April Update

So much has happened in the past month. Cooper hit 6 months adjusted on March 25th, and turned 9 months actual yesterday, April 14.

When he turned 6 months adjusted, we started solid foods. First squash, then sweet potato, pear, green beans, banana, and apple. He does very well with all foods, but certainly prefers pear and apple. It's tough to get in the first few bites, but once he gets the taste, I can't shovel it in fast enough! Next up, carrot, plum, peaches, and peas!

Cooper enjoys it when we sing, but really seems to like Taylor Swift, specifically the song "Trouble." His favorite game is to stand while holding my hands and rocking while I sing "Row your Boat." He also loves peek-a-boo, either with us hiding behind a blanket and popping out, or by throwing a blanket over his head and letting him yank it off.  Guaranteed giggles!

Cooper sits pretty well. He's still not balanced enough that I feel comfortable leaving him alone while sitting, but he can sit independently for sometimes up to a minute before losing his balance. He reaches for everything (especially my hair!) and everything goes straight to his mouth.

Two weeks ago, we tried cloth diapering. I found a deal on some Alva Baby diapers at a yard sale, so we decided to at least see if it's as gross as it sounds. It's so much easier than I expected! We are now part time cloth diapering. I'm still a bit scared to try them out of the house or overnight, and we really don't have enough diapers to full time cloth diaper. I am on the look out for some more of this same brand at a great price, and hope to eventually use only cloth diapers.

On Sunday, I caught a glimpse of white in his mouth, so I felt his gums and was pretty sure I felt a tooth. I was a little skeptical because he hasn't really been acting fussy lately, but at his 9 month appointment the doctor used a tounge depressor and without a doubt his bottom left tooth is visible and she said it's neighbor is not far behind! Sure enough, he had a restless night last night and I'm pretty sure we witnessed full on teething pain this evening. Hopefully the Tylenol helps him sleep better tonight!

At his 9 month appointment, Cooper was 14 lbs 6 oz (0%) 24.6 in long (0%) and had a 42.5 cm head circumference (14%.) His weight vs. length is 49%. The doctor is still not concerned about his weight and height being below the chart. He is growing and looks great. He is very healthy, so she says his size is perfectly fine.

We really love our pediatrician but she told us that the Air Force is eliminating her contracted position and will have the active duty nurse practitioner take on all of the pediatric patients. We will miss her so much, but changing doctors often is just another aspect of being a military family. At Cooper's 1 year appointment, we will meet our new pediatrician.

We've had a couple of non Cooper related changes as well, but I'll save those for separate blog entries.

March Update

My blog post are getting fewer and further between. I guess that just means Cooper and I are having too much fun!

Cooper was 5 months adjusted last week and will be 8 months actual next week. He had his last synagis shot and 2nd flu shot today. No more shots until July! At the clinic this morning he weighed 13 lbs, 3 oz. Still small for his adjusted age, but growing!

I am amazed by this little boy every day. He is really working on sitting up on his own. Today he lasted over 10 seconds before flopping over. Anytime I lay him down, he does crunches to try to pull himself up. He is a pro at flipping from belly to back, but hasn't tried going from back to belly yet. He seems to dislike being on his tummy, so I doubt he will try that anytime soon!

Cooper likes to sit in his booster seat in front of the dining room window, especially when the middle school kids are walking home from school. Yesterday, we had a snow plow going back and forth on the street trying to clear all of the leftover snow. Cooper watched him for a long time!

Cooper LOVES the mirror! I stop by the mirror if I'm holding him as I walk by. He instantly locks eyes with himself, smiles so big, and tries to reach into the mirror! Can anyone tell me, does he know he's looking at himself yet, or does he think it's another baby?

He loves tags and ribbons. He has a Taggies brand stuffed dog and he pulls the ribbons right up by his face to study them. He also finds the tags on his bibs and pulls on them so he can check them out too. He is definitely into imitating us now. He repeats our fake coughs and raspberries. He gets pretty vocal when he's trying to fight sleep and does a high pitched squeal.

