It has been 20 days since I unexpectedly leaped into this world, and to be honest, I am finally beginning to adjust to my place in it. The NICU was a bit stressful for me at first, and I took a while to adapt to all of the things that were happening to my body on a daily basis. Now though, I am learning my schedule and beginning to take it all in stride.
I decided that this week I would surprise everyone and take a couple more baby steps in the right direction. The first thing I did was tell those nurses to get rid of that uncomfortable central line...no more IV's for me!! In addition, I have been eating more and more everyday! I am up to 5.5 ml per hour and hope to be at full feedings (6 ml/hr) by the end of the week. Now if I can just start gaining weight (still hovering just over 2 pounds), I will make everyone happy. The nurses aren't too concerned yet, but they do want me to make this happen in the near future.
My Short Term Goal: Gain weight
I am really taking a liking to "kangaroo time." I usually spend 4 hours a day laying with my momma and another 4 with my dad. I try not to fuss around to much, but this whole idea of breathing is still giving me trouble. Even though I am getting better at keeping the oxygen saturation of my blood high, it is still necessary for me to stay on the NIPPV so that my lungs don't have to work so hard to keep pressure in them. I don't know quite yet if it is a long term or short term goal, but it definitely is something I have been and will continue to be working towards.
My Long Term Goal: Lose the NIPPV
My mom and dad are very proud of my progress right now, but at the same time, don't want to get too ahead of themselves. They have seen a few things here in the NICU during the last few days that have shown them that the road is still quite long, and that every journey has a happy ending. They are doing their best to be present and enjoy every moment with me, while still being logical and remembering to keep everything in perspective.
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