And then there was light...

On December 25, 2009, nearly two months after he was born, I got to hold my son for the first time. Merry Christmas to me! It was a magical milestone. We were beginning to see that we may get to raise our son after all. He did very well that day, and for every holding to follow. We had to start with Kangaroo holding, and weren't able to hold him like a baby for another week or two.

On January 18th they finally extubated him. He looked so different! James and I walked into his room that morning, knowing that they removed his tube, and yet we still walked in and walked back out thinking he wasn't our baby. He went from a reddish pink color, to looking like a white baby. After a few days though, his ethnicity was restored. About a week later I got to breast feed him for the first time. He did really well with that, too. He went straight for it, just like a big boy. We are currently working on the feeding thing today. There is still some room for improvement.

Another week later, he was moved from the NICU3 to the NICU2. I can't believe he has made it so far... we never expected this, and with such encouraging results.

That brings us about up to speed. There were, of course, some details that got left out, but I think the general experience has been laid out before you. He is doing really well now. He is breast feeding and bottle feeding almost every feed and is breathing very well with minimal support. His pulmonary hypertension is resolving and the experimental treatment for his eyes seems to have worked. The only thing keeping him in the hospital is feeding. He needs to be able to eat 100% via bottle or breast.
Last night I slept at the hospital so that I could breast feed him all night, however, I never woke up. So, this morning I felt really bad when I arrived at his bedside and had failed to come and work with him. I will have to sleep here again, and try again. On the plus side, the opthamologist checked on his ROP today and said that his eyes looked great! I am loving all the good news. Its about damn time.

They are thinking he will have to go home with a monitor and on oxygen, but they are talking about him coming home. We have been waiting for this for so long, and now its tangible.