NICU Diary Day 31

Monday, November 06, 2000

This is the start of week five for me in the NICU. I now weigh 4 pounds and 2 ounces, and I am 16 ¼” long (almost too long for my new ortho board!). Grandpa Hostetler came to see me today, and he was very impressed at how much I have grown and how awake and active I am now. Last time he saw me I was full of morphine!

Mommy got to hold me this morning while Grandpa was there. I liked sitting in her lap and sucking on my pacifier. I’m starting to get a little better at sucking on my pacifier. The doctors told Mommy that they are going to start weaning me off the vent again after I get my new trach. They're going to go slower and not push too hard this time.

The doctors also want me to start working more on sucking. Once I am doing better on the trach mask, they want me to try a bottle. There are special nipples for baby’s that have a cleft palate. Right now I get all of my food and medicine through a tube in my nose.

Grandpa Hostetler took Mommy out to lunch, and they bought presents for me! Grandpa gave me two new CDs, “Classical Peanuts” and “Disney Lullabies.” He also got me a stuffed dog named “Kipper.”

Daddy came to see me this evening, and we had some guy-to-guy bonding time. I like hanging out with my Daddy; he’s really cool!