3 POUNDS!!!

Well, today we hit the 3 lb mark. Actually, he is 3 lbs 1.5 ounces! Awesome!!

We have a new doctor today and she will be with us until Friday. She rounded in the NICU about a week ago and is great. She called today and was so impressed with his progress. She told me that he is actually stable enough to get out of intensive care. The Intensive Care Unit is a level three center (whatever that means) and he is stable enough to go to level two. There aren't any beds open at the level two center right now so they will just keep him where he is until they get an opening. So, instead of being in the NICU, he will go to ICC (Infant Care Center) which is right next door to the NICU. It is still the same team of doctors that see him and he will still get the same attention from the nurses, it just means he is requiring less care and is very stable with his respiratory growth and feedings. He is still tolerating his feedings and doing well. They are adding fortifier to his milk today for a few extra calories. It adds 2-4 extra calories per ml and the idea is to give him the same amount of nutrients that he would be getting if he were still inside me. They try to do everything that way, including positioning him as if he were still inside. They know that he always had his hands up by his face so they lay him on his side with his hands by his face a alot. He is still doing ok off the phototherapy lights. His bili levels went up a small amount again today but they are still not at a level they are concerned with. They will also start giving him some iron in a few days. Apparently, all babies are anemic when they are born, even full term babies. That means that they aren't producing enough red blood cells. Usually, when they hit a level of 20, their bodies automatically start producing more. He is at 34 today and it is normal for that number to drop. The iron will just help him produce red blood cells so the number doesn't get too low. They don't want to have to do a transfusion, but that is very unlikely.

So, we are still on track and doing well. They will watch to make sure he can tolerate the fortifier and he should have the IV out by Monday at the latest. That's all for today. More to come tomorrow.