Two Weeks

Henri actually looking quite relaxed after his circumcision today.



Daddy lovin' on his boy after a rough day.

At 3:36 pm Henri Warren Byrge officially turned 2 weeks old. And as if that were not a big enough event, he was shuffled off to another room in the hospital unsuspecting of the encounter he was about to have. He was then undress, placed on a cold hard surface and strapped down at all four extremities. Then it happened....his circumcision was done today. I clearly remember watching one in nursing school thinking I never wanted to see it again..and here we are. I did not view Henri's circ, but I will now be caring for it until it is healed. It's amazing how I can do what I do for a living and care for kids so sick like it's just another day at work, but cry at the drop of a dime when my own son has to go through a circ. Henri did not feed well after his circ, but the feed after that he jumped right back into the swing of things taking 55 cc's (30cc's is 1 ounce) of breast milk. He continues to maintain his own temp in the open crib and has passed his car seat challenge with flying colors. Tonight was a big night on the scale....this was a huge test. In the past 24 hours he has been thrown a lot of challenges and we really wanted to see weight gain. Henri came in at 4 lbs. 5 oz. He continues to please the doctors and most importantly...his parents. God has been incredibly merciful to Josh and I and Henri in the past two weeks. In some ways I was just laying on the operating table praying for Henri to cry....and in some ways the past two weeks have taken a lifetime. We really rely and appreciate all the well wishes and prayers for our family and are looking forward to bringing Henri home in the near future.

Cribs

Here is Henri in the open crib, as you can see, it hasn't seemed to phase him in the least.



Cuddle time with his daddy. Sooo comfy.


This morning was a huge one for Henri. The neonatologist decided that Henri deserved a change of address in the NICU. They moved him from and isolette today into an open crib. They also changed his feed order to read that he needs a minimum of 1 oz of breast milk every three hours, but he can have what he wants to make him happy. This morning at his 0800 feed, he took a whopping 50 ml's on his own! The doctors continue to be amazed with his progress and they have asked us to bring his car seat in so that they can perform a car seat challenge on him. This is just one step closer to being home, and it requires him to be on a monitor while in the car seat to ensure that he will tolerate it. Josh and I don't have our hopes up too high, but we are hopeful that in the next week and a half Henri may be able to come home for the first time! The nursery here at home continues to make progress and Josh will be putting colored paint on the walls this weekend! We may even have the time to order a crib?

Piglet

Auntie Shannon grinning ear to ear during cuddle time with H man.



Cuteness!


Well, Henri continues to make enormous improvement in the area of feeding! He has been taking most, if not nearly all his feeds by mouth for 24 hours, and has even nursed without supplement once in that time. He is getting stronger and more opinionated every day and Josh and I are so excited about it. We should also say that although his feedings are going great, there is a trade-off. His weight last night was unchanged, but we had not lost any!!!! So he remains in the incubator with it turned off. Henri will have to demonstrate the ability to nurse and take feeds WHILE gaining weight before he can be moved to an open crib. Having said that, there is no rush. He will just be 12 days old this afternoon, and we are asking him to do a lot without complaining! Lucky for us he continues to amaze us everyday and make improvements toward home. Yesterday we got a cute shot, and his Aunt Shannon got some cuddle time with him as well. Until next time...enjoy.

We are not calling him chunky....yet!

So we have decided that every single day in your child's life is momentous to you. Although, there are some that are bigger than others. Today just so happens to be one of those days for Henri. Henri is weighed every night with his 8 pm care. We are always sure to be at the hospital for that care and tonight was no exception. Henri was placed on the scale tonight...and drum roll please..........came in at 4 pounds even!! We were so amazed that is has happened so soon, yet..... Henri has amazed us everyday for the past 9 days. He is beginning to nurse and getting a little more consistent with his bottle feedings. Consistency is great, and the feeding tube is still coming in handy at about every other feed when he is simply to tuckered to take anything by mouth. Henri's neonatologist thinks that he may be challenged in an open crib by the end of the week! We have the weekly comparison photo with his turtle and another of Henri being his expressive handsome self. Enjoy.

