Merry Christmas to all!!! WAAAA!!!!

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Nicolas was mad that he didn't get to open presents today.

This week was a tough one for us with Nicolas staying in the hospital while we celebrated the holiday with martha's family and with my family. We went there a lot to see him. And one of the nurses found a little santa claus hat for him to wear that we really like. He's currently 4lbs and 2 ounces -- which is great compared to his birth weight. He now eats an ounce + each feed. He is a slow eater though sometimes and cries and squirms when he's supposed to be enjoying his meal -- this is very unlike his father. :-)

We are counting the days hoping he can get home soon.

Getting closer to the door

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I love this picture so I thought I'd post it.

Lately Nicolas has been very active. When I am feeding him now -- in addition to crying and getting mad that he actually has to EAT -- he kicks with his legs with kung-fu like strength and almost launches himself off my lap (not so fast little man). We have to work him a bit but he's beginning to eat all his feed (1 ounce or so ) each time we try it.

I love hearing the growling sounds he makes when he's mad and still has the bottle in his mouth. He has a well-deserved reputation for being cranky in the NICU and the nurses say that he is the LOUDEST of all the babies even though he's just at 3 lbs and 14 ounces now. He doesn't like to be disturbed. I think maybe he's just mad at the world cause he isn't home with us yet.

Yeah... that's it. :-)

Leche con Amorrrrrrrrrrr

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This week we spent time getting Nicolas used to the taste of food and at the same time helped him learn how to coordinate swallowing and breathing - two skills I usually take for granted. Until I eat too fast and choke on some General Tao's chicken... or something. :-)

Nicolas is having NO chinese food yet though. He's getting all his nutrition via the Martha con Amor Milk. It's a slow process with him because he is still pretty small (he did double his birth weight today though - 3lbs and 12 ounces - 1711 grams!). But eating takes energy and he's still a little boy. On average he can manage to take half his feed (40 CCs - 1.35 ounces - every 4 hours) via bottle and the rest is given to him via the gavage tubes. Martha is best at feeding him and when she does it - he takes the whole feed.

It's great to see him grab ahold of the bottle and eat with crazed enthusiasm -- and then see his eyelids close as he falls fast asleep -- all within a span of seconds. Something I rarely get to do anymore. Ah... enjoy it while you can little boy.... :-)

First bath - no gustar

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Ahhh the soothing feeling of warm water on the skin. WAA WAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

Martha gave Nicolas a bath today with the help of the nurse. He didn't really like it. Nope. Nada. I hope this attitude changes over time.

This week we have a new goal: to get Nicolas to eat from a bottle. He has a good suckling reflex but not so good swallowing reflex. Anyhow...it's all a learning experience for him and we need to get him to eat like a normal baby so he can come home. He manages to eat about 10 ccs at a time with the bottle and then the rest is fed to him via the gavage tube which he's had now since he was about 3days old.

Now he has to work for it. :-)

In a little boy bed

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Nicolas was moved into a bed yesterday and out of his isolette. So he's exposed to room air and room noise. Man, those nurses are pretty gabby but he doesn't seem to notice. He's sleeping most of the time and has the habit of waking a half hour ahead of his feed schedule -- we are adjusting accordingly. :-)

Last weekend was the first one he spent in the Kent NICU and it was a very exhausting one for us as he was having a lot of apnea spells. Luckily, since then, we have had some better days and are enjoying holding him more and more. He's currently 3 lbs and 5 ounces - which I think means he's almost doubled his birthweight (u do the math - I'm lazy - there's a chart in the middle of this page).

Yesterday I noticed he could lift his head while on his belly -- and then he changed the side he was facing in the crib! It's great and strange to see him do these things now -- as we have been so used to him being still. He's also acting more like a normal baby - each time we place him back in bed he cries and cries for a few minutes and then, of course, he is out like a light in complete exhaustion. :-)
We are loving every minute of it.

Nicolas moves closer to home

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This is NOT really a watercolor of Nicolas - its photoshop! Love those filters! :-P What can I say - the photo was blurry and this makes it look better I think.

It was made from a photo of Nicolas in Martha's arms in the NICU of Kent Hospital in Warwick RI. 11 minutes from our house. It's good to be closer but we are a bit stressed with moving him and hope we have made the right choice.

Last night I got to feed him with a bottle for the first time (his first and my first) -- and he ate half of his feed by himself! (insert proud daddy look here)

It's impossible to thank the NICU of Beth Israel Deaconess enough - we are overwhelmed by the people we met there. Martha and I feel so very lucky to have been with them from the beginning -- and the professionalism, dedication and care they showed us and our little boy was unreal. Our deepest thanks to all the nurses, doctors and staff -- we miss you all.