Callie's First Day of School

Today was Callie's first day of pre-k at the elementary school where I teach. She was so excited to go to "Big School" this morning! We walked her in and took some pictures, and when it was time for us to leave, she could have cared less.

She said she had a great day. She had macaroni and cheese with 3 apple slices for lunch. She also ate a snack, but she was starving when she got home. So her after school snack was 3 bowls of rice krispies and 1/2 of a blueberry poptart. Her favorite part was when they went to the gym and did an activity. I have no idea what the activity was because she hasn't told me that yet.

She was a little grouchy when we got home because she was really tired from getting up so early and having such a busy day with no nap. She went to sleep at 7:00. Hopefully tomorrow afternoon will bring less drama.

Here are some pictures from her first morning of big school . . .

Her cubby . . .

With Mrs. Hartin, her teacher

Home Sweet Home

Jack finally got to come home on Saturday, August 22! We were so excited and tried not to get our hopes up just in case something happened to change things. It's very hard to do both at the same time!! The day we left the hospital he weighed in at 6 lbs 6.5 oz and was 20 inches long. That's a 1 lb 3.5 weight gain and 3/4 of an inch in length in just 2 weeks. Not bad for a little guy. Tomorrow is his 3 week birthday. It's crazy how time flies. We're going for our first visit at the pediatrician on Wednesday, so I'll be sure to update you after that. Here are some pictures from our homecoming . . .

Grammy and Daddy ready to go!

Proud Daddy

Our family

Aunt Summer with her niece and nephew (and sister)

2 of Jack's AWESOME nurses . . . Jennifer and Desarae with Callie

On our way out of the hospital for the last time (we hope!)

In the truck for the first time . . .

We finally made it home!!

Our family of four . . . inside our house together for the first time.

Callie holding Jack at home for the first time (yes, that's cheese on her face).

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit!

Grammy with both of her grandkids!

Summer and Jack

2 Weeks Old

Today is a double birthday for Jack. He is two weeks old and he is also 36 weeks gestation! WOO HOO! It seems like he's been on this earth for a lot longer than 2 weeks. I can't believe it.

He has made some major improvements in his eating since my last post. Yesterday the doc changed his order so that he could try a bottle 2-4 times a day. He ate most of his bottle at 9 am and again at 3. When Tim went up for the 9 pm bottle, Jack ate the whole thing! Of course we were so excited to hear that. BUT, when we went back this morning there was more to be excited about. He weighed 5 pounds 14 oz today. He took all of his bottle at 9 am in 17 minutes, and we were going to try him again at 3. The neonatologist happened to be in there when he finished and she was very excited and surprised that he did so well. She changed the order to read that he should have a bottle 4 times a day but could have more if he was awake and alert.

So when he woke up about 20 minutes before his noon feeding, he was sucking on his fingers so hard I thought he would suck them off! So the nurse let me try the bottle instead of the tube feeding. He ate all but 5 ml in 11 minutes. He was chowing! When I called to check on the 3:00 feeding, the nurse told me that he was awake and really going to town on his fingers again, so she gave him a bottle and he ate 45 (all but 10) in 15 minutes. When I left the NICU today, the nurse told me that she didn't think we'd be there much longer. That was music to my ears!

He is getting pretty tired from all of this eating, but I am so relieved that they are allowing him to try. How else do you learn than by doing? Tim is up there now giving him his bottle and getting an update on the 6:00. We will keep everyone posted on his progress.

A little progress

Jack has made a little progress in the last couple of days, thank goodness! Yesterday he took all of his morning bottle and 1/2 of the night bottle. That is a VAST improvement over what he's been doing. This morning when I fed him, he took 40 of 50 ml's (not too shabby).

Our nurse today was awesome. She and I talked a lot about his habits, and she felt like it was time to push him to do another bottle even though he wasn't finishing all of two yet. He is just so laid back that the tube feeding doesn't bother him. Also, he's been waking up 15-30 minutes before actual feeding time and has been ready to eat. But some of the nurses have been changing him, giving him is passifier and swaddling him until the "hour". Then by the time we get around to trying the bottle, he is passed out asleep again. So Michelle (our nurse today) said she would ask the dr to change the order so that they could feed him a few minutes early if he woke up and was alert.

So she tried him at 3:00 and he took the entire bottle in 20 minutes!!! That is so exciting. Tim is with him now for the 9 p.m. try. Hopefully he'll be as successful tonight as he was during the day. This is usually the hardest time to get him to eat cause he's not very awake. We'll see . . .

Keep up the prayers that he will have his lightbulb moment and we'll be able to bring him home very soon!