peanuts for sale.

I loved rounds today... A bunch of doctors bragging about my baby... Wow, makes a mom feel good! All the doctors had nothing but good things to say about sol and how far he has come and improved. We have been waiting for him to get to 4 kilos so he can go on the home vent so we can prepare to go home some day! So sol is now 3934 grams, not far away from the 4 kilo mark at all. They think he will hit it this weekend and on Monday we can try the home vent. He is almost at 2 hours off the vent 2x a day! And still gaining good weight. The one doctor was just so pleased with him and how far he has come, he is happy that his feet are wiggling more, his contractures are a lot better, he has a ton of facial expressions and interacts with you, they are very happy with him. I asked if he gets the most improved award and they said definitely!
Today I also did my second trach change and it actually went well! Sol is such a trooper dealing with me. I had to change my hand position to get the trach in but I think I may have found the trick to getting it in with ease, if I can remember what it was anyway... We only have one last refresher class to do and we will be done with training. I started learning the cough assist machine this week, and also started the process of looking for nursing. It seems like we will be here forever yet in the step down unit, but things are starting to come together finally.

Sol also got to meet his neighbor today! Who was also born the same day he was! That is the first baby he has ever met! And she is such a doll. An Amish family have been our neighbors for the last few weeks, although they have been here since we have been, but they did get to go home for a short period until the ended back in the nicu, when at that time they came back to a room right next to us. I didn't realize how big sol was until I saw the two babies next to each other! He is quite the chunk! But the family was able to go home today, it is very bitter sweet. We have spent some nights talking and getting to know each other, it is sad to see our friends go, but so happy their baby is doing well enough to go home. They gave may a ton of little gifts because she helped them to not miss their other children at home as much, they said may was like their child away from home!

Later in the afternoon, this may be a little tmi, but we did some more practicing with empty breast. Sol hasn't been doing well with this lately, which has been bumming me out :( but the speech therapist suggested trying a nipple shield to help assist him in latching since that is what seems to be frustrating him. So we tried and it worked wonderfully. He did great, hopefully we will be over the bad hump now and we can enjoy snuggle time more.

Lastly on our list today was going to the circus! May had fun, which is great, because I don't think you go to the circus for yourself as an adult. At least I sure don't... I always forget the reason why I dont go to circuses often.. I so hate seeing how they treat the animals, I think ill go back when they make it animal free! Yes, yes, I'm one of those.. I can't help it.
But the rest of it was fun.. We ate too much sugar, spent too much money, and watched a guy get shot out from a cannon. Good times. Good times. It really isn't peanuts for sale anymore though, more like cotton candy, snow cones, and toys that are way over priced for sale!