One Month Old!

I seriously can't believe Oliver is one month old today.  I'm pretty sure I'm just barely realizing that I have a baby!  Maybe the fact that he was in the NICU for more than half that month has something to do with it.  Or maybe because he's still not even supposed to be born yet!!

 But either way, I'm loving him so much.  He is the sweetest baby.  There is something extremely calming about Oliver.  He has a peaceful sweet spirit that releases all my stress when I hold him.  Sounds like the perfect fourth baby, no?

 Today I put him in the same outfit that Ethan and Cooper wore when they were one month old.  It was way too big for Oliver, but I made it work and it was so fun!  I'll have to post comparison pictures tomorrow or something because that's just fun.

This baby is a rock star at eating.  The first week home, he gained 14 ounces in five days.  One of the many miracles.  I'm STILL amazed every day that he NEVER spits up.  Amazing for any baby, especially a preemie.  But he's a champion burper.  And grunter.  And recently started arching and stretching which is the absolute cutest.

Oliver, I love you!!  A super huge HOORAY for your first month of life!

Oliver Pictures

Oliver is so cute and tiny!

 I have LOVED having a wireless baby!!  No beeping monitors and so much easier to snuggle with!

 Oliver got off oxygen on Thanksgiving.  It was a wonderful blessing.  I just about died from his cuteness when I took the tubes off.

 I love his double chin!

 Baby feet!!

 Oh baby!

Welcome Home Oliver

After 16 days in the NICU, Oliver was finally able to come home and meet his siblings!

 Cooper was all smiles and kept saying, "see it, see it!"  He kept pointing down at him.  It was cute.

 Madeline and Ethan were so excited to finally see him too.  Unfortunately, we haven't been able to manage to keep the germs away, so they still haven't held him.  The coughing around here is insane!  We ended up having to put the baby gate up across my bedroom door so Cooper won't go in and cough on Oliver.  Not to mention pull on the cords…I'll be SO EXCITED and SO HAPPY once the kids are better from their colds and Oliver is wire-free.  Then he can come out of my room and join his family!

 His little NICU at home: giant oxygen tank, changing station, and pulse oximeter.  That thing drives me crazy beeping all night…99% of the time it's the machine being dumb and Oliver is just fine.

 He still pretty much sleeps ALL day long, though he's managed to start being awake at night...

 I love the big yawn and double chin!  So kissable cute!

 Yay!  I have a baby!  And I get to keep him!

 Oliver Glenn:

My 11th Anniversary

I just wanted to interrupt the "Oliver blog" :) to do a shout-out to the best man on the planet!

 I woke up on Saturday morning after a night of no sleep and stood in front of the mirror.  Wow, I thought to myself, "I'm 31, I've been married 11 years, and I have four kids…"  CRAZY!  I don't know how that happened, but I'm sure glad it did.

I am so blessed to have Todd as my husband.  He has been so completely incredible these last 2+ months of upside down craziness.  Making dinner and doing laundry and going grocery shopping and playing with and loving the kids so much and so well.  And loving me perfectly in my sad state too.

It was so nice to get out for our Anniversary.  We hadn't gone a date together (unless you count the NICU!) for over two months.  My mom and sister tended our children which allowed Todd to spoil me.  We went to a movie in the afternoon, then Todd gave me tickets to go to THE NUTCRACKER in December!!!  I AM SO EXCITED!  I've wanted to go to The Nutcracker for years.  I love ballet.  Oh my.  I can't believe I'll actually get to go.  I can't wait.

Then we went to The Melting Pot for dinner.  Enjoying four courses of delicious fondue!  It was really fun to feel like myself again.  To get out.  To move and go places other than the hospital.  To eat yummy food and talk with my husband.  To laugh and be together.  He even had them place a rose on the table before we got there.

Right now, we are in the middle of newborn baby sleepless nights, oxygen monitors beeping every few minutes, three other kids with colds and coughs (the week after we all had the stomach flu…), a house two months neglected, and normal life demands.  Somehow we will get through all of it.  And I think one reason is because over the last eleven years, Todd and I have figured out how to be a really great team.  I love you Todd!  When it's hard and when it's easy.  Forever!

NICU Days Coming to an End!

Seeing Oliver's eyes while feeding him was always my favorite thing in the NICU.  And just rocking him silently.

 Leaving him, on the other hand…not my favorite part.

 I love his sweet tiny hands.

 His 24 hour test on room air ended with the decision that he did indeed need oxygen.  He was dipping low over 20% of the time.

 So the feeding tube was switched out for the nasal cannula again.  But I was glad to see the feeding tube gone.  And someday he'll be free of the cannula too and I might just have to stare at his tube-free face ALL day.  And take a million more pictures…but even with the cannula, I think he looks perfect.

 Once we got the home oxygen system set up, and got trained on it, it was time for discharge!  Oliver was excited to go home for the first time.  See:

 Home, home, here we come!

Two Weeks Old

More miracles!  Oliver starting drinking 100% of his bottles last night.  And look!  They took out his nasal cannula this morning too.  If he can maintain good oxygen levels for 24 hours, he'll get to stay cannula free!  And if he keeps up the good work eating, his feeding tube will be taken out as well and I'll finally see that cute face tube and tape free!  

I know there is a chance he'll tire out and stop eating so well.  He might have to stay a few days longer than I'm hoping, but even that is soon.  SOON I'll get to take home my baby and keep him forever!!  And if he ends up needing to come home on oxygen, at least I can snuggle him still unlike the bili beds Madeline and Cooper came home on.

Everything about this pregnancy and birth and child has been miracles.  I'm so eager to bring him home and hold him close without having to say goodbye.  Please don't feel bad if I don't want to share him at first.

A Little Oliver Update

He looks just like this almost every time I visit:

 I love when he smiles in his sleep.

 And I love the few short moments when he's actually awake!  Oliver has been doing well.  Today he finally weighs more than his birth weight!  5 lbs. 14 oz.  And his cord fell off today too.  I always feel happy when that happens.  Today also marks one month until his due date!  I can't believe I've been snuggling with him for two weeks already and he's not even supposed to be here for another month.  I try and remember that when I'm missing him so much.  That he's not even supposed to be here yet.  I should count these as extra snuggles.

 As soon as Oliver can eat 100% of his bottles for 48 hours he can go home.  We've made a lot of progress this past week.  He started off the week eating only 2%.  Then 6% and 9%.  He ended the week with a huge jump all the way to 46%!  Over the weekend he ate 51% then 41% with his bottle.

 This Mama is trying very hard to be patient.  I know he'll get it.  Until then, I'm very grateful for his feeding tube.  He is still so tiny and premature.  He wakes up and acts very hungry and eager to eat. He just doesn't have the endurance.  After half his bottle is gone, he just can't stay awake anymore.  I just kiss him and whisper, "It might not be good enough to get you home, but you did good enough for today.  I love you Oliver."  And it is good enough.  He's still trying to develop and grow.  That's all I could ever ask of him.

 Meanwhile, I'll just keep driving the drive to the NICU, scrubbing my hands to death, and snuggling my sweet dreaming babe.

 Oh yeah, and since our lives aren't hectic enough around here, we decided to start Madeline in piano lessons this past week too…(I'm not sure what I was thinking)

gotta love those three note songs