A Couple of Things

When I say that time in the NICU is a rollercoaster ride, I truly mean that. I posted yesterday that Jake had taken all of his bottle on Friday night, and we were so very excited at his progress. It was very good progress to be sure, but when we went to visit yesterday, we were told that the doctors thought it best to take Jake back to only one bottle a day instead of two. I was devastated. Luckily, the nurses in NICU are wonderful, and our nurse that day noticed I was upset and sat down to explain what was going on to us. She explained that we shouldn't look at this as a setback; instead, we should realize that Jake was probably being pushed too hard to begin with and that taking him back to one bottle a day increases his chances for success at actually taking that one bottle.

It is hard to reconcile the emotional part of me with the logical part; I know that what they are doing is best for my baby boy, but the mother in me just wants them to push and push so that he can come home. Our nurse said that we should anticipate him coming home on or around his due date (February 2) and that if he comes home before then it will be a pleasant surprise.

One of the most difficult things about NICU is that one day you can be on top of the world and the next you are discouraged because things are progressing the way you want them to.

Most everyone has told us that the light usually comes on around what would have been week 36 or 37 (a week or so from now) and that is when NICU babies usually start to eat better. We're praying it happens sooner rather than later.

Today Jake weighed 4lbs 4oz. He's really packing on the weight. He didn't take his bottle, but he did take some, so that is a good sign. He just got so tired he couldn't finish. Pray for stamina for him to finish his bottles.

Here's Jake cuddling with his daddy.



Now let me share a picture and story about Abby. The Sunday before Jake came, the preschoolers sang in church. Most of you have seen preschoolers perform in church, and you know there is always that one kid who stands in the middle of the stage and becomes the center of attention. For us, there were two of them: Abby and Naomi!

Abby just stood there and laughed and laughed her silly little laugh, and Naomi encouraged Abby to take a bow at the end of the performance. It was precious.