Yesterday was a big day. He tried a little bit of rice cereal! The pediatrician recommends not starting him on solids until he is 6 months adjusted, but to get him ready for spoon feeding, we are going to practice with rice cereal every couple of days. The nurse said he might be hesitant and spit it all out, but the kid loved it! He was opening his mouth in anticipation before I could get the spoon back to his mouth!

We are gearing up for the March for Babies. We are walking here in Great Falls on May 10th and have a team with our friends who had twins at 31 weeks. If you are untested in walking with us, or just want to donate for research to help preemies like Cooper, please let me know!

Catch Up

I have fallen so behind on blogging! I'm going to try to catch up all in one post.

Life really hasn't been too exciting. Cold and flu season is in full force in Montana, so Cooper and I hardly ever leave the house.

Cooper turned 6 months old on January 14. He had a great checkup and was 11 lbs 6 oz and 21.85 inches. He was finally on the charts for weight. He was at 5% compared to other 29 weekers at 6 months old. His height is still below the chart... short like his mama.

On February 6, we went back to the clinic for the synagis shot and Cooper was 12 lbs 2 oz and 22.25 inches. I felt like he grew alot in length, but according to the measurement, not much. The good thing about him being so short is that he will fit in 0-3 month clothes awhile longer.

Cooper is so much fun now! He still smiles so much, and laughs, and always wants to interact with us. He pulls everything to his mouth! He enjoys sitting in his booster seat and likes playing on the ground on his back. He still dislikes laying on his belly, but will usually be content for a few minutes before wanting to flip over. I think his favorite play activity right now is when we make his legs do bicycle kicks. When I stop, he kicks his legs like he's telling me to do it again.

I love to watch him think. He stares at certain things, like a toy or his hand, and I can tell he's really studying it, trying to figure it out. He likes to touch everything too. He's started a new thing where he likes to rub my shirt, or the leather couch, and even the dogs fur once! He tried painting last week and loved it! He really studied the paint and looked at his hand while rubbing it with his fingers. It is amazing that the brain can work like that at such a young age!

He babbles often and sometimes gets very loud! It's a happy noise, I think he just likes to hear himself. If we do a fake cough, he coughs back. If we stick out our tounge, he starts moving his tounge around too. I just love to see him learn!

After all these positive updates, here is one negative. He fights sleep so bad! He can be completely content then gets very tired and screams when he realizes that he's about to fall asleep. It escalates to the point that nothing will sooth him. He eventually gets exhausted and we can get him to take a pacifier and fall asleep while we rock him. I mentioned it to the  developmental consultant at our last home visit and she said that he starts out just trying to keep himself awake, but it gets to the point that he cannot calm himself down. She recommended massaging him and it works! This evening he started to escalate so I put him on his back and rubbed his legs, he immediately stopped crying and locked eyes with me. I'm hoping this continues to work until we can get through this phase!

I have been struggling with getting motivated to lose the pregnancy weight. For the first 3 months, I had the c-section recovery and then the excuse that Cooper was still in the hospital. Well Coop has been home for 4 months and I still haven't gotten motivated to work out. I know that I am motivated best by competition, so Jake and I are doing a challenge between the two of us. Each month whoever loses the most weight gets $100 to spend on whatever we want. We each have a different advantage. I have more excess weight to lose so it should come off easier. Jake's advantage is that he goes to the gym before work each day while I will have to work out at home without and equipment. I really want to win so I'll take any tips! We start tomorrow so we will be weighing in on the 12th of each month and I would like to lose about 30 lbs. I'm hoping we continue the competition every month until I reach that goal.

Favorite Things Friday - Baby Gear 0-3 Months

I know the are tons of lists of items needed for a new baby, but my list is specifically items that you don't think you really need, but that make life much easier! Obviously every new baby needs clothes, swaddles, diapers, bottles, etc, and we stocked up during the pregnancy. These are the items that didn't buy ahead of time because I thought I could make do without them. After bringing Cooper home, we ultimately got them. 

