NICU Sunday

Sunday morning Grant got off oxygen at 9:30am and is still off... I'm not getting my hopes up or anything. We're just playing it cool. Ok, I lie. I am pretending to play it cool. We are almost a quarter into blowing that popsicle stand. But like I said, we're playing it cool.

We went up as a family to visit him.

Grandma went with us and

then Kelly came at the next feeding and gave me a ride home. Kelly was lucky enough to receive his first projectile spit up. That 1 mil had to have gone a good seven inches before landing on her hand. I'm glad she could be a part of such a important milestone...I don't know if she was so much.

And something for Gma/pa Brossette about the boys new spenders. They love them. I do too.

Day 5: Why

I've only really been in contact with family and facebook but I am a little nervous about church tomorrow. Grace's assistant teacher from Kindergarden saw me Friday at the school and asked, and I thought I'd be just fine, but the lump in my chest, came up my throat, and was doing everything it could to come out my eyes. Big deal. I cry.

Why is Grant still in the NICU?

When he sleeps his oxygen saturation drops, most babies readjust or take a deep breath, he does not. He just breaths shallower and shallower until his alarm goes off. He has to out grow that to come home. They are testing him. They take him off oxygen and see how long he can sustain himself on room air. If he drops below 90 and stays and does nothing; like move, breath deep, etc, it proves he still needs the oxygen. We are past the point of needing it around the clock. He's gotten to the point that he can sustain himself while sleeping, just not all the time.

He gets one test every nurse shift (7a-7p or 7p-7a) that he can prove he is ready to try. I love the nurse I had today (twice now). She's very informative and very aggressive on keeping that line between helping him with O2 and making him work to progress very fine. The first time was 1.5 hrs. Today he made it 5 hrs before needing help. They put him on the lowest amount of oxygen needed so that he does not become dependent on it and balance that with not letting him get so low that he wears out and needs more than the minimum. We'll get there. Probably not in the next day or two but next week is highly likely. On top of that, since he takes two steps forward and one step back, they want a 48 hr perfect record to let him take his car seat test (2 hr buckled in perfect O2 for him).

So, that's why.

In happier news, the nurses call him a bottomless pit. Who wouldn't be happy that their son can out eat everyone in the NICU (including what a set of twins can down per day)?

NICU Friday

Kate wanted a big video of Grant, so we'll share.

and it's back...

Stupid dumb old ugly nose cannula. I hate it. Thankfully Mr Grant is cute enough to make IT even look cute.

Guess who's rockin the NICU sans nasal cannula?

I'll give you a hint. He's the cutest baby in the joint.

I was about to make a "so, happy I could pee my pants" comment but given the circumstances, that's kind of not appropriate. I have bladder control but am super duper excited (but that doesn't really convey my excitement).

Look at those chub cheeks. He's a great eater. I love his expression... kinda reminds me of a little Kate. {Holy cow, if you knew the number of times I have edited this post to be coherent...I have a touch of post partum ADD :P }

NICU 2

eating all the time...

getting held all the time...

people watching you breath...

being by the window...

being so dang cute...

It's hard, I know... :)

Somehow we will overcome...

We just need to get his sleeping breathing in check and we're out of there...but who knows when that is.

Grant Brossette Lewis

About 2am, I thought I was having contractions. I called L&D and confessed that this was number five and I wasn't sure if this was really contractions and wondered what they thought. Two tylonol, water, and a shower later I was pretty sure it was. If not, I didn't want to be experiencing this so we were going either way. We packed a little and contracted a lot while Abby was getting there. We left and raced up to St Marks. After going 80 to Lehi, I felt it better to get there faster. Really faster. We called a couple of times when I started feeling like pushing. We got here at 3:55 with a wheel chair waiting. Grant Brossette Lewis was born at 4:11. They checked me at arrival to find I was at a 9 and unable to have ANY, really ANY, drugs. I begged and cried and the nurse told me I gave her a look of death, but we're still friends. I think 3 pushes, one of which broke my water and he was here. He came so fast that he was unable to squeeze out all the fluid so was on a oxygen mask for a little bit He's a perfect little man. He's 7lbs 13ozs, 19 inches, and did I mention perfect. I love him. His skin is so sweet. I'm in love with him.

Rich was amazing, drove like a rockstar, breathed with me to calm me (as much as that was possible), put up with my evil side, crying, maybe yelling, fingernails...who know's... it was kind of intense there for a while. He held him as my body was very tense and was either shaking or jello. I love them and loved seeing their first hour together.

It was an awesome experience. I wanted to do it naturally for the experience, then was positive I changed my mind in route, to find out that nope it's going to happen as planned.

8:51 - the nursery said he needed to warm up after his bath, a 30 minute process but just came back saying his oxygen drops each time they try to remove his mask. :( It may be time for another field trip to the nursery.

9:15 - going to the NICU, :( won't keep his oxygen above 80

3

My James and Miles are 3. I have 3 days until my due date with Grant.

3 is a GREAT number.