2 Weeks Home

Gabe has been home for two weeks now. It has been quite an adjustment for all of us...including the cat and the dog.
At his weight check this week, he weighed 6 lbs 3 ozs. Since he has came home, he has ALMOST gained a pound. Its werid to go to a drs visit and actually have a child who gains weight. We were always lucky if Jacob gained an ounce or maybe two. We even considered ourselves lucky if he didn't lose weight.
I have came to the conclusion that breastfeeding is like a baby buffet. You can eat anytime you want and stay for ever how long you want. It seems to be a NEVER ending buffet. Supply and demand has become quite a problem for Gabe and I. He demands more and my supply is going down. This milk factory can not keep up with the chunky monkey that lives here.
Gabe has some interest already. He is really into looking at our lamps. Either he likes them or thinks we need new ones. He spends quite a bit of time just looking and studying them. He also loves to lay on the floor and "talk". He is quite noisy!
Our dog, Spanky, has decided that Gabe is his new best friend. He has started sleeping in Gabe's room. I think its mainly because Gabe is the only one who doesn't kick Spanky out when he starts snoring at night. Plus, Gabe has a rug in his room and Spanky's smell is not on it yet.
The cat is a whole different story. Bootsie doesn't understand WHY we now have another person in this house. She doesn't like the other people in this house, so do we really expect her to like this one. BUT she does get up with me most nights and go to Gabe's room for his nightly feedings. She has only been within about a foot of Gabe. She studies him and he "talks" to her. She does not like it when he talks to her or when he is on her bed (aka our bed).
Jacob spent most of the last week in Alabama. He was of course spoiled rotten by too many grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. He told me that everyone kept asking him about Gabe and he didn't want to talk about Gabe.
Jacob is really into holding Gabe. The only problem, he does't like to hold his head. According to him...it feels funny. Yesterday he decided that he wanted to change Gabe's diaper. He got the new diaper but changed his mind once Gabe tooted. He said he smelled like poop. Last night he wanted to pick him up and bring him to me. That didn't happen. If you can't hold his head, then you can't carry him. When Gabe has more head control, we will talk about carrying him to me.
Here is a picture taken of Jacob and Gabe on Jacob's awards day. He receive 2 awards (or as he calls them rewards). He received the most improved in all subjects and the most inquisitive award. That's a nice way of saying you ask to many questions. And he does.

Gabe is HOME!!

It has been a LONG time since I have updated my blog. To say that things have been busy around here would be a total understatment.
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.

Its been a while since I have updated my blog. Work is REALLY cutting into my leisure and internet time.
Gabe is doing wonderful!! He is taking the bottle beautifully. On Tuesday his bottle was increased to 2 times a day. That way he can get fed by the speech therapist during the day, and I can feed him at night. Last night he took his bottle for me in 19 minutes. It had 35 cc's in it-a little over an ounce. He was quite mad when he was unable to suck the VERY last little bit out. Yes, I think I have an eater on my hands. When I take the bottle away from him to burp him, he takes his itty bitty hands and pulls my hand back with the bottle.

Gabe is now up to 4 lbs 1 oz. In a few more ounces, we will leave the incubator behind and move to an open crib. This past weekend, Gabe was moved to the 8th floor. This is his last stop until he gets to go home.

Several people have asked how much he has to weigh in order to go home. There is really not a set limit. The main things now are getting him to eat ALL of his bottles (8 a day) and for him to have his oxygen turned down and then off. He is on very little oxygen and the flow is also low. I have already brought a baby home with oxygen before. I would LOVE to not have to do that again.

My due date was May 17th. We are hoping that we will be able to bring him home, oxygen free, sometime around then. Thanks for all you prayers. They are working!! Miracles still do happen. And I never thought I would be the mother to two of them!

Happy Easter!

Gabe has had quite an eventful Friday and Saturday. The NICU is divided up into 3 levels...High, Intermediate, and Low. We have been on the High side since Gabe was born. WELL...On Friday afternoon we were downgraded to the Intermediate side aka "The Pond." It was nice to be able to move and know that he is doing well enough that he can be downgraded. This was a new feeling for us. Jacob was NEVER downgraded. We left from the high side.
Also on Friday, Gabe got to try his 1st bottle. He LOVES his pacifier. So, we were able to attempt it. He only took about 5 cc's from the bottle. At first, he had NO IDEA what to do with the milk that he got out of the bottle. But he eventually figured it out. On Monday he will be officially 34 weeks, so we will be giving the bottle more and more attempts. I hope he is not lazy like Jacob was. Jacob was smart enough to figure out that if you don't try to hard then they will tube feed it to you.

Gabe is 3lbs 4ozs. He has to be 1500 grams in order to wear clothes. Gabe is 1470 grams. BUT since it was Easter and I wanted cute Easter Pictures, we dressed him up. Here he is in his Easter outfit.

He cried the WHOLE time I was putting the clothes on him. Once he was dressed, he was too tired to open his eyes. He is not that impressed with clothes. Or maybe it was that he preferred a different outfit. He was still wearing his clothes when we left. If he can keep his temperature up himself, he will be wearing clothes from now on.

