NICU week 4

Day 23 - More comments on "the chin" Visit from Grandma and Grandpa Witte, From 2L to 1.5L oxygen, still 4lbs 6oz, starting swallow therapy in the morning with the therapist.

Day 24 - Mommy and Danielle visit. Mommy got to give 1st bottle and he ate 32 of 40! No spit ups, no problems. Danielle got to hold him too!
 The kids got a picnic lunch in the waiting area.
 Nathan worked with Lea the PT this time.

 Mason taking his FIRST bottle!



Day 25 - 4lbs 8oz, Takes bottles every other feeding. No problems except they have to up his oxygen because he forgets to breathe after swallowing. He really wants to go home almost as much as I want him here :)

Day 26 - 4lbs 11oz, on low flow at 35cc which is the lowest before it can come off. Ate a full 41cc by bottle (every other feed) cueing for a bottle well.

Day 27 - Mommy and Tara come to visit. Mason was weighed again and is
4lbs 14oz!!!!!!
Mason was awake and so smiley and making all kinds of smacking noises like he was ready to eat and Mommy tried a feed and Mason had 2 red lights during the feed - meaning he was too into sleeping to feed.
He then was having issues when the nurse, and Tara and I were trying to leave so he had A/Bs in protest.
This was totally normal. Nothing to worry about.

 Now that is a smile!

 Mason loves to pull his cords out!




"Mason looks big so it is hard to remember that he is still very young." - Al the Nurse
This is true. It is so hard to see him "look" normal and seem to be normal in so many ways that it is hard remembering he is a preemie. Until you see his teeny tiny parts.

He is too tall for some of his preemie clothes, his arms hang out of most his clothes. He is in the "bigger" preemie diapers. It is so strange. I am learning a lot about Preemies and getting anxious for our boy to come home. It hasn't been to hard on me but I have my moments.

Christmas (on the 16th)


Today (the 16th) was my official day OFF bedrest. So much for that. : P

Nathan and I were hard at work the 3 weeks prior trying to get everything done "just in case" something happens, again, so much for that.

Here are the kids on "Christmas Eve"

The kids woke up at 7:15ish but I was up at 5:45am making Strawberry Cheese Danishes (kids request)
They picked Blueberry Danishes for next year. I am going to make the blueberries inside I think.

The kids woke up RIGHT as I was putting it in the oven.
And this is what they SAW!
 From Left: 
(Girls Dress Up Station, Lego Table, Lucas's new Bike, Lap Desk for Scar and a GIANT Doll House!
 Most of those things were "recycled" more on that later! :)

 The kids usually check things out before they open, then we send them up to clean their rooms and make their beds and brush their teeth. Hahaha.
 More awesome stuff! Lucas kept saying, "I really needed a new bike, but I didn't ask for one because I didn't want to pick between a bike AND Lego's." Oh man it was so funny.
Nathan built the Lego table out of a table we bought the kids awhile back, it was broken from a Tot School incident and I put it in the basement to "fix" later. This was perfect! We painted the top added Lego plates and added railings underneath so that a tub could fit under it! Genius!

On to the loot! We didn't go crazy because I couldn't "shop" this year, so the kids got a lot of things that went with the bigger items. They didn't seem to care. :)



 Scarlett couldn't believe she got a barbie with red hair, that was "Oriole!" (Ariel) 
 Auntie Stef and Uncle Theo and Cousin Phil gave our family UDraw and Pictionary! These are so much fun!
 Bridget wanted a robe and slippers and pickles for her eyes. She got everything except the pickles. :)
 Scarlett is the artist in the family. I made her an art kit that was ALL color wonder stuff so I don't have to worry about my walls or furniture. :) She is free to use HER art supplies ANY time!
I had my mind set on making the kids this dress up cabinet.
So in the 11th hour we put it all together and I had picked out some clearance Halloween costumes for their new dress ups. 
Bridget got SpiderGirl and a Bride.
Scarlett got Rapunzel and Snow White
Lucas got Batman and a Robber/Jailman.
Here is a better look at the Dress Up Cabinet.
This is in my bathroom because that is where we hid everything for 2 weeks.
The kids were so mad that the bathroom was "broken" because they had to use the other bathrooms instead. Hahaha. Suddenly after Christmas - it was fixed. Amazing how that happened, huh?
 Lucas slowly assembling everything he got in his room with his table.
 Bridget the bride playing with the doll house.  I took better pictures of the process but if you look closely on the 2nd floor the framed artwork is Lucas's from Kindergarten. There are lots of fun details in this house. I will probably need to do a whole post on it because it took me 3 weeks of Nathan at school and me on bedrest to do but I am so proud of it! :)
Look! I was there - a week after having Mason and having fun with my kids. I really really missed playing with them!

