A Special Visit

On Monday, Mason was FINALLY not coughing and we were all able to head down to the hospital. 

 First time meeting baby brother since birth!

 Mason LOVED taking pictures....

 Giving him a pat...

 First time for Granny to hold baby brother!

He felt right at home in her arms.  He cooed and even was giving her smiles...(yup he was having a very happy dream in her arms!)  We are so very thankful that Granny and Pa have been able to be here for the birth and also holding down the homestead while Tom and I have been running back and forth from the hospital!  We All Love You Granny and Pa!!!!!!!!

Introducing River Nolan Flynn:

****River did come home today and we are doing well!  We are starting to settle into a routine......but for now I am going to go lay my head on the pillow.....I will be back tomorrow with all the details and more pictures of today's JAIL BREAK!

Zoo Lights

Before baby bother got released from the hospital we took Granny and Pa down to see Zoo Lights! 

 The salmon jumping up the stream

 Pa was the chosen one to get to ride Mason's carousel.

I got the royal treatment and got pushed in a wheelchair by Granny all throughout the zoo!  We had a great time and it was lots of fun to have Granny and Pa here to enjoy it with us!  Even though this year it was after Christmas it was still lots of fun to go see all the lights.

The List

Today when we went to the hospital we figured it would be just another day of feeding and holding but we were wrong.....
We started off the visit with the nurse checking of "to do's" to go home.....

Yup we are getting close to baby brother coming home!!!!!!!!!!!  So close that we need to bring in the car seat so they have it for the car seat test. (when he is ready) We got to talk about hospital baby pictures, appointments that we will have when we go home and other housekeeping things.

Baby brother and I did get to practice breastfeeding and in 12 min he did about 7 cc so we are still doing well. Tomorrow he will be A WEEK OLD and hopefully when we go in he will have NO IVS!!!!!  Today he only had it for his antibiotics cause he is feeding all the fluids he needs.....no need to add fluids through on iv!

Tonight we all went to zoo lights!  It was so awesome to get to do ONE of the activities that I had planned before going into the hospital!   Dont worry I rented a wheelchair so that I was not walking that much!  Granny and Pa enjoyed their first trip to zoo lights!

I  have more pictures but they will have to wait until another day when I up load them from the camera!

We finished the night off with a trip to Dicks for hamburgers and milkshakes! 

Late night update

As I am sitting here pumping, I realized I have not updated today.  Guess that is cause baby brother is still rocking all things NICU!  He did pull out his iv last night and after many attempts they ended up putting it in his head    : (  I will be very glad when he will no longer needs that iv at all!  I was able to bottle feed him today and the cuddle him for a bit!

On the home front Granny and Pa have been holding everything together.....

Mason and Granny putting together a puzzle! 

Then Pa joined in and all three of them played a dice game that Mason got for Christmas! 

A Great Start to the New Year

Today Tom and I headed down to see baby brother while Mason played with Granny and Pa.  The report from the nurse went as follows:

Still increasing his feeds but now by 3 cc every other feed instead of just 2 cc.--goal is 1.5oz every 3 hours

He completely nippled all his feeding.

He is holding his temperature and not needing heat in the incubator! 

His bully ruben level was at 8 so still no need for photo-therapy!  They will test one more time tomorrow and if still good then most likely he won't need the lights at all : ) 

He is at a total fluid level of 140 out of a max of 160 and if he keeps taking the feedings so well they will be able to remove the iv tomorrow or the next day!!!  At this point they are willing to discontinue the antibiotics if he reaches the fluid level.

So while we were there we were very BUSY!!!

  Tom got to do the FIRST diaper change......and it was nice and dirty for him!!!

Then it was time to do a weight check.......

 And after the weight chec we BREASTFED for 10 minutes.  Baby bother did AMAZING!  He ate and ate and ate.....after 10 minutes the nurse weighed him again and he was 8 grams heaver!  That means he nurse 8 cc!!!!!! All that is 10 minutes.....puts him at rock star level! The Nurse could not believe that he latched at first try and just drank like he had done it many times before.  We did not want to tire him out to much so then we continued the feeding with a bottle.

 In true fashion he finished the entire thing making him eat more then he had to during this feeding.  Best part is that is a great thing to report to the doctors in the morning because it proves how strong and able he is with feedings.  Once he had a full belly he and I snuggled until it was time for us to go........

That's when the real fun happened....

 

Yup baby brother got a NEW BED!!!

 

All wrapped up!

 

And all moved out!

 

 Here is the best sneak peek of what his room looked like before the bed change!

 

When we got home this is what we found........

 

Yup they were ready for the big game!

 

Cheering at the 85 yard run and touchdown....and then they danced the victory dance!!!! All we can say is

OH..........................IO!!!!

As for me my first full day at home went well.  Tom set his alarm for every 3 hours to wake me up to pump and also take any medicine that I needed.  I am in full swing of making lots and lots of milk.  I hope and pray that it continues.  My Dad made a great traditional New Years Day meal and my Mom made a great treat of apple be a's!!!

So far 2015 is looking to be an AWESOME year!  

The Last Day of the Year

As 2014 draws to a close we are very thankful for all that this year has brought us.  We have traveled many many miles and gotten to spend lots of time with lots of family from coast to coast and even some in between.  This year has been full of making tuns of lasting memories that will never be forgotten.  Our family went from 3 to 4.  In a fashion that none of us ever thought possible!  We can't wait to begin this coming year which promises to be even more special and full of even more memories. 

2015 we are ready for you!

 ***Quick update.....I am home and still moving very very slow.  I am very sore and trying to take it very easy.  It is just nice to be home!

Little Brother is still doing well.  He will continue to be on iv antibiotics due to the report of my placenta and possible infections that it had.  He is drinking milk like a champ.  They are adding 2 cc of milk every other feeding until we get to 1.5oz every 3 hours.  So far he is tolerating the feeds and able to do all the work himself.  He and I continue to work on breastfeeding and he is latching amazingly and even doing a few sucking and swallowing moves.  He still is only able to do a few sucks but each day he is getting stronger and stronger.    

 

His little foot prints 

 

My little Blondie....

Home with my snuggle buddy at last!

 

Feeding Time?

We went down for some cuddle time this morning and ended up doing this!

First we did a little "breastfeeding" where he was a pro and latched and sucked  on his first try!  He would latch and then go to sleep but that is ok and really expected.  We will work on that but he is amazing and such a rock star to already be attempting to breastfeed.   

The above picture is his first official feeding!  We filled 3 cc of breastmilk into the bottle and let him do his thing!  He drank it like he had done it many times before.  He sucked, swallowed and breathed very well the whole maybe 2 minutes it took him to drink it : )  As I put him back up on me to do more skin to skin he even let out a great burp!  Have I mentioned how amazing he is!!!!!  Then a few minutes after being settled he picked his head up and moved himself back onto my breast!

Love it♡♡♡♡

Here is a little sneak peek into his room.....

His board that they change each day!

Each room is individual so this is the view from the doorway.  Later today I will get a full 360 of the room to share.

I am feeling a little less sore today but still on pain killers to keep the pain more manageable.  Tomorrow I will most likely be discharged and finally be home after 14 days of being in the hospital!  My own bed is defiantly calling my name!!!!!