Friday, February 5, 2010

Look Ma, No Cannula!



It is official! Braden is cannula free and off oxygen support.... again! Hopefully third time is the charm. It was removed twice before but only for a few hours as his blood oxygenation would drop when he ate or slept. But this time it has been out since mid-afternoon of February 3rd so fingers crossed this is it!

Many have asked, so when is he coming home?! Well, that is the tricky part. He has to be off the cannula for at least 5 days before they will stop giving him his caffeine supplement which helps prevent apnea - where he forgets to breathe and all kinds of crazy alarms go off around your child.

During this time he has to figure out how to EAT!! You will see he still has a bright orange tube in his nose that they push food through into his belly. He is taking up to 6 bottles a day but only finishing half the portion at times. Goal is to get to 8 bottles and finish every one, every time. We know he has it in him as he took a full feed for dad last night, but consistency is key to getting us out of the NICU!

This progress has led to me stepping on the gas a bit to get things ready for home as well as take some health and safety classes like CPR to prepare for the wild ride that is parenting!

The new digs have not been so bad as they moved us to a different bed in the unit with a little more privacy. But no complaints here as the babies in our newer area are shipped home on almost a daily basis... our turn is coming!

7 comments:

  1. That is the cutest, little frog I've ever seen. GREAT news on the cannula. We know he'll be eating like a champ in no time. He needs nutrition to support that hefty, 6-lb. frame. Hugs. We're counting the days til he goes home, which means we can finally meet him in person! <3

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  2. What an exciting optomistic post!! I'm so happy for Braden. Remind him that he has those Betts/Yates genes, too, and we're all BIG eaters!! He can take after the Godleys after he's a year old... Ha! I know you're walking on clouds of happiness. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.
    Love Nana

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  3. How wonderful and who would have thought in those early days that he would look beautifully chubby later on!

    I know it will be that last thing on your mind once he gets home, but you could write a great book that would be both heart rending and ridiculously funny!

    Kiss his check for me, please!

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  4. So cute. I will be cheering for him! Let me know if you need any help getting your home ready for him.

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  5. Hey Braden - You smell that? It's the smell of fresh air! Feels good, don't it?! Flex those nostrils, stretch those lungs... and then fill that belly of yours with some food. Go Braden!

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  6. He's doing great! I love the pictures - just precious!!!

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  7. He's so cute - I can't WAIT to meet him in person! Thanks for sharing the good news!

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