1. Homedics Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier ($60) When we brought Cooper home, he was walking up every day very congested. The pediatrician recommended a humidifier. I didn't really do much research on humidifiers, just went to Shopko and this one was 40% off that day. It includes 4 sounds, lullaby, heartbeat, summer night, and white noise. We don't use the sounds very often, but we instantly noticed a difference in his congestion! 

2. Boppy Cuddle Pillow ($30) I had annoying hip pain during by pregnancy so I bought this pillow to sleep with. If worked great for that, but also makes a great nursing/bottle feeding pillow. I didn't think I would need a nursing pillow, but once Cooper was here and was so small, it was nice to have this one to use. 

3. Prince Lionheart Deluxe Dying Station ($12) I started out leaving pump parts on towels or paper towels to dry. It really didn't work well as I would have to flip the items to get all parts dry. Before Cooper came home I ordered this drying rack and love it! I picked it because of the reviews on Amazon. I feel like I wash tons of bottles, pump parts, pacifiers, toys, etc, and this rack really does hold so much! 

4. Fisher Price My Little Snugabear Cradle and Swing ($140) We got the Snugabear bouncer and I thought that would be enough, that didn't think we would need a swing. Once Cooper was home, I realized the bouncer was ok, but the swing would be even better. The bouncer was great if I needed to have Cooper near me in the bathroom or kitchen, but he didn't sleep well in it. The swing is like magic. The swaying motion and rotating bees lull him to sleep. It's tucked away in a dark corner of the living room, so I only use it when he is ready for a nap.

5. Kidcraft Adjustable Stool for Nursing ($40) We have a wonderful glider in the nursery, but 

after a few nights of feeding Cooper in that glider, I realized I needed something to prop my legs a bit higher to be able to glide comfortably. I chose this one from the Amazon reviews and my parents sent it to me for Christmas. Thank you! I wish I had this a long time ago! 

I already have a few items picked out for my 3-6 month favorite things, but I'll save those until his adjusted age is 6 months.

Big Cooper

Cooper got his monthly synagis shot on Thursday, which means they had to weigh him for the dosage. He was 10.5 lbs! That means he gained almost 2 lbs in a month! He is still below the growth chart, even for his adjusted age, but he's getting closer to the curve! I'm hoping that at his 6 month well baby check he will be at least on the lowest line. They did not measure his height on Thursday, but Jake and I have both noticed that he seems a lot longer, so I'm interested to see if he's finally on the chart for length as well.

Here's the latest picture of Coop.  He enjoys bath time, and only gets mad when I clean under his chins.

Last Post of the Year

Like everyone else on New Years Eve, I'm reflecting on the past year. From all of the posts on Facebook, it seems everyone can't wait to say good bye to 2013 and start 2014. I feel the complete opposite. 2013 was the best year of my life and I'm sad that time is moving so quickly!

Cooper amazes me every day with all of the new things he learns to do, and I am so proud when he shows development, but I don't want him to grow so quickly. I went through Cooper's clothes today, and packed up some of the smaller newborn clothes and it made me really sad. I know it's ridiculous and I do want my child to grow and thrive, but it still makes me sad that he's not going to be my baby forever.

On a happier note, here are some of the things Cooper has amazed us with lately:

He smiles all the time. All we have to do is talk to him or smile at him and he cracks a smile. Such a sweetie!

We've heard a few giggles. He really cracks up in his sleep, but I've gotten a few awake chuckles as well.

He tells very long stories. He gets on a roll jabbering and really shows off the facial expressions. He will furrow his brow and sound concerned, then raise his eyebrows and sound excited, then smile and squeal. It is so funny to listen to him!

He is going through a phase where he really dislikes tummy time, but he loves sitting or standing supported. He has such great head control. In fact people in public comment on how strong he is. I think it's because he is still so little that by size he looks like he's only about a month old. We have to explain that he's actually about 3 months adjusted age.

