February 8 - one day at a time

I spent my first sleepless night holding our sweet baby last night...and I enjoyed every minute of it! We are only giving Oliver fresh breast milk right now (because of Jack getting sick in the NICU-we want those antibodies just in case) and they needed more milk before 3:00 AM so I headed over to the NICU at about 10:00 last night and little Oliver was fussy. I suspect he was working on a big diaper and his tummy was uncomfortable so I held him skin to skin  with some pressure on his tummy which settled him right down. The only problem was that every time I tried to lay him down he would wake up and start grunting and making the saddest pull-at-mommy's-heartstrings sounds-and back into my arms he went! This continued for a couple hours and then he decided he'd like to socialize...and since he's rarely awake I couldn't possibly walk away from those adoring eyes!!

I don't think I got back to the room until well after 2:00AM, and I'm pretty sure I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

Rounds this morning were pretty boring. He had the usual platelet transfers last night (he was at 8,000 before his last transfusion and went up to 14,000 afterwards)...he ate his share of breast milk, his respiratory rate is a little elevated but still good, all his cardiac stuff looks great, his only medications were lasix (to help prevent him from retaining too much fluid) vitamins and diaper rash cream. We are still checking his platelets every 12 hours. There are 4 or 5 tests out right now (including the bone marrow biopsy). So far everything is coming back negative. His platelet issue and his elevated bilirubin levels continue to be his only problems. More tests are being run almost daily. So the only thing on his agenda today is platelet checks and transfusions as needed.

Jack and Jillian haven't been back to the NICU since Thursday. I am confident they aren't sick, but we wanted to wait 48 hours just to be sure. I would like to get them in to see their brother again soon!

I have pictures to share, but my laptop has gone haywire and the computers I have access to won't allow me to save anything...I will keep trying to figure out a way to post some photo's but for now just picture the cutest baby on earth...that's what Oliver looks like ;)