Saturday, October 30, 2010

Home @ last!

Yesterday concluded Elliot's stay in the nursery, the doctor had cleared his discharge earlier in the day. So at 7pm at the shift change we all bugged out of the SCN for the last time. We said some good byes to the staff and made our way to the parking lot to install the car seat base.

I forgot what a pain they are to install and get right. Note to the manufacturers of these things: Make installation videos and either toss a DVD in the box or post in the support area of your site or both. Reading manuals for these things is a pain in the ass, because so much of it is feel mixed with random odd geometries due to variations of car interiors.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

This just in...

Elliot was moved out of the SCN/NICU and into the regular nursery today and has been doing well with his feeding although a little pokey at times. This may just get him home by the week's end. Go Baby Elliot!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

The home stretch

Tonight I learned that Elliot's feeding tube was removed overnight and since he has been taking the bottle pretty well all milestones are pointing homeward. His nursery mates Matthew, who left on Sunday night and Georgina, who is destined to head to Barcelona on Thursday (SAN->ATL->BCN, ohhh Mr Toad's wild ride!) have come a long way in the time they spent in the special care nursery. Others have come along now and entered life with a short layover in the SCN often beginning with the incubator stay, IV, monitor lines and photo therapy as the first stop. Next stop is the clear acrylic bassinet and feeding tube as nature begins to wake and take its course within the snugly wrapped burgeoning souls.

I think we have been fortunate in witnessing mostly favorable outcomes while we've been visiting as there are several testimonials indicating otherwise, one a framed remembrance to a 4 day old the other a plaque on a donated rocking chair in the name of a lost child. I forget what the mortality rate is for preemies in the sub 30 week category, but I'm glad we won't really need to know that stat. Survival to term for them is a struggle even in the best of circumstances and the effects of such an early birth can carry well into adulthood or be a permanent part of their life. Again I feel we may not have as great as many concerns in this regard, but time will only tell.

So here's to the final stretch and another day beginning...

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

New member of the family


(I penned this on the 6th but am just now getting back to adding to, and posting it...)

So Saturday was a bit of a tease, because Sunday brought my son into the world. I had no idea that was going to be the day, I was under the false impression that we might go 3-5 more days. Had I known this would be happening I wouldn't have burned the midnight oil hanging out with some friends and watching them play at a local restaurant.

Of course once it was known that Laurie would be having a c-section we had to wait further because she had been given food at 7:30, so the procedure would take place 8 hours from that point. Well it so happened there were 2 other c-sections ahead of us so by the time she was prepped and moved into the OR it was 5:00, I joined a little later after the OR was prepped for the surgery. I sat warily behind the drape with her and only took a few short peeks at the procedure, not being down with blood and guts. I took a few grab shots as they doctors were going about their business out of a morbid curiosity in surgical technique.

So at 5:38 he was officially delivered into the world 6 weeks early. His breathing was induced and he gave out a few short cries and wiggled about on the warming tray. Had he not peed first thing, he might have tipped the scales at 4 lbs, but the call was just a half an ounce shy of that figure.

So now it has been 2.5 weeks and baby boy Doyle is still in the NICU, he at least has a name (Elliot Owens Doyle) and a car seat to ride home in. He is doing well with little to no issues other than feeding which is common among preemies. But he is getting the hang of suck and swallow as well as latching on and once they remove the feeding tube he'll be in the home stretch.



Saturday, October 02, 2010

Very soon

Drained I am, and a new world stands before me yet I am not ready for it's impulse. Awakening and not prepared to exit but yet it must, forces beg it's yielding marrow until it's cry forth a beckoning call of innocence and need. I stand alone in my being not sure of my ability to meet the challenge or standard. A new voice is ready to be heard and I am certain it will be nigh upon me. I hope I am ready to meet it's demand.