Saturday, July 24, 2010

Tired Cankles


Do you want to know how to wholly love your mediocre self? Take a feature that is not that great, like my feet for example, and then view them for a week after you've been pumped full of IV fluids. They will be so puffy, so cankled out, that when the fluids finally ease out, you'll see what you once saw as mediocre and love it! I am so happy to look out at my feet when pumping and actually see some bone, some variation in size and not just two big marshmallows. I have never felt so happy with just me. :)

But for the important stuff. Trey gained another ounce - he's 4lbs 1oz now. But he's petering out on energy. His NG tube (nasal gastro feeding tube) has come in handy as he has gotten too worn out to eat much. Yesterday he was awake so much of the morning - just wide awake checking things out. He nursed twice and got his first bath. That took a lot of energy. The rest of the day we couldn't wake him enough to eat anything. So he had most of his food pushed through the tube.
The doc says that is common for preemies -- it takes a tremendous amount of energy to do anything at all and they start out great, then fizzle off as they fatigue. So last night we alternated waking him to bottle feed with just "gavaging" (pushing food through the tube) him. The rest seems to have done him good - he's had two full feedings since. But we see that this is a two steps forward one step back process. Until he gets and keeps enough energy up, we can't even consider taking him home.
I'm okay with it. My fear is the whole "failure to thrive" issue that some babies get. I don't want to exhaust him too much. So it looks like we're here for awhile.
Aunt and Uncle visiting - they had 6 plus pound twins: that's FOUR of my little Trey's at once inside her! Go girl.

Hard to tell, but Trey's IN WATER here. All soaked up in warm water as we gave him his 1st bath. I'll save the nude pics - just imagine a frog - cause that is what he looked like: A huge tummy with skinny legs splashing in the water. So sweet. He didn't cry at all.

6 comments:

Jenn Comolli said...

You look great! You and your ankles! LOL

What a sweetie you have there. Sounds like he's doing great all around. And you look great too! Hope he'll be able to get and keep his energy up. It's so nice that you can room in with him. What a blessing!

Bri said...

Hooray for feet! My feet looked very very puffy right after Gracie, as did my legs. Then one day, it seemed I was peeing out every last drop of extra fluid. My legs looked like a chicken's, but I realized that maybe that's how they've always looked! I felt like a very pretty chicken, at least. I'm glad to hear that Trey's feeding tube is doing him some good, and that they're being careful not to discharge him too early. I'm sure there's so much anxiety around what could happen outside of the hospital...another week or 2 will be reassuring. You look adorable holding your tiny bundle. So sweet!

Pam Norris said...

You look beautiful and at peace. Love these photos. Babies are tough, aren't they? That is quite the lounging tub.

Jen West said...

Wow! So much happened in such a short amount of time! Congratulations on your beautiful prize. You are truly blessed with a miracle! I am so happy for your family.

Kelly said...

Ha ha, guys! I look like I am about 16 with a baby in that pic! I don't like it at all! But, it is what it is and that's the only bath pic I have with him. he he

MoDLin said...

Glad to hear Trey is gaining and progressing. Yes, two steps forward and one back is common, but he's moving steadily in the right direction! Those NG tubes serve an important purpose and let these little ones snooze when they need to.
That's a very sweet picture of the two of you. I'm happy for all of you.