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RHYS' WILD RIDE
coreyschurman |
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LONG LIVE SLEEP!
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Mar 10, 2008 06:24am (EST)
Okay, so Rhys isn’t sleeping through the night yet (not surprising given he is only 3 weeks post his due date), but he did make a major change for the better in his sleep this week…
Ready for it?
For the past two nights, he has slept all night in his big boy crib in his own room!
Mommy and Daddy are so proud of how he transitioned, with no problems at all. In fact, it seems like all of us slept a bit better. For Rhys, we think it is because he is getting more mature, including eating so much more and remaining awake for longer stretches during the day. For Mommy and Daddy, it was definitely because we could turn down the volume on all of his little sleep fussings and gruntings, only really arousing for the more significant stuff. Needless to say, everyone’s mood is improving with this new arrangement.
Rhys also has shown increased maturity in other ways this week. He is more interested in looking around and wants you to keep walking constantly when holding him, so that his view always is changing. He likes watching his crib mobile and even likes being on the mat in his play gym for a bit now, though tummy time (unless it involves reclining on Mommy) still creates a fussy little monster after only a few moments. Still, we see growth and improvement every few days and continue to be amazed how far our little guy has come.
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Posted by coreyschurman | Comments: (3) | Permalink
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DREAMING MY DREAMS OF YOU
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Mar 08, 2008 06:30am (EST)
When we do get sleep, the things that we dream about (as I m sure is common, after talking with other parents of newborns) are pretty funky and strange. Sometimes alarming, sometimes amusing, but always interesting...
We both have woken in a panic thinking that we had Rhys in bed with us and that he was being smothered by our weight or the soft bed coverings (thanks to all that material on SIDS that we keep receiving - and we never even take him to our bed briefly in the night!). Ugh. But, last week, Mommy actually dreamt that Rhys spoke his first word... "milk." You can see where her mind is these days! She claims that he just kept saying "milk, milk, milk" over and over again. Not surprising given that he is a BIG eater these days, eating every 1-4 hours depending on level of alertness and the volume consumed at his previous meal. Still, a funny dream that said something about our lives just now in this crazy newborn period... and MUCH better than those other dreams at any rate!
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Posted by coreyschurman | Comments: (2) | Permalink
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RHYS GOES “WIRELESS”
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Feb 28, 2008 12:26pm (EST)
Yesterday was a graduation day of sorts. Rhys no longer has to be connected to an apnea monitor! He had only 4 alarms over the past 6 weeks and none of them were significant, so the doctors at his follow up visit decided that he is free at last. No more electrodes… no more wires… I guess that you could say that Rhys has finally gone “wireless.” Even more impressive, we think, is that Mom and Dad actually still slept last night, never getting up just to check whether he was still breathing. Of course, he IS a very noisy sleeper, but still…
In other news, Rhys also gained another pound over the past 10 days, weighing in at a hefty 8 lbs 2 ozs now. He is cheerfully outgrowing his newborn clothes and moving into the 0-3 month stuff. It is amazing to watch him grow and change on a daily basis. Seems like a minor miracle given his rocky entry into the world!
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Posted by coreyschurman | Comments: (3) | Permalink
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RHYS TURNS 40… WEEKS, THAT IS!
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Feb 17, 2008 07:25pm (EST)
We celebrated a big milestone last week, when our little guy turned the big 4-0 and celebrated his “unbirthday” by visiting the pediatrician and getting his first set of vaccinations. He continues to grow well, hitting 7 lbs 2 ozs on Friday and measuring over 20 inches in length now. He is slowly gaining on the growth chart and is exactly where we would expect when reaching his original due date. We can’t believe how much he has grown!
We also achieved another milestone… Rhys took a very brief nap in his “big boy” crib one afternoon last week. Sure, he was already asleep when Mommy put him down, but he stayed there (unswaddled!) for long enough to allow Mommy to take care of a few things around the house, so we think it counts. Speaking of sleep, we have decided that the one bad night that preceeded our last blog entry was exactly that – one bad night. Since then, Rhys has gone back to sleeping fairly well on his own in his cosleeper at night (so long as he gets plenty of time with Mommy and Daddy during the daytime hours). While we could still use more sleep, we really can’t complain. But, we still dream of the day he sleeps more than 2-4 hours at a stretch…
Finally, Rhys makes Mommy and Daddy laugh (a lot!) with how much he loves his “spa treatments.” Not only does he love a good massage (which helps promote both – ah, how to say this? – digestion and relaxation, but he also absolutely loves having his hair washed! We noticed this first when he was in the NICU. No matter how upset the rest of the bathing process made him, he would close his eyes and visibly relax when we placed his head under a faucet of warm running water. Now, after several weeks of experience with this, he actually relaxes when he hears the faucet turn on – in anticipation – and actually turns his head from side to side slowly under the water as Mommy rubs the shampoo around and rinses it out. It is hilarious and sweet to watch him and to see how much he enjoys it. It leaves us wondering, though, what’s next… pedicures? 
