One Month

My third living son is one month old today. Well, 33 weeks and 5 days gestation, but one month regardless. And it seems he has lived a lifetime and fought many battles in that brief period.
Oscar is up to three oral feedings each day. He had his first bottle last night at midnight. It didn’t go so well since I asked Golda his nurse to use a slow flow nipple so as not to impede breastfeeding. Problem is that they add a teaspoon of rice cereal to thicken Oscar’s feeds. Rice cereal + tiny hole = exhausted preemie. So he only took half his bottle. That said he gained an astonishing 50 grams last night for an all time 24 hr record. So today when I went in for the second feed I talked to the Dr about dropping the rice cereal altogether. He is already on Prevacid, and if there wasn’t a compelling reason to keep the cereal in then I wanted to consider dropping it. Dr Rakos, as always, was so reasonable and open minded. He said let’s drop it and see what we get. There is enough time to add it back if we need to.
He also said that Oscar will be home within 10-14 days. The Dr said that there is usually a hiccup with one of the hurdles. Like he might not be able to maintain his body temp on his own right away in a crib so then he would go back in the ‘box’ for a day or two. Or everything might be super easy and go great, in which case he could be home sooner. Sooner!
Oscar had a special treat today, Sunan went for her first visit to hold him. As I have said, it makes me so happy when Oscar gets three visits a day. And I am so grateful that she went. Only she, my dad, Matt and I are able to hold him right now, as Gail and Colton are the other two possibilities. So it was a great day.
Sometime this week Oscar will have his requisite eye exam and a follow up brain scan. Both are routine. Oscar first brain scan, the ‘test’ I alluded to early on but did not elaborate on, was perfect. This one is just to confirm that. But I know in my heart it will be fine. He is so strong and healthy now, it is amazing to feel calm about such scary tests.
So, as you all know by now, Colton keeps it real around here.
Tonight at bedtime he was using his best stalling techniques to delay my departure. Using all his skill, he asked “mom, what if dad gives you another special hug and he gives you another seed???” I said, “That won’t happen Colton.” He said, “Why? What if it does?” I said, “It won’t honey, now go to sleep.” He sensed that I was really leaving so he upped the ante.
“Mom, HOW does he give you the special seed?”
I said “I will tell you. But not tonight.”
xx