Home?

I haven't posted in about a week because, well, there was nothing to post. We were watching and waiting per ENT instructions. We were looking for steady weight gain and stable vital signs even when he was irritated. In the past 5 days Sutton has gained about 7 ounces (just shy of half a pound) and his vital signs have remained stable. Breastfeeding has been going well, so daddy gave Sutton his first bottle on Thursday.

He spit up a little, but nothing major. He has been doing well alternating between breastfeeding and bottle feeding, so he got his NGT out on Friday. Look at that beautiful little face!

Before

Big brother wanted to hold him - just making sure this is his nose :)

And what is this thing in his head??

Sutton's PICC line was also removed late Friday evening. It had been placed in preparation for surgery and the other procedures he had done, but since we are watching and waiting it seemed unnecessary and just a portal for possible infection. 

Back to the title of this post - home? Maybe. It's on the table now. Tonight Kedric and I will begin a string of four nights in one of the FPU rooms the floor offers. This is to get us (somewhat) out of the hospital setting and "practice" for being at home. Tonight he will maintain his monitoring just to see how the transition is going. If all continues as it has, all of his monitoring will be removed for our remaining three nights. This is scary and wonderful all at the same time. While I try not to be a monitor watcher because you can usually get better information watching your patient than a computer screen, it is very easy to fall back on them to make yourself feel better. We won't have them at home, so it's time to get real and watch Sutton instead of his monitor. If all goes according to plan, we have a tentative release date for FRIDAY, JULY 26. We may get to go home after a very turbulent and emotionally challenging 32 days. I just hope it's not a mirage, as another family here in the NICU described it, that our hope and excitement isn't all dashed by a dream that disappears as we approach it. 

Please pray for Sutton to maintain his stability and weight gain and that we can bring our whole family home, for good, on Friday.