Wade Family Zoo: Logan Day 19

Well, there really aren't any changes with Logan. He's gained more weight - now 5lbs 4oz - he's now a pound up from birth weight! He is still on two bottles - and didn't finish either of them yesterday, so he's going to continue to work on those. On the downside, he's had more apnea episodes. :( He actually had one right when I got there. His heart rate decreased and he need minor stimulation to get out of it. They wondered if he had some sort of infection, so they ran some blood work on him. Poor little man was stuck 3 times in his heels. He actually slept through most of the sticks. He sure is a trooper! Thankfully, the blood work came back negative - so no infections!

I got up to the hospital around 1:45. I changed his diaper and because he slept through that, the nurse and I decided to let him eat through his feeding tube. Well, as soon as she left and I was sitting with my little man, he decided to wake up. He was so cute! Just looking at me and looking around, absorbing everything! I read him a French book and sang to get him to go to sleep. We just sat and rocked for about 45 minutes. I put him down, though, because I needed to pump.

I continued to hang out with him and talk to the nurse and the nurse practitioner. It's nice being there during the day and just sitting around. The nurse talked to me about how to clean out his nose or any spit-up. I brought up some books, my laptop, Kindle, and graded papers that need to go in the gradebook. When he woke up and was looking around, I sang to him to get him to sleep (we needed him to be awake for his 5:00 feeding when I nursed him).

Jesse got to the hospital around 5:00. So he changed Logan's diaper and we prepared to nurse. He was weighed and then he was given to me. He latched on, and he got a little milk, but nothing measurable. It's ok, though, because he was just so cute! He will catch on eventually. I don't remember if I already said this, but the nurses said he won't really catch on until around 36 weeks. Then Jesse got to hold him while I pumped, so they hung out together for a little while.

We left around 7:00 to head home. It definitely is harder every day to leave him. We want him home so badly, but not until he's ready. I'm pretty sure our first night with him we're not going to sleep at all. At the hospital he is monitored constantly, so if something goes wrong, someone is there to figure out how to fix it. But at home, it's just us - no heart rate monitors, O2 sensors, etc. Of course, they won't let him come home until they are confident he won't need those, but it will still be scary. He had a week without apnea episodes and now he's had a bunch in a few days - albeit minor ones. I definitely wonder what it's like for non-NICU babies and parents. To be able to go home with your baby after 2 days in the hospital! I'm not going to lie, we get a little jealous of all of you "normal" moms. But, we do know, that when Logan does get to come home, it will be a much sweeter homecoming!

On another note, it looks like I have some sort of rash/allergic reaction on my arms & elbows. I thought it was just winter dry skin, but then noticed that the red spots were raised, and when I looked at my elbow in the mirror, it is surrounded by red angriness. Now I'm all paranoid and feel like I'm itching all over the place. Guess I'll be heading to the dermatologist this week - hopefully tomorrow.

Well, I will leave you with some cute pictures of the little man!