When Jace was born he had what the doctors call wet lungs, meaning he had residual fluid in his lungs that weren't expressed with the normal delivery process (fairly normal for babies delivered through c-section, I guess). Because he was a preemie, his lungs couldn't quite clear the fluid on their own. The doctors and nurses on staff did a great job identifying his problem and helping to remove excess air from his tummy so he could clear his lungs. We had every hope that Jace would come home with Mom when she was discharged from the hospital.
We were so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful friends and family who swept in and saw to Addi's needs so that I could be at the hospital with Jillian as
she recovered from surgery and while we tried to help Jace as much as possible. I did get to come home one evening and play with Addi, and read her stories and put her to bed, before taking her back to Gail's house and returning to the hospital, but otherwise we knew she was loved and taken care of, and as a parent torn between two worlds, nothing is more reassuring.
Unfortunately, at the hospital, right after this was resolved, Jace decided to be a picky eater, buying him an I.V. while he learned to eat the right volumes for his weight. And as he started to figure out the eating thing, he also discovered acid reflux.
It turns out that Jace would hold his breath while he tried to keep the acid in his tummy from rising, and this would cause his oxygen to run out and his heart rate to drop. Being a tough little guy, he was adamant about preventing the acid from rising, and knew that all he had to do was force it back down. But when that takes too long, nurses and doctors get concerned, and each time his heart rate drops because of this, it buys him 7 days in the St. Joseph Baby Spa (the NICU). The hardest part of all is that the only remedy is time and growth, and that requires more patience than parents of a newborn possess.
In a matter of just a few days (on the 17th), Jace figured out the eating thing and his I.V. was removed. He's actually started eating enough to start gaining his weight back, and at times is even a voracious eater (he pretty much gets the hiccups at every feeding because of how excited he gets about eating); and his reflux issues happened less and less, so he was removed from oxygen support on the 18th. He still acts up about once a day right now though, so we are patiently waiting for the day he grows strong enough to control his reflux enough that his heart rate doesn't drop.
Bath time:
Just hangin and visiting:
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