Look Ma, No Hands, or Nose!

Lucas has a new trick.  It's pretty cool.

When I arrived this morning shortly after 7:30, I got a fun surprise.  After the requisite hand washing and hand sanitizer (up to my elbows cause dad has an excuse to be a germaphobe now), I walked up to Lucas's crib.  I lifted the blanket cover and opened the doors to take his temperature and change his diaper.  At first look, I thought, wow, his eye looks pretty weird.  Their eyes do tend to a look a little puffy because the cpap on their nose presses down on their little faces.  I thought little of it, and proceeded to undo his pj's, which grow cuter by the day, and put the thermometer in his armpit.  Brief detour for SUPER cute baby in pj's:

I looked again at his face and realized, either because of my lack of sleep or because I haven't seen my son's entire face very often, that it was not his eye that I'd seen; it was his nose.  Wow, that's a pretty nose, I don't see it much.  Wow, why can I see your nose?  Oh, son, you've removed your cpap!  I smiled.  Lucas smiled.  I looked up at his monitors: heart rate, breathing rate, oxygen saturation, all perfect.  I turned to the nearest nurse, um, Lucas seems to have removed his cpap; it's been that way for at least several minutes and maybe many more, and he seems to be doing just fine.  Translation, Lucas was breathing all by himself with no side effects.  How fast they grow up.

When I shared the fun news with our super nurse of the day, she smiled.  Yeah, he's figured out how to take the cpap off, she said, I think he spends more time with it off than on.  Funny guy.  Lucas has now joined the contingent of people who believe he's ready to come off the cpap.  Even the attending doctor must find it amusing.  He said after rounds this morning that the plan is to keep it on for the weekend, but graduation to the nasal cannula might be coming soon.

Lucas celebrated with more kangaroo time with mom:

 

Olivia was very proud of her brother.  To celebrate, she had quite a day herself.  After a temperature and diaper change with mom, she spent a good part of the morning in kangaroo care with dad.  After working pretty impressively with her pacifier, she fell asleep.  Dad fell asleep with her.  Best part of the entire day.

And, Olivia continues her steady progress.  Her wonderful care givers increased her feeds to 9 mL q 3 (nicu-speak for 9 mL every 3 hours), and later in the day they graduated her cpap to level 5.  Olivia is now on the same cpap setting as her big brother.  It's amazing how fast she is catching up.

I tried to snap a picture of Olivia's beautiful face at the end of our care this morning.  I kind of hoped it would be possible to capture the moment.  But alas, my phone couldn't zoom out far enough.  She was that close, and she's getting so big!  No matter.  I'm pretty sure I can never possibly forget the feeling of watching her sleep on me.  It's the most amazing feeling ever.  And, reliable sources tell me it gets better . . .