Gabe has changed so much in the last 7 weeks. He no longer looks like an alien with transparent skin. He now looks like a baby doll that you would give a little girl to play with. A baby doll that can whine, cry, poop and pee. One that you can feed, give a bath and dress up. Gabe has blond hair and dark blue eyes (i think they will stay that color). He looks alot like Jacob did at this size. One major difference-Gabe has hair and it doesn't look like its going away. Jacob didn't have hair until he was 2. And when it came in, it was RED!! Luck for us, it has gotten lighter and he is now a strawberry blond. Gabe looks like he will be a blond. Here is a picture of him taking a bath. He kept trying to slide down further into the water.

I hope everyone has a Wonderful Easter. The Easter bunny will be making his stop here tonight I am sure. This year he will be leaving gifts for my two little miracle boys. And I am so thankful that I have been given the pleasure of being their Mommy. Happy Easter!!!

Chunky Monkey

I now have a chunky baby!! Gabe is now 3 lbs 1 oz and he is 15 1/4 inches long. I know that 3 lbs isn't big to some people. BUT when you start out at less than 2 lbs, you are chunky at 3 lbs. He can wear clothes at 1500 grams (which is roughly 3lbs 8 oz). I can't wait until he can wear clothes!! I do plan on put at least a shirt on him for Easter. I am not a person who allows my children to have holiday pictures made in NOTHING but a diaper.
Gabe is now eating 25cc at a time-5 more cc's and we will be at an ounce.
Gabe would have been 33 wks today IF he would have decided to stay around in my womb a little longer. Next week he will be 34 wks. I am hoping that they try to bottle feed him. He loves a pacifier, so hopefully he will get the whole suck, swallow, breathe thing down.
Gabe is still on the nasal cannula at about 30% oxygen (sometimes less). He is a morning baby. He is awake in the mornings but not so much at noon (when I am usually there). He is quite vocal about his likes and dislikes. He likes when Greg holds him. He dislikes when he has to wait for his food. Thirty minutes before his feeding time, he gets quite unhappy. That is VERY confusing to us. If you know us well, you know that Jacob is NEVER hungry. The kid could skip a whole day of eating, and I don't think it would bother him at all. I guess that is why he is almost 9 and doesn't weight 50 lbs yet. Gabe just may love food.
I go back to work in 2 weeks. Jacob will be happy, and I will not have to deal with the tears, constant complaining, and the fake sickness. I keep reminding him that I will only be back for a few weeks, then off again to be with Gabe when he comes home. I have a feeling Jacob will be quite jealous of Gabe, once he is home.

New Update

Gabe has had a GREAT week. He is up to 2 lbs 10 oz. He is also 14 1/2 inches long. I am hoping he is able to wear clothes by Easter.
Gabe did have a spot come up on the side of his face in his hairline. It was tested for MRSA and any other type of infection. It came back negative-Thank God. As of Sunday, it looks WONDERFUL!! Even the scabs are gone! He spent about 3 days in a oxygen hood in order to give his head time to heal. Here is a picture of him in his "hood".

On Sunday, he was put back on the nasal cannula. It has been nice to be able to hold him the last 2 days. He likes to be held so that he can see. I think he might be nosey like his big brother.
Gabe had his eye exam, and his eyes look good. The nurse said he DID NOT like the eye exam at ALL. That his cry was so loud that you would have thought he was a big baby, not a 2 lb baby. I wish I would have been there. The same eye doctor visits Centennial from Jacob's time. He even done an eye surgery on Jacob in the NICU on July 4th, 2001. I know he has to remember a holiday "surprise" surgery.
Being a preemie and being on oxygen is not always the best thing for your eyes. Hopefully Gabe will have better eye sight than Jacob does. And I want have to keep up with 2 pair of glasses.
We are still waiting until the time when Jacob can go in and see Gabe. Jacob wrote him a note. It is the cutest thing!

Greg starts a new job on Monday-my dining room will no long be his messy office. I go back to work in 3 weeks. And Jacob's baseball season has started. Hopefully, all things will work out so that we are still able to go see Gabe daily. It makes me sad to think I may have to go a day or even two without seeing him. Jacob may have to learn what a babysitter is.

Happy 1 Month Birthday!!

Yesterday Gabe is 1 month old. WOW-how this month has flown by. Gabe is now up to 2lbs 7 oz. He is on 20 cc's of breast milk. That is 2/3 of an ounce. He is tolerating his feeding quite well. I still HATE pumping. I really do think a man (or the devil) came up with the idea of a breast pump. I guess I will keep it up a little longer. At his last length check--which is done once a week, he was 13 3/4 inches long.
Earlier this week he was put back on the cpap machine since the nasal cannula was messing up his nose. We can't have an ugly nose!! The cpap mask is giving his nose a little break. He also has a little spot on the side of his face where something has given him a blister looking area. It doesn't look bad, but I am sure it will leave a little scar, also known as a battle scar. Jacob has MANY of those.
Gabe is doing quite well. He does keep having little "spells" where his heart rate drops down. He really needs to stop doing that. And they tell me he will stop doing it...remember the NICU is a waiting game.
In another pound (@ 3 lbs), Gabe will be able to wear clothes. This is quite exciting!! I have already gotten Jacob's old preemie clothes out. BOY did I forget how little they were. And to think-right now they are too big for him! I did buy him 2 new preemie outfits. HE can't have all hand me downs from his big brother.
Since yesterday Gabe was a month old, we did coke can pictures. The top one is when he was 1 week old. The bottom is from yesterday.


We were able to get a little movie of Gabe crying. He has a loud cry for such a little baby. Hopefully this week he will be back on the nasal cannula.