Linc Boy

I'm brain-dead....I can't really remember if I've mentioned it before, but if I go days without posting it's because I have a hard time doing a new post without pictures. Sure, I always have my camera in my bag when I visit the hospital. Sure, I have billions of pictures on my memory card, BUT for some reason the picture has to be just p.e.r.f.e.c.t for me to include it on my blog....dumb I know! Perfect as in just right to me not as in technically, compositionally, color and edit wise perfect.

So.......what's new with Lincoln? Well, he continues to be changed from up and down on the liters for his nasal cannula. He was sitting comfortably at .50 liters when they decided to push him a little more and let him try .25 liters. That was NOT okay with him. He became tachypneic: an excessively rapid respiration ~ A respiratory neurosis marked by quick, shallow breathing. When this happens they feel like he works a little too hard and doesn't get the proper amount of oxygen he needs. As a result, they bumped him back up to .50 liters. The doctors are saying that really no matter what his liters are he has somewhat of a high respiratory rate and some babies are just like that. The doctor who rounded on him today opted to bump him up again because his respiratory rate was a bit too high. So, now he's at 1 liter again. I'm quite sure it won't be long until he is back down to .50 liters again!

Lincoln is also being really sleepy again. Why? I don't know....they don't know. It could be a number of things. It could be because he is having a growth spurt. It could be because he is having more pressure on his head. There really is no definite answer. Only time will tell.

He is growing very well. He was put over in nursery b a little over a week ago. They've finally put his feedings back down to a 30 minute period. It used to be set up to be given to him over a period of an hour. He's doing well with the change and has virtually no spitting up.

How much does he weigh you ask???? He is 5 lbs 3 ozs .... that is double his birth weight!

I find myself at the hospital dreading the thought of leaving. I'm happy to come back to my home and family....just not happy it's without my little baby. I know we're getting closer, but there are a lot of milestones we have to reach first. He made a bit of progression and was being tapped once every third day. Well, we've regressed a bit and now it's back to every other day. The point he is at now, it's looking like he will have to have a shunt unless things get better pretty quickly. They usually like to wait until they're 2500 grams to do the surgery, he's 2353 right now. Once he reaches 2500 they'll asess his situation and determine whether he'll need it for sure or not. Another milestone will be his feedings. He has to be able to eat with no dependency on the feeding tube. Occassionally they'll send babies home with feeding tubes, but it's not something they prefer. Also, it would be a big perk to have him with no oxygen needs, but that is another thing they are okay with making an acception to.

We've been working on breast-feeding for a little over a week now. He's actually doing pretty well with it EXCEPT the fact that he's sooo sleepy. He's got the concept down now it's a matter of just staying awake! I've been using a boppy and Scott seems to like to use it while holding Lincoln.