Can you believe it!! Jason is already two weeks old. He is absolutely the most amazing baby. He is so calm and relaxed, and has everyone wrapped around his little fingers. He has changed so much in looks already, and is gaining weight like a champion. We had three conditions we had to fulfill before we could even talk about going home. The first was Jason had to maintain a body temperature of at least 36.5 Celsius. Until he was able to do that, we were only allowed to hold him for an hour a day, and the rest of the time he was in a boxed bed called an isolette.
Well step one is done! Jason is officially out of the isolette after a week and half of being in it. He is maintaining his temperature like a champion, and loves to snuggle with his new blanket he is allowed to have.
The 2nd step is weight gain. Jason has to be able to gain weight and keep it on, without having his temperature drop. So far he has been doing amazing with it. At two weeks old he weighed a whopping 4 pounds 6 ounces. Now that may not seem like a lot, but he was 3 pounds 6.1 ounces at birth and dropped down to 3 pounds 3 ounces a few days after birth. So with this weight gain we are absolutely thrilled. He is starting to fill out more and more. His little cheeks are getting chubbier and chubbier, and he just looks amazing.
The 3rd step, bottle feeding. Jason has to be able to take all his feedings by mouth instead of his ng tube. This has by far been the biggest challenge. He is still so small, that his energy fades fast. However his Dr. told me he should not even be attempting to bottle feed yet. Technically going by his due date, he is only 34 weeks and six days. Babies usually don't attempt to bottle feed until 35 or 36 weeks. Jason loves his bottle. He takes it so well, but we are still facing the challenge of the energy burnout. I have given up on trying to nurse him for now. He absolutely hates nursing, so I'd rather make his eating experiences enjoyable. So far we have taken 3 whole bottles in a 48 hour time span. He has bottle fed at every feeding, and is averaging between 18 and 31 per feed. He is only getting 36 ml's per feed, so we are very proud of how much he is taking. Hopefully we can continue to increase how much he gets per feeding. I love being up here with him, and helping with everything. The nurses here call me super mom, because I'm always here. They have to remind me to go eat or to take a nap. They are seriously the most amazing people. They take such good care of my baby and that is all I could ever ask for. They are like extra mom and grandma's to Jason and I.
Jason is also able to be held now more! Which means his grandma and grandpa Dale got to pay a visit and snuggle with him. My Aunt Vicki flew in from Nevada to see Jason, so she has also gotten to snuggle with him. And of course Aunt Sam loves to come snuggle with her baby.
This has been the hardest experience to date. My family is divided, with Daddy going to work and leaving Baby and I at the hospital. We are making the best of it though, and God has truly provided for my family. We are stronger and love each other more because of everything we have been going through. Jason is truly our little miracle baby from God and we are so blessed to have him.
Love The Price 3: Joshua, Courtney and Jason
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