Gabe came home from the NICU on Friday May 21st. Four days after his orginial due date. We did come home with an apnea monitor for his spells during feeding. A spell is when you drop you heart rate (under 100 for him). His brain is forgetting to send a signal to his heart to continue to beat at the same rate. He always self recovers which is a good thing and he NEVER drops his oxygen rate which is also good. He has not had any of these spells since he came home. BUT since I brought 6 pieces of equipment home with Jacob, I felt I needed something. To just bring home a BABY would be way to easy and way to scary.
Greg and I had to learn CPR and go over some other things they make you learn before you take your preemie home. It's werid how if you have a term newborn, you just get to go home. If you have a preemie, you have to complete a checklist before they allow you to walk out the door with them.
Gabe came home weighing 5 lbs 5 ozs and he was @18 inches long. About 2 week before he came home, I was able to attempt to nurse him. To my surprise and the lacation nurses surprise, he did quite well. I will have to say that nursing is ALOT better than pumping. BUT getting up every 2-3 hrs during the night to feed him is rough. The hospital had him on an every 4 hr schedule, but for some reason-he will not do that for me.
Today we visited the doctor. Gabe is now 5 lbs 11 oz and was 18 1/2 inches long. SO-in 6 days he has gained 6 ozs. That's what happens when you eat every 2 hrs. A baby that eats for us is such a new experience. Jacob NEVER ate well and at night he was connected to a feeding pump for overnight feeding.
Gabe looks so much like Jacob did at this size. He is going to have dimples like Jacob and I. And of course, he still has the blue eyes. Guess I will never have a brown eyed child.
On Jacob's 9th birthday, which was April 26th he was given the opportunity to go visit Gabe in the NICU. We got some of the most precious pictures. He would only hold Gabe while he was sitting in Greg's lap. When we left, he told me that he thought Gabe was going to be a cool brother and that he was going to try to be the best big brother ever. I am sure when Gabe is mobile, things will change. But we will cherish the thought for now.
Today was the last day of school. I guess you could say that Jacob is now a 3rd grader. He wishes he could stay in 2nd grade, but he knows that he has to move on to meet a new teacher and new friends. Its sad to think that my little Jakey is growing up. It seemed like only yesterday I was dropping him off at Mothers Day Out. BOY-the time has really flown by. Before I know it, Gabe will be starting Kindergarten and Jacob will be in middle school.
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