Today was a return to some semblance of normalcy. We arrived around 12:30 and were just in time to feed Zach. He tried to breast feed with Mommy, but only gave it a half hearted effort, so we allowed him to finish up with the bottle. The neonatologist was able to insert a new PICC line for his IV last night, and continue his antibiotics. Shortly after we arrived today we noticed some blood backing up into the IV again, and after a thorough flush by the nurses as well as an adjustment of his tubes, we were able to maintain a fully functioning IV for the rest of the day (and hopefully the rest of his stay).
Zachary's reaction to his feeding was pretty similar to yesterday's, with him staying awake and somewhat fussy for a good portion of the afternoon. Normally he falls asleep and rests until the next feeding, but for the past couple of days he has been pretty ornery. The nurse practitioner believes it may be a result of the sedative he was given during the IV procedures. She said it can make you feel hung over as it wears off, so this may explain some of the "over tired" actions Zachary has shown yesterday and today.
Before his afternoon feeding today it was time to change the dressing on the incision in his back. When they pulled back the gauze it was not a pretty sight. Most of he incision has pulled apart and is slowly filling in with a yellowish "goo" that they say will eventually form new skin. The nurse's seem convinced that it looks pretty healthy, so we'll take that as a positive and continue to pray that it heals as fast and as efficiently as possible. After applying new dressings and changing Zach's diaper it was time for some milk. Nicole and her parents Lucretia and Bill had arrived for a visit, which was fun, but regrettably too short, due to Zach's feeding time.
While feeding Zach a second time we were able to get a few pictures of his "anemone" hands as Kimmie calls them. You can see above he likes to close his eyes and flail his arms while moving his fingers during feeding, and even while sleeping. He grabs his head, his cheek, or any towels in the area. It's almost like he's unsure what to do with his hands, or even if they belong to him at all. We're sure he'll figure it out soon, but in the meantime it's fun to sit back and watch the show.
After feeding for a decent amount of time Zach decided to fall asleep with bottle in mouth yet again, this time for good. He was sleeping peacefully for 1/2 hour so we decided to head out and allow him to stay on schedule. Tomorrow we hope he is still on schedule and we can have a good day with him. Hopefully his incision will look better, his IV will continue to function, and he can pick up the breast feeding like he has previously. Thank God for the progress he has made to this point, and may he be blessed with the ability to continue on his journey to full health. With Love and Praise - Brian + Kimmie
Sounds like we are letting his incision heal from the inside out as they say. That's good and I am glad the antibiotics are working. Keep working on the breastfeeding and pumping - I know it's a pain in the but, but the milk is perfect for your little guy. You have made it through many hard days with flying colors!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful little boy you have. Thanks for allowing us into your world through this blog. Your presence and your love will give Zach strength. I will pray that Zach will soon be able to go home and that his health will continue to improve. He is a blessing from above.
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