We ordered Chinese Food for dinner - we ordered a feast - it was embarrassing but DELICIOUS.
Juliet loved everything we gave her!
 Then the kids plowed through their stockings.


It was a fun (week early) Christmas.

Why did we do this a week early? Well, we wanted to be with Mason for one and we planned on catering Breakfast for the NICU on Christmas day.  We also planned on spending the night, but, after going to the Witte's the kids were NOT having it so we visited him today and catered breakfast. We delivered the bird ornaments with treats and cards to the nurses and...got more comments on "the chin" haha.

We Skype'd with the Horn's, and had German Pancakes for Breakfast.
We played and had fun with our toys from last week.
I got a new smartphone, some cartridges, AND -Nathan built me a bench for the kitchen table 
(to which I replied "If you build a mommy a bench, chances are she will ask for a table to go with it)
I just need to pick the color to paint it. I am thinking Black to go with our new cabinets. Hmmm.
Nathan got a new TV and some clothes and shoes.

After naps, Nathan took the kids REAL sledding.


Hope you all had a Merry Christmas. It was weird celebrating 2 first Christmas's this year, but it was special having our whole family together. It finally felt complete and right. I just hope Mason continues to progress and that he can come home soon. :)

Christmas Eve @ Witte's and NICU week 3

We gathered, ate Yummy Sandwiches, and of course, had the Christmas Exchange.
2011 - Theme "IN THE KITCHEN"
Nathan gives to Ryan 
Valerie gives to Veronica 
Jared gives to Cory
Erin gives to Valerie
(to which we all laughed at the Nacho stand)
I got an Erin Milne Witte handmade cake stand!!! I loooove it!
Ryan gives to Jared
Veronica gives to Erin
Liz gives to Danielle
Cory gives to Nathan
A Pancake Dispenser and Cookbook!!!
Our family is so lucky!
Ben gives to Alex
Danielle gives to Liz
Alex gives to Ben

We also made gingerbread houses.

 I swear I am not on drugs. I don't know what is up with me in all these pics. So weird.

 Juliet and Spencer playing puzzles.

 All the boys got this tool set and a survival knife.

 My kids hugging and grateful for all they received. 

 In case anyone was wondering...Lucas loves Lego's.

 Grandma Witte spent many long hours making special dresses for the girls. They all were different, but matched. I can't wait for them to wear them!
 Juliet having a great time drooling and playing with the leftover carnage.

Everyone was able to talk to Uncle Chris who is serving in PA on his mission and then we headed to the NICU...

When we got there Mason had a little surprise for us:
He was in a big boy crib!!!!
Nathan and I didn't know they were going to do this so we were ALL shocked!
 Every kid passed the test and got to go in. 
It was a special treat since only 4 people were allowed in at a time.


 We was asleep for most of it.


 It was truly amazing to see the love each of our kids have for Mason.
 His hand in Nathan's hand.
 Nathan was itching to hold him so I passed him off.

 He was smiling at Nathan!
 My boys!
 He is just growing so much and doing so well. 
It makes it a little easier to leave him knowing that he isn't having problems.
 Look at that! My whole family looking at me. *sigh* finally!
Grow Mason, Grow!

Here are the weekly stats just for my record. 

Day 16 - 3.13 pounds, high flow nasal canula, very warm for his size, but nothing to worry about.

Day 17 - 35ml every 3 hours, weaned oxygen to 1.5 L but still on high flow. 3.14lbs. Physical Therapy came and are pleased with movements, so he might not need any therapy after he goes home!

Day 18 - Mommy visits

Day 20 - 4 lbs 2 oz - steady on high flow BUT ready to be moved to low flow.
Just growing and Feeding now!


Day 22 - Family visits and *drumroll please* 4lbs 6oz AND in a big boy crib!
Getting ready to transition to bottles and swallowing therapy.
Please pray he eats and swallows without a problem. This is the ONE thing he HAS to do to come home.

EEEK!!!!!