Change is (finally!) in the air

After a long, uneventful week of eating and growing (and an emotional restless mama because of it), it feels funny to finally say it, but our baby is turning into a "big boy"..... by preemie standards atleast!

Rose bud lips.  Melts my heart every time! 

He's graduated to the big boy status of FOUR pounds 1 ounce! Woo hoo!
What an exciting milestone.
And do you see that? NO nasal canula, no oxygen! And he's been doing great without them for a couple days now. So proud of him for working hard.

It had been too long since Auntie Kiara came for a visit,
we were both so pleased to show her how much Jimmy had grown and changed. 

Jimmy had some special visitors this last week- 

He had a nice time with Auntie Kiara, and then with Granny and Papa. 

Papa took these very beautiful pictures! 

Jimmy loves his Granny

Today he's started the gradual process of moving into a big boy crib. The top is up on his isolette so he can hear all the noises of the busy hospital, practice regulating his own temperature, and experience the daylight a bit more.




When I left him today after some nice cuddles, I snugged him all up in his open bed, and I could tell he noticed it felt different! He couldn't quite drift back to sleep as he was so interested in the new noises and feelings. I wouldn't be surprised if, when I arrive back at the hospital this evening, he'll have told the nurses he much preferred the quiet, cozy feeling of his little "den"....and he might have convinced them to close the top again!

No, I wouldn't be surprised at all.

It should be pretty soon that we try Jimmy on the bottle again. I'm hoping he learns to eat well, and can keep it up. The nurses have reassured me all babies do eventually learn to eat from a bottle! They usually see almost like a light bulb going off in the baby's head - and it all just clicks and there's no going back. Boy do I hope they're right!

Sometime here, probably in a wee week or so, we'll take him off his morning caffeine and see if he can consistently remember to breath all on his own. And he'll go on a Five Day Brady Watch. Babies have to Brady-free (no drops in heart rate and oxygen sats) for five days before they come home. Even if they have a brady while we loading him in his car seat to head home!

Raising his hand for the teacher? Showing off? Waving bye-bye?

 Looks to me like he's practicing his "I'm outa here" wave to his nurses! Me too, buddy. Me too.

In other news...

What a fun, creative Daddy!

 (yes, life does go on when there are two other little ones in the house keepin' ya busy!) 

Andrew and the children had some fun with face paints this weekend. 

(Thank you Auntie Deborah for the very cool present.) Devin just found it in his art drawer and was so excited to be a dinosaur. A very vicious dinosaur. Khiana, on the other hand, was a subdued, adorable bunny at her request.