Happy 100 Days - and Valentines Day!

Alex hit his 100 days in the NICU on Monday, February 11th. Woo hoo! The NICU ordered him a cake, and gathered around to sing Happy Birthday. And it was a mighty tasty cake.

Alex is now a whopping 5 lbs. 14.5 oz! There are still a few things that need to happen before he'll be ready to leave the NICU, and while we're still very grateful for all the nurses and doctors (especially for any oxygen episodes Alex has), it's getting harder each day to not bring him home.

In order for Alex to be ready to come home, he needs to be able to do all of his feedings (breast and bottle) on his own for at least 48 hours. For the last few weeks he's been able to do about half of them, and the other half he is given through the tube. And even though it feels like we're a turtle climbing a hill in this process, I only have to look back over even the last couple of weeks to be reminded how far he's come. Especially with his size! Steven is now back at work full time after being able to work from home for a good while after Alex was born (bless you Conservice!). After spending just two nights in Logan this week before seeing Alex, Steven was astounded at the difference he saw in him. He's getting so much stronger, and is now so much closer to the size of a regular baby. Of course everyone always says that kids grow fast, but watching a baby gestate in front of you is quite a different experience.

He will be coming home on oxygen, but he will need to be clear of any apnea bradycardia episodes for a good time before he goes home as well. He still has episodes while eating sometimes when he gets overwhelmed with milk or chokes a little, but it's important that he doesn't have any just sleeping in his little bed that he needs help recovering from.

His eyes aren't yet in the clear from the ROP (retinopathy of prematurity), but after 7 or 8 visits from the eye doctor over the past couple of months, we have seen them worsen and then slowly start to get better. It has regressed a little, and could still take a good while to regress, but we're hoping and praying that it doesn't! The doctor is checking on them every week at this point.

Because of how early Alex was born, we will not be able to take him really anywhere for the first several months after he comes home. Steven and I will take turns going to church, and especially in the winter months for the first couple of years, he needs to be confined to the house as much as possible, with not very many visitors. This may be a little difficult for Steven and I, but we are aware of the risks for premature babies such as Alex who have been through so much with their lungs. Something as simple as a cold could be devastating to his little body in the first few years. Lungs were not designed to sustain a baby at 23+6 weeks old, and his little body has seen the consequences of that. But he is a little star for how well he's endured, and for how remarkably he has grown and healed. He will continue growing and getting stronger. He continually amazes me with his strength, will, and happiness. He's definitely a smiley little guy, and makes us so happy.

Probably the best part of our Valentine's day was when we were with Alex last night. He seriously just about does me in with his tiny body and how cute he is. It was fun to have Lori (one of our very favorite nurses) take care of him, and take some pictures for us. He got a really pleasant and content look on his face during and just after these pictures were taken. I wonder if he knows how much we adore him.

"Mom! Dad! Oh my gosh. I can't watch."

We can't wait to be together all three of us every single day!