February 7 - Testing 1-2-3

Finally! I apologize for taking so long to blog, for some reason I have had a difficult time accessing the internet...Oliver is doing fine-about the same as he has been, maybe even a little better with the exception of his liver and platelets. He had a bone marrow biopsy today (should have results back in a few days) and in preparation for that he received a blood transfusion and (of course) more platelets. His platelet check at 4:00AM was 12,000-which is actually higher than it has been :)

I was able to hold our sweet boy for a couple hours after the biopsy. He melts my heart and I can't wait until this is all figured out so we can be home neglecting our responsibilities and laying in bed gazing at our little fighter. Who knew babies were so tough!

His nutritionists have allowed him to go back to breast milk-we are very excited about that!! They did insert a feeding tube through his nose so they can supplement any feeds he doesn't take (or finish) orally. He is still on 'high flow' (the air through the cannula) but the respiratory specialist said his breathing looks terrific!

His billi levels continue to rise, but his liver is doing everything else it is supposed to do, so we are still looking at tests to help us figure out what's going on there. Every test result that has come back in the last two days has been negative...this kid is a tough nut to crack!

In addition to his PICC line, Oliver has to have an IV. It has been placed in his left arm for the last few days and this morning they removed it and inserted another one in his scalp. It looks horrible, but it is much more comfortable for him and the veins in babies scalps are easier to access. He seems to like being able to move his arm near his face, and I'm sure it's nicer without the IV in the way.

Jack and Jillian were able to meet their baby brother yesterday, however their visit was cut short because Jack threw up in Oliver's room! We have been giving Oliver the fresh breast milk instead of the colostrum today and will continue to do so- that way he will get the antibodies to whatever Jack has...if he has anything at all. The nurses seem to think it was a combination of nerves and all the junk food he ate. I hope they're right!

P.S. More pictures coming soon!!! ;)