As of 3:00am, Oliver weighed 1866 grams (4lb 1.8oz), which represented a weight gain of 14 grams. I thought he would gain more yesterday than he did the day before, but he actually gained less. Even though it was less than the 30 grams the doctors would like to see him gain each day, it was enough for him to be discharged. At birth he was at the 50th percentile for his gestational age, and now he is at the 3rd percentile for his gestational age. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks that will dramatically change.
The day became more complicated because I hadn't filled his prescriptions. I assumed one of the hospital's two outpatient pharmacies would be open on Sundays. I was wrong. They also aren't open tomorrow due to the holiday. Paul called quite a few pharmacies today. The soonest any said they could get his diurol or NaCl was Tuesday. The hospital called another CVS that did have the diurol. We can easily get the vitamins anywhere. The in-patient pharmacy sold us an emergency 72 hour supply of the NaCl. I feel badly for the extra hassle, especially as it means someone has to come back here on Tuesday to fill the NaCl prescription. It would have been so much easier if I had filled them here a few days ago.
We rented a car bed that we'll return after he's off the oxygen (presuming by that point he also weighs at least 5 pounds). He has appointments to be examined for ROP next week, another PT/OT appointment in one month, and he needs to be seen by the pediatrican on Tuesday (or Wednesday at the latest). I am so, so grateful that tonight I'll be sleeping in my OWN bed - something I have only done 7 other nights over the past 2 months, and we will ALL be together as a family of five. That has absolutely been the hardest part of this whole ordeal since May 30 - having such little contact with Nadia, Ian, and Paul. Paul has tomorrow off so it will be nice that we can have one day at home together before he resumes going back to school on Tuesday. I am soooooooo grateful I don't need to line up babysitters this week. I will be taking care of my own kids - fancy that!
My parents are coming up to visit for a few hours tomorrow. It will be my dad's first time seeing Oliver. My mom saw Oliver on August 7, but she hasn't held him yet. Tomorrow will be her first time holding him. It's quite an experience holding this small of a baby. I know some of you have held much smaller babies (one pound!), but he's definitely the smallest baby I've ever held. The first time I held him, I kept thinking of a kitten. A kitten is the smallest living being I've held, and Oliver seemed more similar in weight and size to a kitten (not a newborn kitten) than any baby I've ever held before. I thought maybe my frame of reference was off since I haven't held a newborn for awhile, but as I looked around the NICU, I saw that Oliver looked MUCH smaller (head size, etc.) than many of the other babies in the NICU. He is a tiny little guy! Please pray that the lung disease will resolve and that he'll keep gaining weight.
As of 3:00am, Oliver weighed 1866 grams (4lb 1.8oz), which represented a weight gain of 14 grams. I thought he would gain more yesterday than he did the day before, but he actually gained less. Even though it was less than the 30 grams the doctors would like to see him gain each day, it was enough for him to be discharged. At birth he was at the 50th percentile for his gestational age, and now he is at the 3rd percentile for his gestational age. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks that will dramatically change. 
The day became more complicated because I hadn't filled his prescriptions. I assumed one of the hospital's two outpatient pharmacies would be open on Sundays. I was wrong. They also aren't open tomorrow due to the holiday. Paul called quite a few pharmacies today. The soonest any said they could get his diurol or NaCl was Tuesday. The hospital called another CVS that did have the diurol. We can easily get the vitamins anywhere. The in-patient pharmacy sold us an emergency 72 hour supply of the NaCl. I feel badly for the extra hassle, especially as it means someone has to come back here on Tuesday to fill the NaCl prescription. It would have been so much easier if I had filled them here a few days ago. 
We rented a car bed that we'll return after he's off the oxygen (presuming by that point he also weighs at least 5 pounds). He has appointments to be examined for ROP next week, another PT/OT appointment in one month, and he needs to be seen by the pediatrican on Tuesday (or Wednesday at the latest). I am so, so grateful that tonight I'll be sleeping in my OWN bed - something I have only done 7 other nights over the past 2 months, and we will ALL be together as a family of five. That has absolutely been the hardest part of this whole ordeal since May 30 - having such little contact with Nadia, Ian, and Paul. Paul has tomorrow off so it will be nice that we can have one day at home together before he resumes going back to school on Tuesday. I am soooooooo grateful I don't need to line up babysitters this week. I will be taking care of my own kids - fancy that! 
My parents are coming up to visit for a few hours tomorrow. It will be my dad's first time seeing Oliver. My mom saw Oliver on August 7, but she hasn't held him yet. Tomorrow will be her first time holding him. It's quite an experience holding this small of a baby. I know some of you have held much smaller babies (one pound!), but he's definitely the smallest baby I've ever held. The first time I held him, I kept thinking of a kitten. A kitten is the smallest living being I've held, and Oliver seemed more similar in weight and size to a kitten (not a newborn kitten) than any baby I've ever held before. I thought maybe my frame of reference was off since I haven't held a newborn for awhile, but as I looked around the NICU, I saw that Oliver looked MUCH smaller (head size, etc.) than many of the other babies in the NICU. He is a tiny little guy! Please pray that the lung disease will resolve and that he'll keep gaining weight.
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