Day 7: February 21 … 2lbs 10.7oz
Ryker had another calm night, and was SO relaxed all day. Honestly, I think he was the most relaxed I’ve seen him yet, getting his rest in which will hopefully help with his brain development. His heart rate stayed around 150-160’s, which is what he was reading at when he was still in my belly.
They weaned him off of his dopamine at 10am, and has been able to maintain his blood pressure pretty well since. If he can keep his blood pressure stable for the next day, they’ll pull his pic line. He will have his last doses of heart medicine this evening. At rounds, the nurse had mentioned that she heard a little murmur in his heart earlier, which could be a good sign that the hole in his heart is healing over. We’ll confirm with another heart echo tomorrow. They’ll also be seeing if they can wean him from the nitric oxide.
They have scheduled a head ultrasound tomorrow. It’s just standard protocol for babies born this early to check for brain bleeds and check fluid levels. They’ll also check blood gas levels to see if he can continually be weaned off the ventilator. They did drop his levels already once today! Seriously, this kid is such a little rockstar! They’ve also changed his care times from 4 to 6 times a day, and are upping his milk intake, so he can start receiving more nutrients that way.
Overall, another calm day. I was laughing with Nick earlier, saying the doctors and nurses probably think I’m a little crazy as I always come visit with a calm demeanor and a smile on my face. Not the normal reaction of a parent with a kiddo in the NICU. But how could I not be happy? He’s here!! And making good strides every day. I’m just so impressed by his determination, and how he’s continually beating the odds.