Our little stinker!!!!

Owen had a fabulous day today! I stayed the night there last night...so maybe it was because his Mommy was so close the entire time! No matter what caused it, he definitely had a day to be happy about.

First - for the stinky part! Well, not really - his poo doesn't stink at all yet. But he had a very big bowel movement (all meconium) this morning. With a full term baby, this is nothing to be excited about - it's normal. But for a preemie, this is HUGE! It means he gets to continue getting breast milk at each feeding (he gets 1cc every three hours) and it proves that his little stomach and bowels are digesting the milk. Go Owen go!!!!

Owen's echo came back this morning and it's great news! He does have a teeny tiny valve that is still open, but the doc reassured us that this is very, very normal for a baby his age. The valve isn't even supposed to be closed yet. The vast majority of the time, the valve will close itself as he ages. If it doesn't for some reason, there is medication he can take that will fix the issue. More important, both the doc and nurses let us know that they aren't even hearing the murmur in his heart anymore. They are very happy with his status.

Yesterday I reported that Owen had a set back with his breathing and was downgraded back to the cpap from the high flow cannula. Well he did awesome over the past 24 hours and they decided to upgrade him to the high flow cannula again. Throughout the day his breathing just kept getting better and better - so much that he's on the lowest setting the high flow cannula can provide! The doc (who is wonderful) came in this morning and wanted to explain why they keep going back and forth. He promised it wasn't because they can't make up their mind - with preemies they like to see how far they can go without pushing them to the point that their bodies get too tired. It's walking a fine dance - letting their bodies do as much as they can without wearing out. Owen looks so uncomfortable wearing the cpap - I told him I was THRILLED to go back to the high flow. They're monitoring him very closely to make sure they don't have to go back, but the doc was confident that he wouldn't slide backwards. Keep your fingers crossed!

Owen's biliruben numbers are steadily increasing. They are still high enough that he has to be under the bili lights every day, all day, but they are low enough that the nurse today let me hold Owen for almost THREE hours. It was heaven. It took him a while to get comfy and to settle down on my chest, but once he did he was so happy. Daddy played the guitar for him (the lullaby he wrote for Owen) and Owen would start protesting every time he would stop playing. He loves his daddy's songs!

We were hoping Rory would get to hold Owen today too (he hasn't yet, sadly) but Owen was having such a good day the nurse thought it would be better to let him rest instead of moving him. It's a big ordeal to move him every time and get him settled (his heart rate bounces around a while every time before it settles) but we're hoping tomorrow is the day. I was thisclose to having Rory go first today, but I'm so happy I didn't. Owen protested so much at first because he couldn't get comfortable - poor daddy would have thought it was him making Owen unhappy. So hopefully tomorrow will be the day - I'll post pictures!

Last night I stayed with Owen at the hospital. He had such a rough day the day before and my heart hurt to leave him there. But, I only slept about an hour last night (maximum) so it definitely won't be a common occurrence...or I'll be sick and won't be able to visit at all!

Finally, I had my postpartum check-up today. It was very hard for me to go (I was the only mommy in the waiting room without my baby) but I passed with flying colors. My c-section incision is healing well, my pain is very manageable (I'm weaning myself off of the pain relievers a little more each day), and to put it mildly - I'm impressing the nurses with the milk supply our little guy has growing in his mini-fridge. Tonight Rory and I left the hospital before dinner (rare, we usually stay until after the 8pm 'cares') so I could come home and rest.

Speaking of resting - off to bed!

PS - 'cares' are what the nursing staff calls their check-ins. Every three hours, Owen's nurse comes into his room and changes his diaper, checks his temperature, feed him through his feeding tube, rearrange him so he's comfortable (tummy, back, or right/left side), checks his sensors once he's rearranged to make sure everything is being monitored correctly, fills his humidifier in his isolette (bed), and adjusts his bili-light sun goggles so they are covering his eyes completely. They also take time during this time to stimulate his little head by rubbing it, give him a few minutes out from under the bili-lights so he can open his eyes, and generally give the little guy a break. If any blood draws have to be taken, they happen during this time too so they can minimize the number of times he is disturbed throughout the day. We have been so impressed with the nursing staff's concern with his comfort - if he is fussing for more than a few minutes, they will always come in and rearrange him or see what is bugging him until he calms down. NICU nurses really are angels.

Owen is 6 days old today (tomorrow is his one week birthday)!