In the Spotlight

Last week we had Kaleb's first professional pictures taken. A good friend of mine from aTm happens to be a photographer, and we were planning on having her take my maternity pictures...but we never exactly got around to it! (We did have a session scheduled for September 13th, though.) So instead, we had her take some pictures of Kaleb and our little family. Erin has posted a sneak preview of our photo shoot on her web site: http://erinbilyciment.blogspot.com/2008/10/itty-bitty-baby.html

What a Difference a Week Makes

Wow. So last week, we took this top picture of Kaleb (remember, the Kung Fu Baby pic?). When we put the pants on Kaleb, they were so big that we had to roll the waist band up just to make them stay. And even then, they were pretty loose.

Fast-forward to tonight. We put the same brown pants on Kaleb, and they barely even fit! Check out Chubs over here.

First Bath

Kaleb had his first bath today, and he loved it! No, really. He loved it:
Oh well, at least he had a cute, cuddly towel to wrap up in afterwards. In fact, he got so comfortable that we .... uh ... had to get him a new towel....

As always, there's more pics at the picasa link to the side. But don't worry, they're all PG ;)

Just a Lazy Sunday

Today was great. We got to hang out, be lazy, and just be a family.

We could definitely get used to this.

Kaleb spent the day eating, sleeping, and finding a few good new places to sit.
And the dogs are getting used to having Kaleb around.

Seriously, Kaleb makes up only like 5% of this burrito

He's So Tiny!

So, obviously we realize that Kaleb is on the small side, but it is amazing just how tiny he is. Everything in the NICU was preemie sized, so he didn't seem that small. But all the stuff we have at home that is designed for full-term babies just dwarfs him. He'll fill it in soon enough though!

No, the Dogs Didn't Eat Kaleb

They are very curious though. Well, Miller is curious but very gentle; Meadow seems a little scared; and Bogey... well, Bogey doesn't seem to much care at all.

MOVING DAY

Today's the day!!! Enough said, here's some cute pictures of Kaleb's last moments in the NICU and his trip home. We're going to go enjoy our son!

By the way:
Birth weight = 4 lb 1.6 oz, Coming home weight = 4 lb 12.2 oz
Birth length = 17 in, Coming home length = 19 in

Keeping Our Friends Crossed

Still waiting on the official word, but we're gearing up for Kaleb's homecoming. Tonight, Sara and I took an infant CPR class with both of our parents and we brought in Kaleb's car seat so the nurses could make sure he'll be okay riding around in it.

We also lost a couple of roommates. Kaleb's "girlfriends," the Keys Twins, got to go home, and Kaleb's next door neighbor also moved out of his isolette. It's been a good week in the NICU.

Look Ma, No Tube

Today was a big day for Kaleb. This morning, he ditched the isolette for a much more comfortable crib, so it no longer looks like our son lives in a terrarium. It also means that he's maintaining his temperature well (as long as he does well). And with that, Kaleb has accomplished all three of the goals that were the preconditions to him coming home. Of course, we still have to wait for the final okay from the doctor, but it is looking more and more realistic that our baby will be coming home sooner rather than later.

We also got to actually see our baby's face for the first time since the day he was born! (And, if you remember what he looked like that day, you'll appreciate how excited we were.) He's a handsome little devil. And the more important thing is that the doctors have decided that he is eating on his own well enough that they no longer need the feeding tube as a backup.

The Waiting Game

No real news today, but Kaleb is on track to hopefully come home soon. We're doing everything that we can to get ready for him and can't wait until we get to bring him with us when we leave.

Porker in Training

There's definitely no longer any doubt as to Mr. Kaleb's ability to eat! Today, he ate almost 50 mL of milk in about 10 minutes! He's also surpassed his birth weight by almost half a pound and now weighs in at a robust 4 lbs 8 oz.

And Kaleb's momma continues to amaze as well, but for different reasons obviously. Sara is handling motherhood wonderfully, and today she's officially back in her pre-pregnancy jeans (less than two weeks after giving birth!).

All Bottle All the Time

Kaleb's done with the IV! He's officially getting all of his nutrition from breast milk, with a little extra nutrition from an additive they mix in. As the volume that he is able to eat continues to increase, eventually they will wean him away from even that.
Check out that mug!

Safe and Sound

Kaleb (and the rest of our family) made it through the hurricane safe and sound!

More good news, Sara will be able to start trying breastfeeding soon, way before we thought it would be possible. In fact, she could have tried today according to the doctor's orders, but there was some miscommunication with the nurse (who was flown in from El Paso to help out during the storm).

Speaking of the hospital staff, they are amazing. These nurses have been and will be on throughout the weekend, trading twelve hour shifts and sleeping in random waiting rooms and reception areas. On top of that, the hospital lost its primary generator early in the storm. And although the back-up generator is plenty strong to run all the essential equipment, it can't power the air conditioning. Plus, the water isn't working, which means no toilets... fun stuff.

Anyway, we were the lucky ones. Despite significant damage to much of Southeast Texas, no one from our family was hurt, and no one sustained more than superficial damage to their houses. As you can tell from the pictures, there's nothing too bad: just killed the power, busted up the fence pretty good, knocked off some shingles, and forced a couple of small leaks in the house. You can tell how strong the wind was blowing though. The whole first half of the storm it was coming straight down our street and right up to the front door. And it caused the section of framing holding the door and entryway windows to flex inward enough to crack that whole area just outside of the section. Luckily, they all held!