He is starting to reach out for items and actually grab them with his hands now. He usually doesn't hang on for very long, but he tries!

Cooper is teething again. I've heard in babies this young, they will have some discomfort but then the teeth recede back into the gum. He had a week that was fine, but the last few days he's been acting a little uncomfortable again. Lots of drooling, he loves when I rub his gums, and he really gnaws on his fists. I feel a spot on his gums that is elevated and hard, and it looks like possibly a tooth trying to break through. I would still be surprised if it does anytime soon. Most likely it will recede again.

Cooper gets his synagis shot on Thursday so I'll have a weight update them. For now here is a fun photo of him. We keep trying to put him on Diesel's back, but he just won't let him ride. We finally got Diesel to stand still with a peanut butter spoon bribe.

Favorite Things Friday - Baby Christmas Presents

Cooper's adjusted age will be 3 months on Christmas, so we didn't feel the need to buy tons of gifts this year. It's also hard to find toys for babies under 6 months. Here are the items we ended up getting. 

1. The Muppet Christmas Carol DVD ($5) We are starting a new tradition of getting a new Christmas movie every year on Christmas Eve. I found this gem on sale at Shopko.

2. Carter's Microfleece Pajamas ($8) Since we got married, Jake and I have been giving each other pajamas to wear on Christmas Eve. Cooper's are red with moose. I bought them a month ago and got the 3 month size, so they are probably going to be pretty big on him! 

3. Infantino Textured Multi Ball Set ($10) Babies love balls and the different textures will be fun for his curious mind. 

4. Mamas and Papas Tummy Time Interactive Toy ($30) We have a tummy time mat that we like but I think this bolster will work great when he is a little older since it has lots of things to grab and play with. When I was a child, my parents always had one gift unwrapped on Christmas morning that was considered the gift from Santa. Since this one was impossible to wrap, it's the Santa gift this year. 

5. Fisher Price Soothe and Glow Seashorse ($13) Is getting tough to get Cooper to nap during the day unless I'm holding him. He can be exhausted but as soon as he feels me put him down he wakes up and fights the sleep. This toy has a soft glow and plays quiet music for 5 minutes then turns off on its own. I found this on sale at Herbergers and ended up giving it to him that same day. So far he seems to like it and it does seem to put him back to sleep when he is put down. 

As for his stocking, I found a few items that we will need in the next few months. A set of plastic links, a brush and comb set, mesh pacifiers for fruit, and more teethers. 

5 Months Old

Yesterday was Cooper's 5 month birthday! He's getting so big. He hasn't been weighed in a couple of weeks, but I'm guessing he may be 9 lbs by now! Isn't he getting so chunky?

Favorite Things Friday - Skincare

I have always had dry skin, but the pregnancy made it so much worse. I had to find new, ultra moisturizing skin care products and these are the ones that I've stuck with, in the order that I usually use them. 

1. Lancome Creme Mousse Comfort face wash ($25) This is most definitely the one product I couldn't live without. I tried going back to cheaper drug store brands after Cooper was born but ultimately went running back to the department store for this one! 

2. Neutrogena Body Oil ($8) I still have yet to find a body wash that is enough moisturizing, so I end up using this oil after my showers before I dry off. If has a nice subtle scent. 

3. Lancome Tonique Confort toner ($25) Toner is great right after face wash to get a squeaky clean feeding. This one is made especially for dry skin. 

4. Lancome Genefique Eye eye cream ($62) I got this eye cream as a sample when I bought my first tube of Lancome face wash and really love how soft and supple it makes the skin around my eyes. It is definitely a splurge but I bought a jar almost a year ago and still have a lot in it, so it lasts forever! 

5. Lancome Bienfait Aqua Vital face moisturizer ($45) Another product that lasts forever! It doesn't take much to cover your face, but if I skip this step, I regret it later in the day! 

