 . Nurse goes and gets a skin to skin chair.  Skin to skin time, mom’s turn!  First skin to skin on NIV NAVA! Transition is smooth,  although his edi catheter slides out partially, tape slips because of RT’s drool. They adjust the depth back to where it should be.  He does the thing he did yesterday when we put him on his belly turning every which way,  Eventally he finds a comfy position.

We give him his binky to help settle him down, he is extremely excited about it!  Can hear him making lots of loud suckling sounds!  Good boy!  Must know he is close to the source!

Feeding time! Nurse start’s his feed. About 15 minutes into it he gets wiggly,  he stops making his loud breathing sounds.  Then his heart rate starts to come down quick.  170, 130, 100, it alarms,  80, 73. The nurse is there tries to stimulate him to bring his heart rate up shecks his mouth for regurge not much there. 80, 85, 90, 85, 80. grabs a suctioning bulb. Spo2 coming down slowly.  Mid 70’s on spo2.. the nurse has another nurse in the room page respiratory therapist, she checks his mouth again,  and suctions out some regurgitation. A little milk this time. I ask if his OG tube is coming out, it is a bit.   His heart rate climbs back up,  fairly quick, his spo2 follows.

Sounds like he pulled his feeding tube out a little and his food started being put in his throat not his belly.  Not technically his fault.

The rest of skin time is pretty calm! He smiles a little every once in a while.  He obviously it’s enjoying being on mom.

1700, time to put him back,  transition is smooth. Doesn’t require any extra oxygen. Cares,  just pee,  swapped back to nasal cannula. Food time. Takes a while and some effort to get him calmed down,  weaned his oxygen down to 23%! He finally gets comfy, then he is out! Really out. Sleeping hard! It is some well deserved sleep! He really can’t hold his mouth shut so a large portion of the air is leaking out of his mouth, oxygen needs go back up to 34%

Dinner time then back to NICU, nurse on tonight is one that had him over a month ago,  he is a bit different now!

He is still on 34% oxygen, he looks comfy,  nice and asleep! Time for cares,  just pee again.  They swap him back to nasal mask, he really enjoys being between the two during his break from prongs and nasal mask.

Then feeding time,  takes a while to calm him down again.

I think it will likely get harder as he becomes more aware of everything, and  more social.  But then again,  he will be more comfortable as he moves down on settings on the ventilator and to lower pressures. Eventally we will be able to hold him more too! And bottle feed!

Other than his one big event, which I don’t think should count against him he had a really stable day! Hopefully he has a stable night ahead of him!

We love you RT!

2nd photo is a smile!