And to lighten the mood, Kaleb busted out his Kung Fu Baby impression when we got to hospital.

Dad is Vindicated

So, Josh caught a bunch of crud (literally) when he was holding Kaleb a couple of days ago and Kaleb exploded the diaper that Josh had put on him. But Josh just called up the NICU to check on Kaleb during the hurricane, and he found out that he's not alone. Not only did Kaleb blow out a diaper the nurses had strapped on--he did it so violently that the nurses had to scrub down the walls of his isolette!

Speaking of, what exactly do you think Kaleb is doing here?

Rock Me Like a Hurricane

Well, Hurricane Ike is bearing down on the Houston-area, but Kaleb is none too concerned. He's too busy getting comfy in the brand new NICU unit that they have been renovating and that just opened today. It's very nice and MUCH larger than the room he had been sharing previously. And they moved the whole room as a group, so everyone's in the same positions, just in a new room (it's nice having familiar faces).

Anyway, Kaleb couldn't really have a care in the world right now. They've continued to increase his milk intake so that he can eventually be weened off of the IV fluids, but now they will be administering 2 of his 8 feedings through his nose tube so that he doesn't get worn out and burn off too many calories just by eating.
We wanted to stay with him through the night (the hurricane is supposed to hit in the middle of the night), but there was a rumor that the hospital would be kicking everyone out at 7 PM. And since that was about the time that the winds were supposed to start really picking up, we decided to go ahead and leave about 5 to take shelter at our parents' houses out in Katy. Kaleb will be exceptionally safe. Woman's is built to withstand hurricane force winds, and the hospital has back-up generators in case they lose power.

LL Cool K

Not to brag, but Kaleb's definitely the cutest baby in the NICU. Seriously. And the ladies love him. In fact, the Keys Twins--the blondes across the way--are interested; they want to be his girlfriends.

Not that he really needs it, but Kaleb decided to work on his tan a little more just to cement his status. The doctors don't seem too concerned with the fact that Kaleb's jaundice rebounded a bit, and hopefully he won't have to stay under the light as long this time. It's kind of cute when they draw on the shades and all, but it's slightly disconcerting when you walk into the NICU and your baby is glowing...

Speaking of disconcerting, have you ever seen what it looks like when you burp a preemie? Seriously, how much does it look like someone needs to call child protective services in this picture of Sara burping Kaleb? And does he look a little like a turtle? ...just asking...
By the way, Kaleb continues to amaze. He is now downing 34 mL in the designated half an hour and has cleared that hurdle on his way home.

At the Head of His Class

Kaleb is up to 29 mL every three hours, and he is downing it no problem! That means he is excruciatingly close to his goal of taking 30 mL in 30 minutes.

And the doctors are taking notice, too. Kaleb has three main goals that he must achieve before he can come home: 1) drink the 30 mL in 30 minutes (oh so close), 2) consistently gain weight (he's on his way), and 3) maintain his temperature when outside his isolette (unclear how well he's doing here but seems pretty good).

In terms of developing and achieving NICU exodus, Kaleb's doctor told us today that she considers Kaleb the Head of His Class. They keep asking things of him that his little body just should not be able to handle, and he keeps on delivering.

Up to this point, no one has really talked dates with us in terms of when Kaleb will be able to come home. It is always discussed in the abstract: in a few weeks, when he's ready, etc. The consensus seems to be that preemies usually aren't ready to come home until a couple of weeks before their scheduled due date, which would be another four weeks. But today, Kaleb's doctor suggested that he may be ready to come home as early as 35 weeks, which is just NEXT WEEK!!! We're ecstatic that Kaleb is doing so well and know that we are so very blessed that he has not had any problems. We just hope everything keeps going so well.

The Hulk

Kaleb keeps on getting stronger--he's up to 24 mL's of milk per bottle. Are you sensing a pattern here? Hopefully he'll be able to keep up.

Oh, and Kaleb put on a little bodybuilding show today. Biceps:
Tri's:
Pure Power:
And... he's out.

No News is Good News

Not much happened today. Kaleb is doing so well with his feedings that he now gets 19 mL's every three hours. And every day he seems stronger and more ready to come home.
Josh will take some time off when Kaleb comes home but is going back to work while Kaleb is in the NICU. Luckliy, his office is very close to Woman's, and the people that he works with are flexible and very understanding. So he'll still get to see Kaleb several times a day.
And with Josh back at work, it looks like Sara's mom will get to play cab driver for the next week or so while Sara's still loopy on pain meds.

Who Am I?

So, now that the swelling and bruising is pretty much all gone, who does Kaleb look like more--Josh or Sara?

Time to Start Packing on the Pounds

We're discovering that the night nurses are for the most part much cooler than the day shift. And Kaleb already has them all wrapped around his tiny little finger. Last night, they gave him some shades to keep him cool in his tanning booth.

But hopefully, he won't need them anymore. Kaleb's bilirubin level has stabilized, and he doesn't have to stay beneath the light anymore. That also means that we get to start bringing some clothes up here so that Kaleb can kick it in style. Now, we just need to find some clothes that actually fit... (Yes, that is a preemie outfit!)

Other than that, Kaleb just keeps getting stronger. They've upped his milk intake to 14 mL's per meal and continue to decrease his reliance on the IV. He also seems to have completed his post-birth weight dip and has started gaining weight. He really only dropped a few ounces (he went from 4 lbs 1.6 oz at birth to 3 lbs 13 oz Friday-Saturday) and has now come back up to 3 lbs 15 oz.