6. Jergens Skin Firming lotion ($8) I can't say I notice it firming, but it is very moisturizing.

7. Covergirl Tinted Moisturizer ($7) One face moisturizer just isn't enough, so I use this tinted moisturizer instead of a foundation. It has very light coverage, moisturizes, and has sunscreen built in. This is hard to find in stores. Walmart never has it, Walgreens rarely has it, the grocery store sometimes has it. The last time I found it I stocked up!   

Early December Update

The last two weeks have been pretty tame. We are settled back in at home and getting on a schedule. Last week was bitter cold in Montana, 5 days in a row that didn't even get into the positives, so Cooper and I have been staying in the warm house. Cooper is almost 5 months old, 10 weeks adjusted. In some ways he is still much like a newborn, in others he is developing very well.

Cooper still eats every two hours during the day. I continue to give him more in his bottle, adding a few mLs every few days, and he always eats it all then two hours later is hungry again. He's a little piggy! We are still nursing a few times a day. I let him eat as long as he wants and it's usually between 1 hour to an hour and a half. Sometimes he wants a bottle 30 minutes later. I'm trying to keep myself positive but it is getting frustrating when it takes so much time. We will continue working on it as I'm hoping that he gets stronger and quicker. My ultimate goal is to just stop pumping! I'm still adding to the stock pile of frozen breast milk so if I get to the point that I give up on breast feeding, I can stop pumping and still feed Cooper bottles from the stock pile for quite a few months.

Cooper still likes tummy time, but I think he likes playing on his back even more. He kicks and swings his arms around and gets so excited to interact with me. He also loves to sit up. I think he really likes to look around and sitting up is the best way to look around. We support his back, but he holds his head up all on his own. He is such a smiley baby! We are to the point that all I have to do is look at him and smile and he breaks out a huge grin. He does a little grunting chuckle sound, lots of squeals...and I swear one time he did a full on giggle! He loves when I sing! He is starting to figure out his hands. He usually just brings them to his mouth, but one time he grabbed my finger and took it to his mouth. I catch him really looking at things, studying them. He loves mobiles. When I put Cooper in his crib, he looks up at his animal mobile and smiles like they are his friends. It is so cute!

He is sleeping in his crib every night. I give him his last bottle sometime around 9 then put him in his crib. Sometimes he is already asleep, sometimes he's wide awake. If he's awake sometimes he is content to watch his mobile and fall asleep on his own, sometimes he needs his pacifier. When I get up in the middle of the night to pump, I wake him up for a bottle. There have been a few nights that I slept right through my alarms and Cooper sleeps on through the night. If I let him, he would sleep more than 8 hours, but the pediatrician recommends waking him at about 5 hours since he is still small for his adjusted age.

Last week, Cooper got another synagis shot. He was weighed and was 8lbs 11oz. He is still in newborn size clothes, but we finally started using size 1 diapers. Let me just say that we absolutely love our pediatrician, her nurse, and the immunization nurse. Any time I have a question, I am able to call the nurse on her personal office phone. If she doesn't answer right away, I always get a call back within an hour. I know they are very busy and have lots of other patients, but they all remember us and remember Cooper's health history.

I have been working on a weekly cleaning schedule and now that Cooper is able to spend more of his awake time entertaining himself, I'm able to get more chores done. Still not as much as I would like to get done, but enough for now. Jake's mom will be here in a couple of weeks and I know she will be glad to entertain Cooper so I'm planning to get some big organizing projects done. I'll end this post with another adorable picture of Cooper. 

8 Pounds

We've had a great week! We drove to Seattle last Monday. We made the trip in one day and Coop was a great traveler, but we felt horrible that he was stuck in that car seat for so long so we made a lot of stops to let him stretch, which made the trip extra long!

