Day 40....Michael is Home!

Well Michael Jon came home last night around 7pm. It's been a long 5 1/2 weeks but it was so nice - and nerve wracking - to have him discharged. What a way to start 2009!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!We went to the peri's office this am and all is well...we'll go once a week for a few weeks. Michael is on formula now for preemies and is on a 3 hour feed shcedule he is weighing in at......4 pounds 4 ounces and 16.5 inches longhe weighed 2 pounds 10 ounces and 15 inches at birth.Yes we are tired.......we'll get a routine down. He is a noisey sleeper...Hershey is ok...very interested when Michael is crying or feeding....it'll take some getting used to for all of us. Thanks for all the good wishes...I've updated our pictures on the dropshots link as well. Off to nap while the little "hornet" is napping. I'll keep this updated.....

Day 38 Michael is doing well!

Sorry we haven't updated the blog this week. Michael is doing very well and is pretty close to coming home. He was transfered back to L&M on Tuesday and resumed bottle feeding. He passeed his one hour oxygen car seat test but wasn't able to keep his body temperature up so he wasn't moved to a crib - and remained in the isolete. He is doing very well on his bottle feedings and taking 40-60ml's at every feeding. He is a champion burper so far as well. The NICU santa visited all the babies and left them a stocking filled with baby goodies - diapers, wipes, shampoo, lotion and a stuffed toy. Daddy decorated his stocking! Michael is 4lbs and holding. Today Michael had his circumcision and he did well with it - he's a little swollen but within a week he should heal. He was moved to a crib tonight to test how he holds with his body temperature and he'll have a standard hearing test in the next day or so. Now we just wait and continue to feed....word has it that he'll be home middle of the week. We are getting ready at home and can't wait. It will be a nice New Year in our home.

Day 33 Michael weighs 4lbs!

At almost 5 weeks shy since birth Michael weighed in at 4 pounds last night. We are estatic. Michael was transfered to L&M Hospital this morning and is doing well. He is doing very good with his bottle feedings and we hope this improves. In 24 hours he'll be moved from the isolete to the crib and we hope to have him home very soon...perhaps within a week. While it's been a very stressful 5 weeks we are gearing up and getting ready for Michael to come home. We will spend a few nights in a "family room" in the NICU to get us ready for full-time parenting.

Day 31 - Michael is ready to move!!

Michael has been doing very well this week with his feedings and he finished his two week course of antibiotics for his yeast infection. It looks like he will be transfered back to L&M Hospital on Monday. As of last night he weighed in at 3lbs 15 ounces...and is well on his way to reaching 4 pounds (probably overnight) - we can't believe it.


The update today at the hospital is that Michael is taking most of his feedings by mouth which means in a day or two he'll be up to full feeds (approx. 30ml's a feeding every 3 hours) by bottle and he'll be off all "liquid" proteins and fats. Today his isolete is being prepped for transfer to crib which means they dress him (t-shirt, outift, blanket, hat) and turn the heat off in the isolete. They monitor his body heat versus what he'll need to be prepared for in a crib and if he does well they will move him to a crib, probably at L&M.

The big news to us today was the doctor feels as though once he is back to L&M and gets better wtih bottle feeding, he'll be home in about a week!!!

I realized today that he is filling out the preemie outfits the hospital has dressed him in so no need to buy more preemie clothes, and in fact I'll be returning a few outfits I have at home. Michael is growing fast :)

Day 30 - Michael is one month old!

Well Michael is officially one month old today, hard to believe. He is doing very well and he is up to 13ml's on his feedings. They will continue to increase by 2ml's every 12 hours. The doctors have decided to transfer him back to L&M Hospital either Saturday or Sunday which will be a nice change for us. It will be nice to be back home and to have Hershey home as well - in time for the holiday.

Day 29

Michael is on day 4 of feedings and is doing very well. They continue to increase his amount every 12 hours - so far he is up to 9 ml's a feeding. He enjoys taking the bottle and seems to have it mastered as he wastes no time with his meals. Right now the doctors are watching him so they can come up with a day to transfer him back to L&M. The care coordinator also has to get approval from the insurance company as well. We are hoping the transfer will be approved as Michael will have at least 2 more weeks to continue growing and pass a few tests before coming home, plus we would like to be more invovled with all his feedings and being closer to home will help with that. He is now 3lbs 11 ounces and looks great.

Day 27 Michael is doing great!!

Michael is on his second day of feeding and we have re-introduced bottle feeding to him. He has taken this on like a champ and has no issue drinking 4ml's of breast milk quickly. He is digesting his feeding pretty well and his belly it tolerating the re-introduction of food. Our hope is that he'll be closer to home by Christmas which will be a nice change for all of us.

Michael is now weighing 3 lbs 10 ounces - a full pound heavier then at birth. We can't believe he'll be a month old tomorrow!