6-7-08 6 weeks old today!

Blake is 6 weeks old today! Today was a much better day. I went up to see Blake around lunch. As soon as I got there it was time for his assessment and the nurse let me change his diaper. Oh my goodness he had the messiest diaper I have ever seen yet on him. It was coming out the top onto his back and out the sides, he was a mess. The nurse started laughing and said I had gotten there just at the right time. After that I got to hold him. The nurse swaddles him and I got to hold him in my arms. He slept so comfortably and high satted the whole time. He did so good and woke up a couple of times and looked at me and then fell back asleep. Of course as soon as I put him back in the incubator he woke up and was wide awake until I left. My brother and I went to Babies R' US and bought a couple of mittens for Blake so he can't pull out his tubes anymore. His doctor said that they pushed his tube back down and he has kept it there today. He told the nurses to make sure that they stay on top of drying his mouth so the tape doesn't get too slobbery allowing him to pull the tubes out. I got to bathe him tonight. He didn't like getting wet of course but as soon as I dried him off he was a happy boy. The nurse informed me that he was going to get to wear his first outfit. He weighs 2 lbs 12 oz. Almost 3 lbs. The 2 lb 12 oz mark is where they allow babies to start wearing clothes if they can handle it well. She brought out this velvet blue preemie outfit that was so cute with little snowmen on it, but it was huge on him. She went back and found that they had just washed a smaller outfit and brought it back. I put him in it and he looked so cute and comfy. Then we put on some of the mittens on his hands so he couldn't pull his tubes out. He sprawled out and fell asleep before we could wrap him up. While we bathed him, he had to be on about 45% oxygen and after we got done she kept turning it down because he was high-satting so well. The nurse taught me how to swaddle him in the blanket. He likes being swaddled to sleep. We put in his pacifier and placed his hands over it to hold it in and then wrapped him up like a burrito and he never even woke up. He was so comfy and worn out he just slept peacefully. By the time I left and looked over, his O2 level was at 21% room air. He was loving it. It made me feel good that he finally had a good day. The doctor stopped me in the hall on his way out earlier that day and told me that since he is still pushing up a lot of food and fluids in his vent tube (the other tube he pulls out that goes to his stomach), they might give him barrium and do an x-ray to see if his intestines have any issues. He is making poopy diapers, but he is holding more food in his stomach and not passing it as well as he should. So overall it was a great day and I am probably going to go back up here in a few minutes so that I can hold him again.