On Tuesday, the first appointment was a video swallow study. They had me feed Cooper a bottle of this white liquid that shows on an x-ray. It was really cool to see exactly how he swallows! When he first started, they said he takes too many sucks before swallowing, so the liquid was pooling in the back of his throat and close to going into his lungs, so he was "micro asperating." Luckily as he ate he got into a rhythm and no longer had that issue. They cleared him to continue oral feeding. We just have to pace him in the beginning. And by the way, that white liquid was still very bright when Cooper spit it up all over Jake's shirt later that day!

Then we met with the feeding therapist that we saw the last time we were in Seattle. She observed him breast feeding. I have been nursing a few times a day, but it seems like he is always still hungry after 30 minutes and everyone tells me to stop him at 30 minutes so he doesn't burn too many calories. I also have to pump afterward, so I know he's not getting as much out as he could be. Then he acts hungry again at just 1 hour instead of his usual 2 hours. The therapist gave me some tips on positioning to help him get better latch to be more productive. I'm trying to be consistent with it, but when he gets hungry it is just easier to grab a bottle. I keep reminding myself that once we get the breastfeeding down, I can quit pumping. It's going to be a hard transition, but it's going to be so worth it!

Cooper had his bronchoscopy early Wednesday morning. The doctor came in for a pre-op and was pleasantly surprised that he could not hear Cooper breathing. No wheezing or squeaking! Sure enough, when he came to tell us the results he said Cooper's airway looks very good. He did not feel the scarring needed to be cut, but he did do a small balloon dilation just because it was convenient. He does not think Cooper will need another bronchoscopy!

He said that Cooper was having some trouble breathing while coming out of the anesthesia, so they had him on oxygen and were going to keep him overnight. A few hours after the operation, he was admitted to a room and they almost immediately took him of the oxygen and he did fine. I stayed bedside that night and he was allowed to leave the next morning. We took two days to make the trip home and made it here Friday night.

This weekend Cooper has been acting a little off. He had a little bit of a cough, but that seems to have gone away. He also seems pretty clingy. We have always been able to put Cooper in his bouncer or swing and he will either fall asleep or entertain himself by looking up and the bees on the mobile. Now he watches me walk away and starts crying. Not an I'm hungry cry, not a mad cry, not a sleepy cry, but a "bottom lip sticking out" sad cry. I'm hoping he is just going through a phase.

We went to the pediatrician this morning to fill her in on all of the results in Seattle. She agreed that he is probably just a little clingy because he's getting over the upset in his schedule cause by the trip and that he may have had a slight cold as well. She said once he feels better and gets back into a schedule, he will probably go back to how he was before. When he was weighed this morning he was 8 lbs 0.5 oz! Woo hoo! She also commented that he is getting chunky legs!

Even though he's been a little out of sorts, he has really developed a personality. He smiles so much now. All I have to do is sing or talk in a silly voice and he gives a big dimpled smile! He's still doing great with tummy time and story time. It's great that he can actually focus on the pictures now. He has discovered his hands. He grabs at everything now, like his ears or his feet or our fingers or my hair! Sometimes he takes his pacifier,  but sometimes he gags on it or spits it out. I'm going that means it won't be too tough to wean him from it soon! Most of all, I think he loves it when Jake and I talk to him. The other day, Jake was making a train sound and told Cooper to say "woo woo" then Cooper did a quiet little "who." I know it was a fluke, but it was so cute!

My goal this week is to finish Cooper's birth announcement. I designed it back in September, but with him being readmitted for a few weeks in Sept/Oct, I've had to change the wording a bit, and now I'm just trying to get a decent photo of him to use on it.

Here is the photo of him while waiting for the operating last Wednesday. They had him in a tiny hospital gown... so cute!

4 Months Old

Can you believe it?  Cooper hit 4 months on Thursday!

We've had a great week. We started out the week with another visit to the feeding therapist. She gave us the green light to start breastfeeding 3 times a day. I still have to start him off using the breast shield, then a few minutes after he gets organized I can slip it off and he usually is able to relatch. We still have a lot of work to get transitioned to full time breast feeding, but we are on the right track!

