Day 57: So thankful for this child.

Well, today is day 57 here in the NICU. Frankie is still doing well, but it has been a rather gloomy day here. One of the babies just a couple rooms over didn't make it. Talk about an eye opening experience and an emotional one and I'm not even the child's mother. Just makes us both so thankful that our little Frankie is doing as well as he is, even though each day can be scary. And, it also makes us thankful for the nurses and doctors here. They are amazing. They all work so hard and are so smart and I'm thankful that we have them because without them, we couldn't do this.

Joe and I talked to the nurse practitioner this evening because we were worried about a few things:
1. Increased heart rate
2. Increased breaths per minute
3. Feedings

So, all of these concerns go hand in hand with one another. The increase heart rate and BPM is due to the weening of the steroids. Weening him off of the steroids can make him more jittery and increase his heart rate and BPM. Steroids won't cure him (unfortunately) but they are to help him while he is out growing this disease. The nurse practitioner said that he is doing well for just coming off of Dexamethasone and is on the new steroids. As for the feedings, he isn't as interested in eating like he was when he was on the Dex because the Dex was much stronger steroid. We are afraid that he is being over fed. It just doesn't seem like his belly has time to not be full. He eats every three hours. Well, it takes him an hour to eat so really there's only about 2 hours between his feedings if we run on time. If we spread his feedings out to every four hours, he will have to consume more at each feeding and we don't see that helping any because his belly isn't used to all of that food. He needs all the calories he can get because the only way he is going to out grow this disease is to, (imagine this) grow. So, they are still fortifying his breast milk pretty heavily to help him out. Let's just all keep praying that he can out grow this madness. The NP has left a note for the attending doctor to talk to us about all of this tomorrow, too. So, she may have more to say about it all tomorrow.

Frankie had some pretty cool visitors this evening. Ryan and Hollie came by and brought us dinner. Ryan met the little man for the first time and Hollie made us potato soup. It was far too delicious! Thanks, H! Love you guys!

Each day we are given is a blessing and we are thankful it. We are also thankful for all of you who take the time to pray for our baby daily and to come and visit us. Love to you all!