Big Day

Yesterday was a big day for us. Eric got to meet Grandpa Ralph and Grandma Jeanne. They were excited to finally meet each other.

Eric and I also experimented with breast feeding for the first time. I was a little nervous but Eric was very eager. Around 33 or 34 weeks (Eric is 33) is when babies are ready to begin developing the coordination to breast feed. Our nurse, Barbara, helped us get organized.



Our time was more of an exploration of the area to see what Eric would do. He found the boob no problem, but latching on was little more difficult for us. He needs to be a little stronger before he can suck hard enough, but he did get a few drops. When I tryed to move him back to my chest for kangarooing he wanted nothing to do with it and moved himself right back down to the boob. He has the right idea but it will definitely be a big learning process for both of us.



Eric also graduated to the next unit. They move babies to NICU West who don't need us much attention in the way of things like IV's or breathing machines. Nurses Saddam and Barbara, and respiratory therapist, Martha moved Eric over to his new room. He will have the same nurses and doctors, which he is very happy about because he has come to really like them. In fact these nurses are a lot like family. They are amazing and so supportive. The work they do is so special and huge. I hope they all know how important of people they area. I tell them all the time.

His new room is filled with a lot of his friends that were born around the same time as he was. He is still on monitors and receives oxygen through nasal canula. He is down to one liter of pressure on the oxygen. He started at five and as he grows bigger and stronger has needed less pressure.



Here is a picture of his new room. There are many more windows in this room and they begin cycling day and night by turning down the lights in the unit at night. They are able to do this more often in this unit than in NICU East because they aren't as busy. The nurse in the picture is Mary and you can see her shaking her hands dry after washing them, which they are doing constantly (and so are we).