Sorry we have been busy growing...

Miles is now jabbering and loves to say woo, woooo. And then lets out a laugh. In the bathtub the other day - he actually let out a double laugh- a full on cackle. It was terrific! He is also loving his green Froggy. He hugs it practically all day long. We will be posting a video soon of Miles talking.

2 months old today

In the mornings he loves to look out the window sitting in his bouncy chair. He is feeling a little sleepy in this one - that is why his eyes are puffier than normal.

Sitting Up with the Hiccups

He loves to look out the window in his room. There is a big tree right outside that has tons of shapes and shadows in the leaves that keeps him very interested!

8 pounds and 8 ounces

We had our 2 month old Doctors visit today....

Doctors first words were WOW- he is really catching up quickly for being born early. Miles now weights 8 pounds and 8 ounces. He was very impressed with how alert and strong he is too. He handled his shots very well I thought, only a few screams and then settled back to his happy-self. Hopefully he won't have any side effects tonight. He seems a little more fussy than normal but that is to be expected.

September Winds

Miles eats every 3.5 to 4 hours now. After his early morning feeding around 5:30 or 6 am - Miles and I take a morning nap in the big bed. He sleeps longer and we both feel rested when we awake. He wakes with a big yawn and then a smile at me. He is finally big enough to wear Newborn sizes now. He is sporting a stripped long-sleeved onese this morning given by his Auntie R.

Like a light switch, September has brought cool temperatures and morning breezes. Even Lenny is willing to wake up and enjoy the morning air. After we have our late breakfast we sit outside for a bit.

When someone seems alittle sleepy and ready for the late morning nap we go back inside. This is the time Mommy tries to work.

This morning...

Cardio Tests

Yesterday at 2pm - Miles and I went to the Children's Memorial Hospital to get a 24-hr heart monitor taped to his chest. The doctors want to be extra sure that his heart is working properly. I am so proud of how he has dealt with all the wires again. Just a brief batch of fussiness last night but overall he has remained in good spirits. I can remove the monitor in a few hours and then drop it off at the hospital this evening. The next cardio appt. is the 25th -  he will get an Echo which studies the anatomy of the heart.

Nurse Ruby once again offered her support (under my supervision). All the cords seemed to concern her.

Napping with the Dogs

Look at all my babies. I love them all!

A wonderful sniff of the toes!

Now touching my toes!

Back to relaxing!

1 Month Old

As of August 16th, Miles is one month old. He is definitely a foodie- and looks forward to his meals promptly every three hours. He can get pretty vocal about it if the staff runs a few minutes late. Recently purchased these white oversize bibs - they are great!  Absorb quickly and feel soft.

Moment of peace after eating...followed by his classic side grin. 

5 lbs and 6 oz

We went to the pediatrician again on Wed. to check his progress. In just one week he has gained almost one full pound. Below are a few photos that capture the day he left the hospital, his first experience in his crib and the happy little man in his swing. He is filling out and soon will be able to wear newborn diapers instead of premie. His belly is starting to hang over the top of the diaper when he leans forward to burp!

Tired

Ruby is our faithful assistant - waking up with each feeding and sitting up with us. She is now officially tired. She had to skip the early morning shift and decided to keep Mom's pillow warm. What a love bug!

Hello Miles

What an adventure Ruby is having. So far she has been very curious about who's living in this new crate. We haven't let her get very close yet. But she seems to harbor only the gentlest of thoughts for Miles. She is nothing less than amazed to see such a tiny person. Lenny on the other hand seems intent to sleep for all of us as if to say "Wake me up when it's over."

 

Miles' First Bath

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Here comes Miles

After Eleven days of NICU captivity, we will finally be bringing Miles home. Lenny and Ruby are beside themselves and after a sleepless night of anxiety they are overwhelmed with delight and anticipation. Mom's breast milk is high octane all right. Miles put on 70 grams in one day off of that fortifier. To put that into perspective, the average is 15 grams per day. Healthy Italian cooking wins again.

So that's it. We're going in at eleven this morning to fill out a mountain of paperwork and officially gain receipt of our son. Stay tuned.

Grow Miles Grow

While everything appears to be on the up and up, the doctor said tonight that she would like Miles to stay for a little while longer. His extra heart beat is still around. (extra love) We're also not seeing the weight gain the doctor would like. There was some discussion as to weather or not Miles should take fortifier with his milk to help him bulk up. He tried it but then puked all over dad for the first time. While this could have been a result of bad burping, fortifiers are the subject of some controversy online. So we're putting the supplements on hold and first thing monday we'll do a caloric evaluation of Moms milk. If it's more than 24 calories per ounce fortifiers are not necessary. I've seen Mom's milk and I'm guessing 25 cal/oz.

Almost home

 

Being 5 weeks early has its disadvantages. The dogs suffering confusion of where Mom's bump has gone to. Missing out on that awkward 9th month of pregnancy. But leaving the hospital without this new person has got to be the worst. Miles has been in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of North Western Memorial Hospital for 6 days now and he's getting bored of it. He is left to spend his time on the perch of some neoclassical incubator know only as "the Giraffe." Thankfully the facility is wonderful and allows parents 24 hour access to his private suite. We immediately free Miles from his warmer and stuff him, wires and all, into our bare chested embrace. (This is known as Kangaroo Care). We each take turns in the supplied recliner feeding and lulling to the sounds of ocean breeze or whatever comes next on the relaxing nursery rhymes playlist. (thank you Nina)


We are told the diagnoses are common. A touch of jaundice, low blood sugar, premature sleep apnea and an annoying case of Bradycardia (look it up). Overall he is improving well. But each time he has a Bradycariac event it's 5 more days on his NICU sentence. Last event: Wed the 22nd. Poor Lenny and Ruby. They just need to meet this little guy.

Not just another day

Apparently a baby's due date is just as reliable as that date arbitrarily stamped onto the side of your milk carton. It was 5 weeks on the early side when our baby's bag of water broke, almost as if something caught his nose from the kitchen that night and he just had to get out for a better sniff. Dinner would be on hold for the next two nights.

I think this picture sums up all of the excitement as we went from a fluid test in triage that confirmed pre labor to being whisked up to room 869 where "it" would all go down. We laughed and laughed. Check out photos of the 38 hour baby debutante gala, complete with aromatherapy, chakra healing music and our Doula Valerie under "Image Galleries" in the upper right.