RT has one of his primary nurses today!  He is on 36% oxygen.
Less brady events. Acting more like himself.

After 1100 cares he is able to be weaned to 32%.

Cranial ultrasound.  We do lunch during it, he has been handling cranial ultrasounds well.

After lunch mom goes to do chores and me and grandma go to NICU.

Ultrasound tech is still there…. slightly concerning normally it takes about 15-25 minutes…. it has been almost 45 minutes.  I ask if there is any issue.  She says she is a newer ultrasound tech and that he she wants to make sure she has all the right images before leaving so she won’t have to come back and bug him.

Fair enough.  

I ask if everything is looking about the same.  As per the usual, ultrasound tech can’t say anything I should know better by now.

Only the physician that is qualified to read ultrasounds and x-rays can disclose results.

I give RT some hands hugs, one of his many favorite day respiratory therapists is hanging out with him.  He has to keep RT on the neopuff during the ultrasound because he obviously can’t wear the hat that keeps his mask or prongs on.

They get a few more images and finish up.
I start cares early. Temp is good,  just pee. Swap to  Nasal mask.

I get to do skin to skin today while grandma hangs out with us. There is a new thing the hospital is trying out, I get to be a trial.  It’s a loop of stretch fabric with 3 different zippers looks kind of like a skirt. I put it on the smallest zipper around my waist. Pick up RT and carefully sit down in the skin time chair.  Then we pull the stretchy material up over RT, till just his head and shoulders are hanging. It keeps him contained decent and we might not need warm blankets.  If I remove my hands from his back he still feels guys boundaries and doesn’t get surprised as easily. I think he likes it.

Grandma loves being here and hanging out, seeing her grandson And son.   hearing his hiccups, and seeing him wiggle.

Weaned down to 31% oxygen!

After an hour his temp has gone down .3 so we add a blanket.  His temp goes up .6 after an hour to 37.3 so we only cover half his body. Only two desats where his heart rate dropped below 100 during skin to skin. Both around the same time he was coughing.  He needs to get all that nasty stuff out!

1500 time to put him back.  he is 37.0. Nice!  Just pee.  We have turned off the warmer on his bed,  he might get to move to a crib tonight if he maintains his temp!

For the third time in his life he gets to wear clothes.  He kind of likes them!  It’s an orange and white onsie, he looks cute. It’s a little too big for him,  his hands don’t come out the sleeves and his feet don’t reach the footies. But he is comfy in it.  It also stops him from grabbing his OG tube and pulling it out.

He likes sucking on the sleeve too.

I give him a long binky time,  he is totally into it today!

Respiratory therapist  mentions this might be where he can make up some time!  He is good at sucking.  Hopefully when we get there he figures out the whole breathing and swallowing the milk thing.

Wife texts to make sure everything is ok.  I realise it is already 1815.

Grandma tells RT goodnight.  I will see him later.

Quick dinner with grandma then back to NICU. He is down to 26% oxygen!  His lungs are getting better obviously!

Nurse tonight is a primary that knows him well!

2000 cares. Temp is good, just pee. Respiratory therapist with fast hands tonight.  He of course desats for her,  she doesn’t do a small bump of 5 to 10% like others do. She turns him up to 50% oxygen… highest he has been all day. He is angry with his cpt treatment this time maybe it’s more firmly pushed onto his chest than what he is used to. Sometimes he likes it when other people do it. He cries this time.

She has to put on his hat so she asks me kindly to hold pressure, I’m thrilled to help! I do a good job with the Neopuff. He stops crying.

After cares he gets turned down to 30%. He handles the 20% drop well. He gets bugged with adjusting his mask some more.  Dips to 90 spo2. Respiratory therapist quickly turns him up to 34% oxygen.  Hopefully we are able to not climb up like this all night.  I’m sure the nurse will be diligent and try to keep him as low as possible its hard when someone turns him up that agressively though.

It’s too bad RT tends to react poorly when she is his respiratory therapist.  I probably can’t tell her not to turn him up like that because what she does tends to make him need more oxygen. So all that would happen is he would desat more.

Maybe next time I’ll try and nicely remind her he prefers slow and gentle because he is a sensitive baby. At least no whack a mole on his face this time.

RT calms down after cares quick.  Mom and I take turns giving him his binky while he gets his food.

He had an awesome day compared to yesterday. He is improving!  Even though his oxygen is up. I know he could be lower and that his lungs are healing.

Trending lower is what matters. Less events than yesterday.

Today ,Happier, more like himself, taking the binky,  opening his eyes,  smiling and holding hands. Not too much crying. Most of it was at 2000 cares.

Sleep tight RT! Hopefully an uneventful night! Maybe you’ll be in a cribette tomorrow?!