Baby steps

Owen Bear,

You have had a pretty good week. You are doing better with your breathing and ventilator settings. Your chest tube stopped draining after we changed you to the skimmed breast milk and after starting a medicine called Octreotide. Dr. Camps pulled the chest tube out 2 days ago and so far you have tolerated it. You are also tolerating your feeds that you are getting through the feeding tube in your mouth. You get the special fat free breast milk with some formula powder called Monogen. Because this recipe is low in essential fatty acids we also have to give you walnut oil and flax seed oil. I KNOW! But it will make you stronger and help build your immune system. This is all the work that I did over the last few weeks paying off!

Dr. Watson has been trying to get you to lose a lot of the extra fluid you have by using Lasix and it has worked like a charm. Your facial features are much more defined and you are looking more and more like your dad every day...which makes me fall in love with you even more. Your red hair is really standing out with your red eye brows and blue eyes. I love it!

I am taking a big step tomorrow and will return to work. I am very excited but very nervous because I want to make sure I am there when you need me. I am going to work on a sedation elective, which means I learn how to make sure kiddos don't hurt when they need procedures. Everyone has been very understanding and flexible for us and they are going to make sure that I am able to come visit you and talk to the doctors who are taking care of you. I won't be far away! Just down the hall.

Every time I visit you look up at me and I love on you. You look so calm and at ease when your dad and I are there. You also have a mobile that you watch and your crib is well stocked with stuffed animals (bunny, alligator, llama llama red pajama and dachshund).

Keep it up brave Owen bear! A lot of love is with you while you are in the hospital and will be waiting for you when you come home. Thanks to all of your family and friends who have stocked our library.

Here are some pictures and a video of my sweet love

Love, Mom