72 days old...

A few changes so far this week...

As of last night, he's 5 lbs, 10 oz! Connor was too big on Monday to stay cool naked in the isolette (kept overheating), so he's been moved into a big boy crib - back to wearing clothes and being swaddled. He can't stand to be free and flailing, so swaddling's been helping with that.

Naturally, his incision from his gut surgery turned into a wound... he had some oozing last week, and the surgeon had to open it back up a bit. The fascia is still intact, thankfully, and the nurses are keeping a close watch. It's starting to heal up, slowly.

They've been slowly weaning Connor from his doses of morphine, saving them for the major hands-on assessments. He seems to be tolerating it pretty well.

He's still on the ventilator, but has been making huge strides in being weaned. He hates the tube, and we frequently find him with his hand wrapped around it, ready to pull it out. I would imagine if not later today, then possibly tomorrow, he'll be able to get rid of it (provided he's weaned from morphine as well).

His nurses deemed him stable enough to be held again, even while intubated, on Monday evening. It's a complicated process, but they've been perfectly patient to help get him situated and cozy in our arms. As much as we missed holding him last week while he was recovering from surgery, he seemed to miss it even more.

Yesterday, Connor took his first step towards feedings with 5ml of Pedialyte. He's been a super-duper pooper the last few days, so they were hoping his system could handle it. But, it was a little too soon, and he didn't digest it... we'll try again in a couple of days.

As for Brian and I - we're exhausted - mentally, physically, and emotionally. We'll hang on, because we have to, but we're so ready for this NICU experience to be over, and for Connor to be here at home with us. Hoping we're in the home stretch now. We so appreciate everyone's prayers and words of encouragement - it's all that keeps us going some days.

On a really happy note...
One of Connor's "girlfriends", Natalie, gets to go home soon - we couldn't be more thrilled! She was born a couple of weeks after Connor, and has had her own hurdles to overcome. Her parents have created a team, The Nat Pack, for the local March for Babies Walk this April. If you'd like to help out and donate to this cause benefiting preemies, please go here to sponsor The Nat Pack.