Well, we're in a bit of a steady holding pattern. This week has been pretty uneventful at the NICU as we wait for Harrison's "feeding eagerness" to kick in. Apparently this happens between 35 and 37 weeks, and he'll be 36 weeks this Friday. After a major stunt in eating, he is slowly but surely finishing his bottles these days. Out of eight feedings a day, he takes 3-4 through bottle and the rest are fed through the Gavage. We hope to hear the doctors up that order to 5-6 bottles a day since he's doing so well. That'll be one step closer to home. The nurses have been incredible in showing us ways to keep him sucking, and I personally think he's fed up with that tube. Once he's taking the eight bottles a day, we're blowing that pop stand.
We did have the pleasure of meeting Nurse #2 on my you-know-what list. Imagine a 55 year old woman with a Mick Jagger circa 1983 haircut. Ms. Jagger liked to cackle at our questions as if we were complete idiots. I would've given her a tongue lashing, but all I could think of was her ridiculous haircut. Remember that video with Mick Jagger and David Bowie skipping down the lane singing "Dancing in the Street"? Well, if you'd like to refresh your memory, check it out at the link below. I promise you won't be anything less than entertained. Everyone needs a good laugh.
Otherwise, we just wait. Some nurses say one week, others say "don't hold your breath". Harrison is spending most of his time sleeping and growing, and now weighs in at a whopping 4 lbs, 7.5 oz. His sleeping patterns are the reason we don't have many new pictures, because it looks like the same picture over and over again. He officially hates his tube, and manages to pull it right out of his nose in one swift maneuver almost daily. We keep telling him, "it's up to you!" As the weeks progress, we sort of feel like we're in the middle of the movie Groundhog Day. It's exhausting, but I feel so blessed that we wait on only one development. We are surrounded by babies hooked up to hoses, nozzles and needles and we have to remind ourselves that despite the fact this isn't the way we would have planned it, we are pretty lucky.
Wow. Almost a pound gained since birth. 3.5 more oz to go. Good boy!!! Personally, I think you should give some of those nurses a good lashing. They have a tendency to forget that new mothers haven't dealt with newborns on a daily basis like they do. And especially the NICU nurses...They deal with the special babies every day and are used to it and know things that you just don't. They need to be reminded that your questions are not dumb. Get 'em girl.
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