A Much Better Day!

Saturday's Puppy Photo
Everyday at the start of rounds the nurse practitioner announces how many days old Aaron is. Every time I am there for rounds I marvel at the number. Day 64 I think she said the last time I was there. Has it really been that long??? Where have those days gone, I feel like I am missing so much at home, the hospital, and the world in general. Oh how I wish these days would slow down!

Aaron's "seatbelt". Aaron likes to know where his boundaries are. He also really likes to touch his face with his thumbs. When he is swaddled he will work his arms out just to touch his checks and lips. This weekend Ronny's family arrived for a family reunion in Heber. We had a great time and the kids loved spending time with their cousins. Charely is so much older and taller than all the other kids, she fits more with the adults than the little ones, she is getting so big, slow down my goodness!If you ever wondered what Ronny and his sister Liz looked like at kids, here you go. Our Sam and Liz's daughter look just like their respective parents at the same age these two are now. I have a hunch they have very similar personalities too!Aaron is growing in the midst of his fracture issue. He weighs 1230 grams, officially triple his birth weight! His feedings were moved up to 24 mls and his calcium and Vit D were increased again. He is now 32 centimeters long and looks like a premature baby should, not so sickly anymore. The blood transfusion seems to have perked him up quite a bit. He was awake a great deal of the day yesterday. OT came and showed me how to do Aaron's exercises. I then showed his primary nurse so that she can pass it along to each of his nurses each day. We do stretches on his shoulders, his hips, and when he allows us on his arms and legs. We also get to give him sponge baths in his isolette. His primary nurse is getting him ready to transfer into an open crib. She has set his crib to air flow and set the temperature to see how well he holds his temp. Usually this is when they will start to dress the babies but with Aaron's fractures he will only be swaddled. (Besides, preemie clothes still wouldn't fit him and trying to manipulate him to get clothes on would likely fracture more bones.)Yesterday after his 3:00 p.m. cares I was able to hold Aaron again. Usually I hold him on my chest with as much of our skin touching as possible. With Aaron's femur fracture this has become difficult. For now I swaddle him and lay him in my arms. Yesterday he was awake for almost 45 minutes while I held him. We talked and sang songs and just snuggled. He would stick his tongue out and root around so I know that instinct is still there after these last crazy couple of weeks. Its was sure nice to have an easy day for a change.