I sit here at his bedside and look around me, tired and worn after another long night. Things have since calmed now, and in the NICU, I am blessed with peace in these early hours of the day. All the lights are dim. No one is moving and no one is talking. Even the babies seem to sense it. They lay still and silent in their isolets and cribs. The night nurses go off shift in another a half hour, and many of them finish their day by just sitting at their computers, charting, and preparing for the upcoming transfer. The new day is about to begin.
Yesterday Oliver celebrated his fiftieth day of life. A part of me knows how long that time period really is, and I can't fathom how my family has made it this far. 50 days of hospitals, 50 days of life on hold, and 50 days of worry about what the future holds for the newest member of our clan. There exists another part of me though, that can't see a single thing behind me. It is like the past is blur of details, created only by the speed in which the events took place. I know it all happened, but I can't seem to remember it. Is it true that the last 50 days passed by that quickly? Has it really been that long? It seems like just yesterday I was whispering to Moses as he kicked at the sides of his mother's tummy.
Oliver weighs just under 1600 grams now, somewhere near the 3 and a half pound mark. He had been gaining weight at quite a rapid pace for awhile, but since being placed on a medication that will help him pee out the liquid in his body, and most importantly, his lungs, this weight gain has slowed down for the time being.
Oliver has also matured quite a bit in his ability to breathe. Since ridding himself of the CPAP sometime last week, he is a much happier baby. His current breathing apparatus is a high flow nasal cannula. This consists simply of a tube with two nasal prongs that deliver oxygen to his system. The amount of air the device puts out is measured in Liters per minute. He started out on a 5 L/min setting and quickly outgrew it. He now receives his oxygen at 4 L/min and appears to be progressing with it quite nicely.
Oliver's other accomplishments in the last week are quite numerous. He has begun to show some interest in his mothers chest, and when placed there, he makes sucking movements with his lips. Secondly, Oliver's parents have also recently taken an infant massage class. Now that Mom and Dad are "certified", Oliver is the proud recipient of arm, leg, head and tummy massages daily. We know he really loves these because his body goes into a complete state of relaxation each time we touch him. Finally, with the CPAP and all the headgear that comes along with it being distant memories in the past, Oliver's head and face have become easily accessible at all times of the day. Mom gives him a pacifier when he is restless, and kisses whenever she can. He makes faces and furrows his eyebrows when he is disturbed, and purses his lips when he is hungry.
Oliver is so precious. He spends more time each day now awake, and has started engaging in more "bigger baby" type activities. No one knows what today will bring, but as my wife always says...each day is a blessing, and we will soon find out. One by one, the lights come on around me. Activity in the NICU slowly increases with the dawning of a new day. Babies are crying and nurses start to shift about. Day number 51 is upon us, and even though it will be another long one, I know from experience, it will be gone in the blink of an eye.
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