On Thursday, we saw the pediatrician for the 4 month well baby check up. Cooper was 7 lbs 6 oz and 19.5 in long. The nurse said both measurements are at 0%, which didn't concern me because I assumed that was compared to full term 4 month olds, then she said that it was actually only compared to other 4 month olds that were also born at 29 weeks. So even for a preemie he's still tiny. The doctor said that she is not concerned because he is consistently gaining. He should still catch up in a year or so.

Cooper also got his 4 month shots that day. I definitely noticed a difference later that day. Poor guy just wanted to cuddle all day. I took advantage and held him most of the day. He was back to normal yesterday.

Our Quality Life Concepts consultant came by that day and gave me tons of ideas for interacting with Cooper. It's nice to have lots of ideas instead of doing the same songs or games over and over again. When I get a chance I'll try to type them all up to share.

I love how Cooper acts right now. He is such a great baby! He smiles when we talk to him, and especially when I sing to him. He is getting so strong and holds his head steady when we hold him in a sitting or standing position. He amazes me everyday! I'm proud of him, but still kind of sad that he's not going to be my little baby very long.

Cooper has his follow up appointments in Seattle next week. We will be leaving early Monday morning and hope to be home next weekend. We have some great habits going right now so I'm really hoping being away from home doesn't mess those up! Cooper can be put in bed awake and will fall asleep on his own. He also sleeps 5 hours at night, then another 3 after that. He eats every 2 hours during the day, so he definitely has his days and nights straight. I'm so pleased with how well he has taken to this night sleeping arrangement so I'm really hoping the long car trip and possible hospital admittance doesn't mess that up!

Here is a picture before going to the pediatrician on Thursday. Then the picture of Cooper on the day he left Benefis, at about 4 lbs and 2 months old. Big difference! I promise he does usually like being in his car seat, just not in either of these photos!

16 Weeks Old - 6 Week Adjusted Age

Cooper was 16 weeks actual age on Sunday, and just hit 6 weeks adjusted age today. I keep telling Jake that I wish we could freeze time. I just love exactly how Cooper is right now! He has just started to really interact with us. He looks at us, smiles when we talk to him, and has been rolling over too! He started rolling from belly to back last week and I thought it was just a fluke, but now anytime I put him down for tummy time he flips right over. Either he really wants to be on his back, or he's just showing off!  A lot has happened since my last Cooper update!

Last week I met our Quality Life Concepts consultant. This is a statewide program (although there are similar programs throughout the country) available for high risk children who might need a little extra help to be sure they are developing as expected. Cooper instantly qualified because of his prematurity. Our consultant visits every couple of weeks and we discuss any concerns Jake and I have. Then she finds resources to address those concerns. We don't really have any worries right now so she is just gathering a list of activities we can do to interact with Cooper. She is also getting me in contact with the La Leche league and other mom groups so I can get out of the house more.

I really enjoy being at home with Cooper, but I do miss socializing. I look forward to Cooper's appointments just so I have a reason to get out of the house. I want to keep Cooper home to keep him healthy, but I'm getting bored. Well, not really bored, I have plenty of chores to stay busy, I just feel like I'm missing out on being social.

On Friday, I took Cooper to the pediatrician to get Synagis, the RSV shot. Not all babies get this shot as it is over $1000 pre shot! RSV in a healthy, full term baby is just like a cold, but in a preemie it can be very serious. Cooper will get the shot once a month throughout the winter and spring. It does not make him immune to RSV, but will lessen the severity if he does get sick.

To figure out his disagree they had to weigh him. 6 lbs 11 oz! Seriously!  I can't believe how big he is getting! He is growing like a weed now! That was on Friday, so I'm sure he must be over 7 lbs by now. The home health nurse comes tomorrow to weigh him so that what I'm hoping for. Newborn clothes are still big, but he's not swimming in them anymore.

