Photo Shoot

When Mimi came to visit we decided to take some fun pictures of Tucker. He was a very good model until the end when he was tired of being messed with.

8 Weeks Old

A few highlights on what is going on with Tucker.....

• He is up to 6 lbs 1 oz.
• He is almost 19 inches.
• He had to go back on his Zantac because he was refluxing and it was hurting him.
• He has only had a few alarms on his monitor with his breathing slowing but once we talk to him and stimulate him a little he comes right back up.
• He went to the doctor for his 2 month check and got 2 shots.
• He loves to be awake late at night.
• He has discovered that he loves to look at the fan and anything that moves around.

Adjusting to life at home

We have been home for 24 hours now. Life has certainly changed now that he is home with us, it is still sort of surreal that he is ours since for 50 days he wasn't home with us. It is hard to move him around too much with his monitor but we are adjusting. Tucker is eating every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. He doesn't like the powder formula very much since he is used to the already prepared formula from the hospital. It keeps his tummy full longer too if he eats the already prepared formula so daddy is off to the store to go get more until we can find out from Dr. Guetersloh what we can try instead. A fuller tummy means he will sleep longer too.  His heart/breathing monitor went off two times during the middle of the night. It scared mommy because it showed he wasn't breathing. I picked him up and said his name and stimulated him and his breathing came back up. That was the scariest thing ever. After I got him back to sleep I just laid in bed and cried because I'm so afraid that it is going to happen again and we won't be able to get him to start breathing again. It has happened before at the hospital but there were always nurses there to help, it is just us now. He doesn't like to sleep for long periods of time. I've learned that he will sleep longer if he is in the bouncy seat or swing. Mommy and Daddy are adjusting to not getting a lot of sleep either.

50 Days

After 50 days in the NICU we were able to come home from the hospital. Last night we had to room in at the hospital and learn how to use his monitor that he has to wear all the time. He did really well. Mommy is a very light sleeper so everytime that he stirred I woke up, needless to say mommy is very sleepy but he is so worth it.

Hanging out on the bed with daddy. He slept much better on our bed than in his hospital bed.

One last feeding before we headed home.

All dressed up and ready to go home.

Our family of 3 finally able to all go home from the hospital together.

On our way home, he enjoyed the car ride.

Relaxing on the couch at home.

First Mothers Day

Because of you my dream of becoming a mommy has come true.

Never in my life would I have imagined my first mothers day being spent in the NICU because my baby wasn't home with me yet. This morning I woke up knowing that today he would have been dedicated at church if he had already gotten to come home from the hospital. I told Mark that I didn't think that I could go to church and watch all the other babies be dedicated when mine was still in the hospital. Instead of going to church Mark made me breakfast and then we went and fed Tucker and I got to love on him while he was sleeping. At his 9:00 feeding tonight it marked 24 hours of bottle feeding and no tube feeding, the best mothers day present I could have asked for today.







Instead of getting to love on my baby at home today I got to go and be with other mommies who were celebrating their mothers day in the NICU and who understand the journey that we are enduring all to well. The nurses were very thoughtful and wished us Happy Mothers Day. Even the cleaning lady who I see everyday wished me Happy Mothers Day. I couldn't be more grateful for the support system we have at the NICU.

Rub a Dub Dub

I got to take my first bath in a tub.

Tucker loved his first tub bath tonight. He was very relaxed the whole time and didn't want to get out.

Birthday Present

For my 6 week birthday today I got a very good present, I passed my car seat test! That means that I am one step closer to going home, YEAH!

A few updates on me.....

• I am still working on bottle feeding.
• I'm going to have to come home with a monitor because I can not get off my heart medicine. The doctors tried to take me off of it but I kept dropping my heart rate and oxygen again and stopped bottle feeding because I was working too hard to remember to breathe. Dr. Sparks said it could take up to 44 weeks gestation to grow out of it, I will be 36 weeks tomorrow.
• I am now 17 1/2 inches long.
• I am now 5 lbs 8 oz.

35 Days Old

Yesterday Tucker turned 5 weeks old. He broke the 5 pound mark this week! He is no longer in preemie diapers and can't wear most of his preemie outfits anymore. He is up to 45 cc's ( 1 1/2 oz) for his feedings. He is still working on bottle feeding. He gets the concept of suck, swallow, breath but he is having trouble staying awake to eat because it wears him out. We keep trying at every feeding to take a bottle and some are more successful than others. The OT suggested I get a Dr. Brown's bottle with a preemie nipple to try because it might be easier for him to take. He had his eyes tested today and the doctor said that they look great for his developmental age. He wants to check them again in two weeks just to make sure they are still developing as they are now. He is still taking Zantac for his reflux and they are trying to wean him off his heart medicine.  Mommy and Daddy took the infant CPR class so we are trained on what to do in case it is needed once he is home. Mommy went to a carseat class today and learned quite a lot about carseats, another step needed before we head home. It has been a long 35 days in the NICU but we are so thankful for how well he is doing and for all of the wonderful nurses that are taking care of him.