Oliver's Book: Ch 1

Oliver's Book Week 27:

A couple of nights ago my dad told me it was time to start packing on the pounds.  No more being the littlest guy in the NICU.  I sure hope he is proud of me, because today marks the third day in a row that I have actually gained weight.  The nurses weigh me every night around 9 o'clock, and today I tipped the scales at a whopping 875 grams, just 20 grams from my birth weight.  I am pretty positive that tomorrow will be the day I pass that milestone because the doctors have increased my feeding amount by .2 mls.  I use to only get .5 mls of mommy's milk 8 times a day, but because I have been digesting my food better and pooping in my diaper, they are now giving me .7 mls.

This life outside the womb thing is a lot of work.  It has been a busy week.

I was struggling with my breathing a bit during the last few days.  The respiratory specialist added a non-invasive ventilation system to my CPAP so that I wouldn't have to work so hard to breathe.  What this system does is stop my lungs from completely depressing as I exhale, thus making it easier for me to begin my next breath.  It also ensures that I take no less than 30 breaths per minute.  Since I have been on this new breathing apparatus, I have been feeling much better, having less "episodes" (times where I forget to breathe) and the oxygen saturation in my blood has remained much more stable.

I received my very first blood transfusion this week, and since then, my blood count has been quiet a bit higher.  You see, babies as young as I am don't make new red blood cells, so each time the doctors drew some of my blood for tests, my red blood cell count continuously decreased.  I guess if you look at it this way, it was inevitable that I would eventually need the transfusion.

Finally, I had an ultrasound on my brain on Wednesday to see if there was any major bleeding, and an Echocardiogram today, to further investigate a heart murmur the doctors had been hearing.

Mom and Dad have been taking a larger role in my "cares" which take place every four hours.  I can't believe how much my momma loves to change my diaper.  She ooh's and aah's at me the whole time she is doing it.  It's crazy but I think it is her favorite part of the day.  Dad is still a bit scared to take part in too much of the fun, but he has figured out that it is safe to help momma with the oral cares.  This involves putting a bit of momma's milk on a Q-tip and rubbing it on my lips, gums, and all over the inside of my mouth.  This usually stimulates me to suck on the end of the Q-tip.  Boy, I can't wait till I get the real thing.

Oh yeah...I am 27 weeks old today.  If all goes as planned, I will be going home in only 13 weeks!!!