This past weekend we were honored to celebrate the three week anniversary of our little man coming into this world. Happy Three Week Birthday Benton! To kick off this very special day and the advent of the Christmas season, our nurse Kelsey surprised us by giving Benton his very first "outfit" (i.e. adorable hat and diaper cover). Benton was dressed as an adorable Christmas elf and this just made my day. Check out the adorable pictures below!
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| Benton enjoying tummy time while dressed as an elf |
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| Three week birthday boy! |
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| All dressed up and no where to go... |
With the long holiday weekend we spent a lot of time at the hospital enjoying time with our son and getting to know him a little better now that he has somewhat stabilized. We've settled into a routine of getting up throughout the night to pump milk for the little guy, sleep in, get up and go to the hospital and be there for "cares" so I can change his diaper, then head home for a relaxing evening eating turkey leftovers. Getting to be there each day and spend quality time reading to him, changing his diaper and taking his temperature makes me almost feel like a normal mom....not quite...but almost, and I am relishing every second I get to spend with him.
These past few days have been relatively uneventful for Benton and the news from the NICU has been that he is maintaining. Each day we watch his oxygen levels and they have been shifting between mid 30s to low 50s depending on if he has to have medication or is being bothered during his "cares". Other than that his blood gases have been good and they have only been taking them every 24 hours. This is a big improvement over the scary day last weekend when they were taking his blood gases every 30 minutes.
His edema (swelling) is still very apparent in his trunk (stomach and chest) and they have classified it as pitting edema. This means that when he lies on his sheets or has anything touching his skin, his skin actually takes on the imprint of that object. For example, when I took his temperature on Friday you could see the outline of the thermometer on his torso. The doctors have continued to give him lasix and albumin which should help him shed some of this liquid. With Benton being on the new ventilator, he has been able to sleep on his tummy, sides and back. This new movement will not only help his edema but has also shed some light on what may be causing the "dusky" color in his abdomen. As the nurses have moved Benton into new positions, they have noticed that the "dusky" color moves to different areas of his body and pools. This has occurred on his back, in his flanks and even in his upper arms. While the doctors have not formally ruled out NEC, it does seem that this discoloration could have more to do with his edema than an infection of his intestines. We will just keep hoping and praying that Benton doesn't have NEC and that once this edema is gone the "dusky" color will be gone as well.
It's wonderful to have such little news to report regarding Benton's condition. Each day that he maintains a stable condition is another day that he grows stronger. There is a country song with a lyric that has really hit home with our family over the past 3 weeks and the line is "Even on my weakest day, I get a little bit stronger". Well I think those words perfectly fit our little fighter. Just one week ago, the doctors were saying his lungs were giving up and that it might be his time. But with the grace of god, today he is still here with us and looking stronger than ever. Each day is a miracle and these stabler days have warmed my heart. I know there are more dips and low points ahead because the NICU experience is a roller coaster ride, but I will enjoy these high points with my little man and continue to pray for his healthy recovery. Please continue to send healing thoughts and prayers to our little fighter.
Keep growing Benton we couldn't be prouder!
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| Another day, another cute hat! |
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