Charlie's hanging in there. Yesterday, Dad posted a new video (below, just below the previous post) of him relaxing and yawning that we think is pretty cute - don't miss it! The poor guy must be tired of his papparazzi parents; we chase him with cameras all the time, but we just can't help it!
Charlie gained another 10 grams last night - he's now at 1180, or 2 lbs, 9 ounces. They've upped his feeds over the past two days, and as of last night, he was getting 12 ml an hour for three hours on, with one hour off so his tummy could rest. That all adds up to 216 ml a day, or 7.2 ounces. Not too shabby! The doctors would like to see him gain 140 grams a week, or just under an ounce a day, and in his first month of life, he hasn't quite hit that goal, so as long as his stomach continues to tolerate the increased feeding, they're going to keep giving him more. It's actually a really great thing that he's "eating" (through a tube to his stomach) as well as he is; many preemies have serious issues with nutrition because their stomachs aren't developed enough to handle milk. We're so glad that we don't have that to worry about.
We got more good news regarding last week's brain scan; they think the hydrocephaly (an expected side effect of the brain bleed he had) has reduced slightly, which is great. They do brain scans every week, so hopefully they'll continue to see a reduction in the swelling. They also did an EEG last week (amazing how many probes they could fit on his little head!) and it showed no seizure activity. So those were good things to hear.
I got to hold Charlie for quite a long time Friday afternoon, long enough, in fact, to get a parking ticket on the car. Parking at GW is a nightmare! But it was worth it to get to hold Charlie and feel like a normal mom for a while. One of the hard things about this whole experience is just not being able to touch our little boy or hold him whenever we want, so every bit of physical contact is so valued, even when we're just changing a diaper.
We're headed to the hospital shortly; Aunt Katie is looking forward to seeing Charlie again and see how much he's grown, and Uncle Brent hasn't met him yet, so it'll be a big day!
3 comments:
Oh Marie!!! He's precious!! I love the video of his little yawn! I'm so happy that ya'll are hearing positive news on how he's progressing. I know Katie is excited to visit again. I can't wait until he big enough and well enough so that I can meet him!
Katie M.
Marie, Charlie is so sweet and precious! It is so wonderful of you to share your updates about Charlie! It means a lot to us who can't visit. He sure is a very precious baby who has so much love and care. Take care and lots of love, Lisa M.
Charlie is absolutely adorable! The video of his little yawn is priceless. Thank you for keeping us updated through this blog and for sharing your special, sweet moments.
Lots of love and positive vibes, Becky
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