Rhys with Grandma S
First nap in the big crib
Did someone say beach
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Posted by coreyschurman | Comments: (4) | Permalink
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STRIDING TOWARD "FULL TERM"
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Feb 06, 2008 12:07pm (EST)
So, people always say that the first 6 weeks with a baby are the hardest, and that (if you survive) things get easier after that. It seems to us that life with a preemie doesn't follow that rule... in fact, life has gotten harder over the past few weeks as Rhys edges closer to his original due date. First of all, as he has become more alert and aware of his surroudings, he also has become more cranky and exercises his lungs more often (and at louder volume). Don't take that the wrong way - he is still a pretty quiet and easily calmed baby overall, but it IS a big change. He also has thrown his previous NICU schedule for feedings and cares out the window and is now is requesting these things (loudly) on a whim. Plus, even if he requests something, like food, that is no guarantee that he will stay awake long enough to finish it and may decide just to toy with it for a while off and on. It has become much tougher for Mom and Dad to schedule around his needs and plan ahead for anything! Finally, do we even need to mention sleep? He used to sleep very easily - at the drop of a hat - and would sleep pretty much until we woke him for cares. He didn't complain about sleeping on his back, or about sleeping alone. Now, he really enjoys sleeping on his tummy on Mom and Dad... this means that he sleeps soundly in this position and NOT soundly in pretty much any other position or location. This means that getting him to sleep in his crib on his own is more challenging these days, resulting in long bouts of being awake followed by brief naps and then loud complaining for more food and interaction throughout the night. If only we could sleep with him on his tummy on us all night, life would be good... ah, well... we're working on this. Until then, our sleep deprivation will continue.
So, does the 6 weeks start now that he has hit 38 weeks or do we really have to wait until he hits the big 4-0 before that clock starts counting down...?
On the positive side, Rhys has now reached nearly 6 and a half pounds! He is eating and growing like a champ (as you can see by the double-chin and pudgy extremities he has cultivated lately). He remains the apple of our eye, even through the sleepy haze our lives have become.
sweet
sour
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Posted by coreyschurman | Comments: (5) | Permalink
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YOU KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE NICU TOO LONG WHEN...
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Jan 23, 2008 07:12pm (EST)
At long (5+ weeks) last, our little boy has come home. Sure, he is still connected to a monitor and has TONS of medical visits scheduled, but we can begin to enjoy life as a family under one roof now. The funniest moment we had since returning home was when the home health nurse came out for a weight check (they want to make sure the little guy continues to grow well over the first few weeks post-discharge). She casually mentioned that we could probably remove Rhys' hospital bracelet at this point. Corey and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. We had become so used to seeing all of the leads, wires, tags, etc. as "normal" that it had not even registered that he was still wearing his hospital bracelet. Needless to say, we removed it as soon as the nurse left today, but you can still see it in the attached picture.
The hardest thing we faced so far was the first overnight at home. We had not even considered what a transition it might be for Rhys to go from the NICU to our house... the different sights, smells, sounds, etc. So, while he was familiar with us and fell asleep easily in our arms, he would wake up in his crib 20 minutes and apparentely panic. He would begin to flail his arms and that would just agitate him more, then the crying would begin. At least he was easy to console, quieting immediately once picked up. But, Corey and I couldn't sleep that way safely, so we needed to figure something out or NONE of us would be getting any sleep. Luckily, I had just finished reading "The Happiest Baby on the Block" and was able to put my newfound understanding of swaddling to good use. We simply swaddled Rhys with his arms down (full term newborn style) rather than with his arms out (preemie style) and he was able to sleep through his brief wakenings without getting so distressed. We are hoping that he will soon become used to our home and it will become more familiar and comforting to him, but in the meantime the swaddling is a true godsend. Now, Mom and Dad can get a few hours of sleep between cares, at least!
Finally, I am including a picture of Daddy and Rhys doing a couple of new things at the end of the NICU stay... bottle feeding and infant massage. Rhys LOVES the massage and stares at Corey adoringly throughout... it is both sweet and amusing. And, Rhys has taken to bottle feeding just fine, with no difficulty going back and forth between bottle and breast at this point. It's nice to have the option, as it allows Corey to have the experience of feeding our little guy and gives me some flexibility to leave the house every once in a while for brief outings.
Even now that we are out of the NICU and beginning the next phase of our adventure, we hope to continue this blog for family and friends, as well as anyone else going through this experience. For the latter, take heart. We never thought this day would come, either, but it does and is the best feeling in the world (at least until the sleep deprivation kicks in!).
First Day at Home
First Massage
First Bottle
(NG tube) Free at Last!
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Posted by coreyschurman | Comments: (1) | Permalink
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HE'S COMING HOME!...HOLY CR*P
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Jan 21, 2008 06:02pm (EST)
Sorry its been awhile, we've been really busy getting everything ready for our superstar to come home, be it last minute shopping at Babies R Us, cleaning the house, being at the hospital so Mom can do more feedings, etc., etc., etc. Anyway, enough about what we've been doing, how about the boy? Well, Rhys has been doing exactly what he should be, still gaining weight, 5lbs. 10 oz. and counting, feeding orally at least 3 times a day for the last week, and not having any bradycardias that need stim. In other words, he's ready!
His week has also been full of other fun things. Dad learned to give infant massage and so Rhys has been enjoying getting oiled up and rubbed down every night. It really makes him crash out after his late feeding. Dad and Rhys also got some more quality time with Dad giving him his first bottle. I could tell Mom was jealous.
Starting yesterday morning, Mom and I have been "rooming in" at the hospital. They gave us a tiny room outside of the NICU and we have been staying there with him, on the monitor we are going to take home, doing all the feedings, changes, etc. by ourselves. Let's just say it is a bit of a rude awakening. We have been able to stay here for eight hours and then leave him in the capable hands of the NICU nurses while Mom and Dad (mostly Dad) get a good nights sleep. Last night we got maybe 3 hours and needless to say, we are a bit sleepy tonight as we go for night number two. Then tomorrow, we go home! All of us!
To say we're nervous would be true, but we are also really ready, and he's shown us that he is ready too. We will add more later, with some pictures, but we need to upload them at home.
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Posted by coreyschurman | Comments: (4) | Permalink
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