11 weeks (35 weeks gestational) Update:

weight: 2,186 (4 lb 13 oz)| height: 17.5 inches

Happy 11 Weeks Jack! Can you believe it?!  We wish they could all be easy weeks but this past one had other plans.  Below is a sample week of life on the NICU roller coaster (week 10).

Monday 1/4: Jack is looking like such a big boy, he’s stable while we kangaroo for long periods of time.Our nursery is full of our favorite nurses – they challenged Mommy to turn her back to Jack’s monitors while holding him to start learning to become less reliant on them. Oxygen requirements come down a bit while holding meaning he’s doing a lot of the work on his own. His brain ultrasound results are stable from last week, no increase in fluid and the blood has been receding.  Go Jack Go!

Tuesday 1/5 (Daytime): Lovely visit with Jack again today, we were able to kangaroo twice for long periods of time.  During Rounds, the Doctors mentioned Jack’s “crit” was low (hematocrit =his red blood cells) so they will keep an eye on it as they want his body to learn to create red blood cells on its own without the help of another blood transfusion (to date Jack has had four transfusions).

Tuesday 1/5 (Nighttime): Between the two hours Mommy left her visit and Daddy arrived after work Jack has an apneic episode (cessation of breathing) followed by ‘bradys’ (bradycardia is the slowing of his heart rate) that needed a crowd of Nurses and the Respiratory team to stimulate him back.  It’s time to transfuse.  Jack told us he hit the wall on red blood cells reproduction for this challenge and he’ll try again next time.  Watching your baby not take breaths and turn a shade of blue you hope never to see multiple times is just another Tuesday within this world.

Wednesday 1/6: Jack receives his blood transfusion during the day, we don’t take him out of the isolette as to let him rest and regain his strength.  He might need a full sepsis workup to rule out infection after his episode last night (a sepsis workup includes blood and urine cultures along with a spinal tap. Yup, Jack is tougher than all of us. He’s had three thus far in his stay).  He does receive some special guests to visit him all the way from NYC.  A gaggle of girls were just the right medicine to get Jack back on track! After his visit with the ladies, Jack has his bimonthly eye exam.  Last exam we were told he has zone 2/stage 2 of ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity- abnormal growth of the blood vessels in the retina due to the long duration and high levels of Oxygen Jack has needed to breathe).  We’re told there will be a Retina Specialist coming into the NICU this weekend for a procedure on another baby and since he’ll be on the floor he will examine Jack.

Thursday 1/7: The transfusion seemed to do the trick for Jack and no need for a sepsis workup!  Jack has another round of guests visiting today- he’s one lucky little fella with all these fans!  No holds for Mommy or Daddy today, we want to make sure he is fully rested and regaining that strength after a tough start to the beginning of week 10.

Friday 1/8: The Retina Specialist’s schedule changed and will be in the NICU today rather than Sunday.  Mommy and Yaya Mackey are visiting with Jack when the Retina Specialist introduces himself and begins to examine him.  Within minutes he turns to say Jack has Plus disease (abnormal dilation and twisting of the retinal arteries and veins) and will need laser treatment today. TODAY?! WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DOING A DRIVE BY ON JACK JUST BECAUSE YOU HAPPENED TO BE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD! THIS POOR KID HAS BEEN THROUGH THE RINGER THIS WEEK. (Is what Mommy screamed on the inside while signing a consent form).  And within 20 minutes Baby Jack at what is currently 34 weeks gestational age if he were still inside the womb is on the outside getting his retina lasered.  How could this week be happening? We’re supposed to be in a more stable zone. How could this week not be over already?!  BEEP….BEEP….BEEP (Mommy’s alarm to go pump conveniently chimes as it always does at the absolutely worst times, all the time).  Mommy somehow keeps it together long enough as to not alarm her Mom (Yaya Mackey) with her worries and stress of her baby being taken into another room without her.  Jack returns in 30 minutes and took it like a champ.  His eyes are swollen and red and will be for a few days.  The treatment went well according to the Retina Bandit and he will follow up with Jack weekly along with his normal eye exams.  We knew eventually Jack would need treatment we just didn’t think it would be today.  Probably for the best as Mommy enjoys a good Google session to keep her up late at night fretting about every possible outcome.  As the Nurses allow Mommy to hold Jack while they’re changing his bedding he has back to back bradys.  Not again. Not in front of Yaya.  The Nurses and Doctors tell us bradys are fine after a procedure like this as it kind of knocks the babies out and they forget to breathe.  Still–  to have a visitor that has never seen him brady is tough.  Yaya leaves to help watch puppy Frank back home as Mommy refuses to leave Jack’s side after that ordeal.  Mommy proceeds to cry uncontrollably after holding it all in. TGIF?

Saturday 1/9-Sunday 1/10: Jack’s eyes are on the mend, not very swollen and just a bit red on the insides.  He opens them and smiles just as big.  We can’t say it enough– the mightiest.  Mommy and Daddy both hold Jack for long periods of peacefulness.  We hold him so tight as to somehow apologize for everything that’s happening to him.  For not being able to take the pain on his behalf.  For not being able to carry him to full term and putting him through this.

Sunday 1/10 (right before bed): We call to do one last check in on Jack before going to bed.  He has one of our favorite nurses tonight.  She bathed him and told him stories and took pictures for us.  He sure earned that bubble bath this week. Our gratitude is endless and can never properly be expressed for the NICU nurse that loves our baby and us when we need it most.  Hearing her voice tell us he’s doing just fine and comfortable is a perfect ending to this week.

 

We can’t wait to fully see the light that’s peaking over the mountain top.  It’s been a really long climb and we’re closer yet still far.

To our baby Jack – When you read this one day, we hope it’s after hours of running around outside playing because you can.  Because your strong lungs can handle it.  When you read this one day, we hope it’s after you just finished reading Daddy the last Harry Potter book.  Because your strong eyes are so focused on the words that brought you a familiar voice each night a long long time ago.  Your strength is unmatched.  Your determination is inspirational.  You are stronger than most right at this very moment and when you read this one day your mind and body will not be the same as those past struggles.

To our baby Jack – We can’t wait to be at that “one day” right along side you little man.