Today (and by today I mean December 4th), you were doing much better. You also looked so much better. When your tube came out last night, you skin looked white and pale, but when we came today, you looked like your regular pink and red self. The tubes in your belly button were removed which means you just have your feeding tubes and breathing tubes remaining. Your bilirubin lights were also taken off again. I know you probably loved not having to wear your cute "sunglasses" since you try to pull them off every chance you get. Progress!
You also have started trying to suck on your tubes a lot more. It is so funny. You always try to suck the respiratory therapists' fingers when they are fixing the neobar that holds your breathing tube in place. Hopefully these things all mean that you will be a great eater. Learning to eat is what keeps most babies in the NICU the longest, though you probably won't actually eat orally until about 34 weeks. You have to learn to breath, swallow, suck at the same time, but you will get it.
Dr. Carroll also came in and explained that some lung x-rays showed that while your lungs have expanded well, they still are not as developed as they need to be. This is why you still require oxygen and the ventilator, though they really want to get you off those as soon as possible. Hopefully the small duct/valve (I am not positive of the exact term) in your heart will close soon, helping your blood pressure and hopefully a lot of other responses as well. They also tried to do a newborn screen to check for metabolic diseases using a heel prick, but your body didn't respond particularly well to that, so they hope to try it again soon.
You slept really well today and looked so cute all snuggled up in your bed. You were a little wiggly and restless when we came in tonight, but you eventually settled down and slept. When I put my finger into your tiny hand, you wrapped your fingers around it tight and put your other hand on top of it. Whether you intended to do that or not, it was the best birthday present I could have asked for. I love you very much and I am so glad I get to see you every day. See you tomorrow, love bug. Sleep it up!
