Sorry it's been a while since I last updated. The best news we got today is that Johnny now weighs 3 lbs. 8 1/2 oz.! He gained 45 grams yesterday. If he keeps it up he'll be 4 lbs in about 4 days! You can mostly see his weight gain in his face, he's starting to get chubby cheeks and a double chin. :)
Johnny got the cataract removed from his left eye last Thursday, so we're done with the surgeries! Yay! Everything went great and so far there haven't been any complications. He should get his glasses within the next couple of weeks. Contacts will come in the next few months! They'll be able to replace the lenses in his eyes (like they would do if he was an adult having cataracts removed) when he's about 12 years old. Once those are replaced then he won't need contacts or glasses anymore. I'm so grateful for modern medicine and technology. Johnny would be blind without it!
Surgeries are over and he is extubated and breathing on his own. He went from being intubated to breathing room air (no oxygen) which is amazing for a baby with a heart defect. Go Johnny!
The next big thing we will be working on is trying to get Johnny to eat on his own, through either bottle or breast. Our doctors and nurses say this can be the most frustrating part of his hospital stay. It could take weeks or months, there's no way to know for sure. Lovely. He did really good today and drank 16 cc's of his 30 cc bottle. The main part of his problem is that he fatigues really easily. He starts out wide awake at the start of his feed and then crashes half way through and we have to put the rest of the milk through his feeding tube. Babies with heart conditions tend to have a harder time eating and gaining weight because the heart has to work extra hard to function. He's also a little weak from his surgeries and infection.
He's making a lot of progress. I hope it will continue. Most of our NICU friends have gone home this week. I'm ready for it to be our turn!
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7 comments:
Your blog comments are very valuable for us to keep up with your progress as well as Johnny's day by day saga! Our prayers continue with you and we hope for excellent continued progress. Love you - Grandpa & Grandma Fin
So good to hear johnny is doing so well!!!!! Hang in there! I can only imagine the journey your little family is enduring. You guys are amazing!!!
Look at him grow! He really is amazing- he'll probably start eating like a champ pretty soon. Good luck! I need to hurry and get you his little outfit before he grows out of it!
So happy to hear the surgeries are done and things are going well. Good luck with the feeding! We love you guys!
I am so proud of this kid!!! What a fighter! If this keeps up, KJ's going to have some competition for the DOA President position. =) I'm so happy for you guys.
And also---how does a baby wear glasses???
Way to go Johnny! When Brooklyn was in the hospital we had to wait until she was 5 lbs and eating on her own before she could come home. That was frustrating. I think the weight requirement has changed now. They just need to know that baby will eat! I'm so glad the surgery went well. You are a great mommy!
I am so glad you keep us updated. We have been fasting and praying for your family (even Lydia blesses baby johnny in her prayers) so Im glad things are looking up! I can't wait to meet the little guy! You are amazing parents and it is inspiring to see how strong both of you have been through all of this. Keep us posted and we love you!
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