Mmmmm, Good Stuff!

Love his chicken legs and big puffy sockies!

Owen had an exciting day today! He got to try drinking milk from a bottle for the very first time. He has been doing well with a pacifier and when we hold him, he moves his face back and forth with his mouth open (this is called rooting), so his nurse thought it would be good to try giving him a little bit of milk from a bottle. He definitely enjoyed it, but his suck, swallow, breath skill isn't mature enough yet, so he ended up coughing and his oxygen dropped a bit. The nurse said that he got a good amount and is a "good sucker," so she expects that once he develops more, he will be a very good eater for us.

He's been off of his nasal cannula since around 3PM yesterday, which is the longest he's gone without it. Way to go buddy! Daddy and I are so proud of you!!! Owen lost 20 grams, so he is now weighing in at 1640. They say around 1800 he'll get to try coming out of his isolette. He'll have to start wearing clothes first though! We've got his preemie clothes all washed and ready to go here at the NICU, so whenever they tell us he can start wearing clothes, we are ready!

He had very few spells overnight, so the meds that they put him on seem to be doing the trick.

I'm enjoying today because unfortunately, it is my last day here at the NICU with Owen before I go back to work on Monday. It's been a struggle for me to come to that decision, but I really want to have time off with him when he gets to come home. I know that he is in excellent hands here at Children's. I think the world of his full-time nurse, Mona, but I've really learned to cherish the time I get to sit and hold Owen skin-to-skin. It started out just once a day, but now I'm up to about 4-5 hours a day. As much as I want him to come home, I know that there will never be another time in my life that I will just get to sit - uninterrupted - and stare at my baby's fingers and ears and nose in amazement for hours out of the day. When I'm at the NICU all day, the laundry doesn't call to me, the dishwasher doesn't get my attention, dinner doesn't need to be cooked. I know that once I'm at home, that will change.

Big stretch before I get my diaper changed! Love those wrinkly thighs! (His buns look like that too! I will spare him from future embarrassment and won't post those pictures!)

We believe in miracles! Laur and Paul