Nicu Day 101

Will had a good night. He weighs 4lbs 7.4oz or 2025 grams. He has been really fussy lately and hasn't been eating good again. He got a bath yesterday afternoon and I think it relaxed him a little bit. The only orders for today is to have a consult with Dr Pigott this week about Will's hernia repair surgery and get his opinion on whether or not it needs to be repaired before we go home or if it can be repaired later. Also, again Will is to have his eyes checked on Wednesday. The upcoming eye exam is very important because that will give us more answers on when we might possibly be coming home too. So this week we hope to have more details about when Will might get to go home.

My due date is this coming Sunday and we are getting very anxious for some answers. Our patience is running thin because we want Will home so bad that it is killing us. I'm not a very patient person so I keep reminding myself of this great verse I read yesterday in Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer." It has been very hard lately to have patience when you really want your son home so bad that it is literally killing you inside. God put us through this journey for a reason and sometimes we question him and ask why.  But we know that we cannot doubt his reasonings behind all of this and instead we have to seek him daily for guidance and strength to get through those trying days. By no mean has this journey been easy but we know that Will will come home in God's timing and we have to remain hopeful, patient, and faithful.  

Nicu Day 100

Will had a good night. He gained 10 grams and weighs 4lbs 6.9oz or 2010 grams. He will have a chest xray in the morning and Dr Pigott will come and look at his hernia this week and determine whether or not to do surgery now or later. Please pray for his upcoming chest xray on Monday and eye exam on Wednesday.

Nicu Day 99

Will had a great night. He weighs 4lbs 6.5oz or 2000 grams. Yeah! He will get his eyes checked on Wednesday and depending on his eyes will determine our next step with surgery and a possible flow change. So we will know more this week.

Nicu Day 98

Will weighs 4lbs 4.4 oz or 1940 grams. He likes the 4s. Haha! All routine blood work looked good. No changes today for Will. He is just a chilling and relaxing today and did I mention eating up a storm. My little baby is getting to be a chunky baby.

NICU Day 97 & Happy 14 Weeks Old

Today Will is 14 weeks old and weighs 4lbs 3oz or 1900 grams an increase of 35 grams from yesterday. He is still doing so good with his feedings. He was getting his sharp little nails trimmed last night and decided to pull his feeding tube out. I guess he decided that he was eating so well, he didn't want that thing up his nose anymore. I don't blame him. Today, the only orders are for lots of lab work in the morning. So all is well with Will today.

He is definitely daddy's little buddy

Playing peep eye this morning with mommy

Starting to wake up

NICU Day 96

Will had a good night. He gained weight and now weighs 4lbs 1.8 oz or 1865 grams. He is 16 1/2" long which is 3/4" longer. His head measures 12" round which is 1/4" bigger. Yeah for the great improvements! And get this HE IS EATING MUCH BETTER which makes for one happy momma! I'm so proud of my little man! He is finally making some great improvements to make us happy! Dr Omara checked him today and made no changes so I'll leave you with some funny faces that Will makes. Enjoy!

The face Will makes when he smiles

Feed me face

His mad face

His laughing face

He thinks he is so funny

Nicu Day 95

Will lost weight and he is down to 4lbs or 1815 grams. Since he had a blood transfusion and lasix this is normal for him to loose weight since he is getting rid of a lot of fluids. The only order today is to remove the iv in his hand.

Will is doing good with his feedings but they can be better. We ask that you join us in praying specifically for him to feed better so he can gain good weight to get to surgery time; for his parents to rest well since we are in full parenting mode and back and forth between the hospital, home and work; and for him to have no apnea or brady spells. We thank you for your prayers and we know in Gods timing that Will will be home soon. We just need a little patience right now because we are anxious and so close.

Nursery Almost Done

Will's nursery is almost done. We hung the curtains this weekend. My mother is making all the bedding and has a few items left to make that are minor like a pillow, a blanket, a diaper stacker, a basket hamper cover and a laundry hamper cover. But the bedding is DONE and I LOVE IT!!

Grandparents got to hold Will

Since Will reached 4lbs we allowed the grandparents to finally hold Will. They enjoyed their time with Will. Poppa Bill couldn't make it but he will get plenty of holding time in the future, I'm sure of.

Nana Karen and Will

Nana Lou and Will

Papaw Steve and Will

NICU Day 94

Will had a good night. He gained 10 grams and weighs 4lbs 2.3oz or 1880 grams. He is getting a blood transfusion because his blood count was low. So thank you Field Swoope for donating blood and Will is is finally getting your blood today. We are hoping this will boost his energy some and get him to eat a little better and also gain more weight. We are hoping he doesn't loose much weight but he will also receive lasik to help him not retain any fluids.

Very sleepy this morning

He doesn't want me to take his picture

Now he is just being funny

Nicu Day 93

Will FINALLY weighs 4lbs 2oz or 1870 grams. We were there when they weighed him last night and Doug said I probably woke up all the babies because I was so excited to see 4lbs on the scale. He is eating good and enjoying life. He is getting a bath today and will get blood work and a chest xray tomorrow. So we will see what that brings. Since Will hit 4lbs then we have decided to let grandparents begin to hold him. We will post pictures of that later. They are all very excited.

