looking good

after a 14gram loss yesterday afternoon  (a couple of good poops will do that to you), ethan gained 92grams today and as of this morning was up to 3lbs 15 1/2oz.  i am guessing by bath time tonight he will be 4lbs.  he was very alert this morning for at least 20-30 minutes until we did our kangaroo care and then he was out.  we did have 4-5 desat of his oxygen levels over the course of last night, but we will see what happens today.

ethan has grown!!

so here are the stats as of this morning and prepare yourself...there is some major growth since birth happening.

weight:  3lbs 13oz

length:  17 1/2"  (was 15 1/4" at birth)

he is really growing.  

unkie chris time

eli loved the time he got to spend with his unkie chris.  thanks for spending so much time with him chris...he loved it and misses you!!!

christmas updates

a great present to us on christmas was being able to go together to visit ethan.  while unkie chris entertained eli, andy and i were able to spend some quality time with ethan.  

ethan is now up to 3lbs. 11.4oz.  wow!!  our little guy is packing on the ounces daily!  his admission anklet is getting a little snug and will need to be replaced because he is chunking up.  it really is amazing what a few ounces does for the cheeks.  you actually have something to pinch.  we also were given the great present of being moved to the west room of nicu which is a brand new area and gives us ample room and peace for our visits.  ethan will have a little quieter environment and we will have more comfortable visits with him (although it is harder to leave b/c there isn't a sense of being in the way).  4 more weeks and he should be able to come home.  1.5 weeks and he will begin bottle feeding (maybe sooner...we will see).  you definitely know when he is hungry b/c he gets fidgety and starts to smack his lips and sticking out his little tongue.   

merry christmas

i love the way eli is holding these slippers...as if to say...what the @$!? are these?  although his response upon opening completely was..."these are outstanding"

i think eli needed a little coffee christmas morning.  all the photos i took he has this look of concern.

enjoying the fruits of their labors

mmmmmm......muffins ...icing ....candy

cecil, eli and norah took some time to decorate car muffins in celebration of the holidays.

shots

noelle wright and eli partook in some whip cream shots that andy was passing out.  they were the only two who were willing to give it a try.  we will have to watch these two.

jump!!

our fearless jumper!  eli doesn't hold back when he takes a leap...i wonder if this is how he will be later in life.

 

look at all that hair

ahhhh...i love this time of day!

pucker up

updates

okay...with the holiday fast approaching time has gotten away from me (as i am sure it has with all of you as well).  ethan is still doing great!  he is up to 3lbs 5oz.  he has surpassed his birth weight and is gaining every day.  our doctor has told us that ethan will probably be coming home at the end of january (4 weeks) as long as he gets up to the release weight of ~4.5lbs.  the little guy really is amazing and oh so tiny.  i took these photos to give some perspective on just how little he is.  it really is tough to tell from a photo.

eli is preparing for ethan's arrival home

practice, practice, practice. the only problem is that this monkey is a heck of a lot bigger than ethan.  (*smile...sigh*)

ethan is doing great.  as you can see...his oxygen has been removed as of last night at 6pm and he has only had a small episode which he corrected immediately.  i hope for his sake...it stays out.  he hates those tubes up his nose (can you blame him?).  he has been gaining weight steadily and will probably hit the 3lb mark today.  almost back up to birth weight. you go ethan!  it is hard to believe he is a week and 1/2 old.  what a fighter!!!

i'm not naked anymore

getting ready for christmas

eli has been hard at work in his little shop creating gifts for family.  he has done a fantastic job being creative and showing off his talents.  hope everyone enjoys his efforts.

silly faces

santa i want penny racers and motorcycles

kangaroo care

nothing beats mommy time!