One Week!

A very proud Uncle Chris.



Snugggle time with Daddy.



Sweetness.


So yesterday was a bit hectic and we did not get around to this post, but Henri turned a week old yesterday! We are both amazed at what has passed before our eyes in this last 7 days. Henri is well on his way to becoming a "feeder/grower" in the Special Care Nursery. And for those who may not know.....that is great news. Henri has had no IV for 3 days, his jaundice is resolving, he is holding his own temperature in the incubator, and most of all, he is tolerating his feeds and has gained weight! He is up to 3 lbs. 11 oz, so only 3 oz down from his birth weight. That is simply amazing. He is a very expressive boy and has initiated both of us with bodily functions this week. Mommy was nursing and got thrown up all over, and Daddy was changing a diaper and apparently not swift enough, because Henri drenched his shirt from inside the incubator! They were both very normal baby events that made us both very happy. Henri's grandparents, great-grandma, and uncle were able to visit with him this weekend and he enjoyed being loved on so much. Sunday is one of Henri's bath nights, and he will be weighed again. We will also snap another photo of him next to his turtle. We will do this weekly on Sunday's so that everyone can keep track of his growth. Now it should be said that this is a move that we have totally stolen from our great friends the Broge's. They did this with their twins, and it works great! Sometimes it is hard to know just how little a baby under 4 pounds really is, so we hope this helps. Her are a few pictures for you to enjoy....although you should be warned that you may weep uncontrollably from the rush of cuteness.

Down with the TPN, up with the Feeds

Bath time! As you can see...he is oh so excited for it!



This is what we mean by kangaroo or "roo" care. This is where Henri gets to lay skin to skin with us. It is great for his development. He really feels like he is back inside there because it is warm and he can hear my heartbeat. He sleeps better there than in his incubator.




This is Henri under the bili lights....the goggles protect his sensitive eyes from the light.


So Henri continues to amaze his parents every SINGLE day. Yesterday was a huge day! His jaundice coloring is resolving since he has been under the bili lights, and he was advanced to his current goal feeds. He getting just over an ounce of breast milk every three hours. He was also able to to get his IV out because he no longer needs supplemental nutrition through it. He was bathed last night...and in true newborn fashion....hated every minute of it. Although it should be said that there was a light at the end of that tunnel for Henri. He began to root after his bath and we put him to the breast for the first time. He was able to latch, suck, and even take a few swallows before he was tuckered! It was most likely a bigger day for mommy than Henri when that happened. We will post some pictures of him from the past couple of days and thank everyone so so much for the continued support, prayers, and inquiries.

Amazing Men in my life.

I'm going to try and get a quick note in while Josh is getting some much needed sleep. First......we have done it...through no great surprise from the Almighty, we have done it. God has gotten me through things in the past two weeks that I conceived were completely impossible. Second....my husband. Girls like me must arbitrarily fall into the laps of men like my husband more often than not, but he has been so amazing getting not only me, but his son through the past week. I have told him several times that it just would never have worked with anyone else, and it's the truth.....I love that man more every day. He is such a natural with our son, and makes me appreciate so much more the impact he will have on Henri's life. I love you so much Josh. Third...the new man of my life...what do you say? You can't say anything most of the time. You just observe....quietly....and in those moments you realize what God must feel about you. You realize that you have been given a privilege in life that some people for whatever horrible reason don't get to experience. You realize in those moments that creating a child and being his parent is so far beyond what you can take credit for. I just got off the phone with the special care nursery, and Henri had a great night. He has tolerated advancing his feeds, and has actually taken the last three feeds mostly by mouth. He is still under the bili lights (picture to come soon) and working on his growing. Occupational therapy is working with him, and we are able to do kangaroo care at least once a day with him now, sometimes twice. Thank you to everyone for all your support and prayers, it's going to get all three of us through this.