Nicu Day 92

Will had a good night. He is up to 3lbs 15.7oz or 1805 grams. He is steadily inching closer to 4lbs. We are praying he hits it soon like tonight. Dr Nading has written an order for every 4 hour feeding to be nursed or bottle feed. If he doesn't take 45-60mls either way then they tube feed up to 50mls. WOW I can't believe he started out at taking 5mls when he was first born. AMAZING progress he has made!! His blood count came up so no transfusion yesterday and they will check again on Monday.

NICU Day 91

Will had a good night. He gained 15 grams and now weighs 3lbs 15.5oz or 1805 grams. When he gets bottle fed he will get between 40-50mls and also a Similac human milk fortifier will be added to add extra calories. Slowly but surely I hope he will get to 4lbs this weekend.

NICU Day 90 & Happy 3 Months

Today marks 13 weeks and also 3 months that we have been in the NICU. That also means Will turns 3 months old today. He weighs 3lbs 15oz or 1790 grams. ALMOST to 4lbs. We are praying he hits 4lbs tonight. They increased his feedings by tube from 40mls to 45mls but when he bottle feeds he gets 35-45mls. Just a fun fact: 45mls = 1 1/2 ounces of milk. Tomorrow he will have lab work to determine if his blood count is still low and if he will need a blood transfusion.

As of today, he is resting and doing well.

His outfit says "Wild about Mommy"

He wasn't as wide eyed this morning so I think he wants me to get the camera out of his face

NICU Day 89

Will lost weight and now weighs 3lbs 13oz or 1730 grams. He measures 15 3/4 inches long and his head is 11 3/4 inches round. His feedings have been increased to 40mls by tube and still 35-45mls if he takes a bottle. As a mom I feel like it is my fault since I'm nursing him that I have made him loose weight but the nurses assured me that is not the case. His feedings have changed to every 4 hours and that is probably why because in a 24 hour period he is lost a feeding. He was every 3 hours with 8 feedings in a 24 hour period, now he is every 4 hours with 7 feedings in a 24 hour period. So that is contributing to the weight loss.

Will's eyes checked out great. The stage 2 ROP is still there but it is growing in the right direction and is improving so Dr Brawner will check his eyes in 2 weeks. He will have another blood count on Friday to check to see if his blood levels have increased or not. If they are still low then he will need another transfusion and we have donor blood that expires on April 23rd.

Wide awake for Mommy at 7:30am today

I look handsome in my new Paty Inc gown

Hello!

"He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes." Deuteronomy 10:21

First Baby Shower

Yesterday I had my first baby shower for Will. He was honored and blessed in so many ways and received so many presents. Thank you Teresa Stricklen, Teresa Cox, Margaret Ellis, and Ethel Benge for such a wonderful shower and for being such wonderful hostesses. Will received lots of clothes, toys, towels, and tons of owl things (mommy's favorites). I've got one more church shower and then after that I believe Will will be set with lots of great goodies! Thank you friends for all the great things for Will!

Will's cake! It was delicious!

The food table

With the grandmothers

Will's spread of goodies

His cute Owl Nap Mat

My diaper bag

Will's spread of clothes!

More owls!

NICU Day 88

Will had a good night. He gained weight and is up to 3lbs 15.3oz or 1795 grams. Yeah for almost 4lbs. His feeding schedule has changed to every 4 hours instead of every 3 hours. He will now feed at 8, 12, 4. He will need to take between 35-45ml if he bottle feeds and 37ml when he tube feeds every other time. His blood count was a little low, so they are starting him on epoetin shot for the next 10 days. His blood gas checked out great! So far so good for Will.

Passed out after a full belly

Fast asleep with a full belly after breakfast

NICU Day 87

Will had a good night. He gained some weight and now weighs 3lbs 14.1 oz or 1760 grams. He is doing fine. He was so hungry this morning when I fed him at 8 that he did such a good job eating. He is getting the hang of eating by the bottle and nursing. It has taken him a while to catch on. But once he gets the hang of it his jaw never quits moving. Mommy is back and work and so my time is limited to spend with him but I'm working out a morning shift and a lunch shift to visit Will and also to feed him. I guess getting up at 5:45am in the mornings is not so bad when I have something just so precious to look at.

Nicu Day 86

Will had a good night and gained weight. He weighs 3lbs 13.9oz or 1755 grams. The only changes today are for him to have an eye exam on Wednesday. Will is dressed in his Sunday best today. Daddy is not to fond of his outfit but Momma loves it!!

Nicu Day 85

Will had a good night. He lost weight and is down to 1715 grams or 3lbs 12.5oz. This is okay because he is using a lot of calories to maintain his body temperature. Dr Nading made no changes today. Yesterday Will passed his hearing test so we are proud of that. Praise God!!

So today we are going to enjoy our time with Will. Momma goes back to work on Monday and tomorrow I have my first baby shower which I am so excited about. Today we are just gonna soak up all the lovings we can get from Will today and enjoy our time with him.