Yesterday, Cooper had a hearing screening. He had failed while still in the NICU, but they told us his ear canal was probably just too small for the test. I was not concerned at all because he responds to our voices and startles at loud noises. Sure enough, he passed yesterday! He will need a follow up in April but he's doing great now!

We were working with a feeding therapist when we were in Seattle and she wanted us to only do half of his feeding with a bottle and finish the feeding through the tube. She also didn't want me to breastfeed other than dry nursing after pumping to keep him practicing. We weren't going to see her again until we go back to Seattle later this month. He has been doing so well eating from the bottle that I've actually been letting him take the whole feeding orally. He has been showing no signs of asperating so I went with my mother's intuition that tells me he ready to get rid of that dang NG tube. The pediatrician set us up with a feeding therapist here in town and we got to see her this morning. She said he looks great and to continue feeding him full feeds by bottle. She is also a lactation therapist and seems as eager as me to get him back to breastfeeding.

I so look forward to the day I can STOP pumping! I can't wait until I can wake up with Cooper, feed him, and go back to sleep when Cooper does. Now, I have to get up before Cooper to warm up his bottle, then when Cooper goes back to sleep I still have to pump, then prep the expressed milk for the next bottle, and wash the bottle and pump parts. Which means each time I wake up with Cooper, I will be awake an extra hour after he goes back to bed. I can't wait to JUST breastfeed! And I can't imagine all the extra time I will have during the day too! I'm so glad to at least have a plan to get to that point!

Here's a cute picture of father and son. We have been getting lots of Christmas catalogs in the mail, so Jake and Cooper were looking at one together.

Goodbye

We said goodbye to one of our best friends today.

 

Campbell was a very unique dog and had some pretty tough health problems, but he had a great spirit and was a tough fighter. He was the sweetest little guy and loved to cuddle! He loved squeaky toys and went spastic as soon as he heard the squeak. Campbell didn't have much time to get to know Cooper, but I know he was instantly protective of him. I'll always remember his goofy ear that always flipped the wrong way and made him look so stinkin' cute!

 

Goodbye sweet Cam...we love you!

14 Weeks Old

On Sunday, Cooper was 14 weeks old, but tomorrow marks 1 month past his due date, so his corrected age is 1 month old. I absolutely love being home with him!

I now see that I'm not going to be able to blog as often as I did when he was in the hospital.The is just no free time. When he's awake, I'm busy feeding or cuddling or playing with him. When he sleeps, I do household chores. My new goal is to do an update blog at least once a week.

Last Thursday, the home health nurse weighed Cooper and he was 5lbs 7.5 oz. She came back today and he is 5 lbs 14.5 oz. 7 oz gain in a week! He was also 17.75 inches long. This week, Cooper also transitioned from preemie to newborn clothes and diapers!

An interesting note, Cooper is 14 weeks old and we have yet to buy any diapers! They were supplied while he was in the hospital, and we recieved a few packs at the baby shower.

Another interesting note, Cooper has brown eyes already. We were pretty sure he would develop brown eyes because Jake's are brown and mine were brown when I was a kid. I'm just surprised they changed so fast!

Today, the rest of Jake squadron came home from the deployment, which means Jake's hunting buddy is home. As soon as Jake finishes his online class this weekend, they will head out for a hunting trip. He may be gone about a week, so Cooper and I have big plans to organize the basement.

Jake sold the couches from the basement last month, so now we have a nice empty room. I think that means I should set up the sewing desk and cutting table that used to be in the craft room that is now the guest room. No more sewing at the kitchen table! 

Isn't he so cute in his bear towel!

Home Again/ 3 Months Old

Cooper was discharged from Seattle Children's Hospital on Thursday. We will be going back in November for another bronch, a swallow study, and meeting with a nutritionist. We stayed at the Ronald McDonald House one more night, and left Seattle Friday morning. We stopped in Post Falls Idaho to visit Cabelas and stay the night.

Saturday morning, we got on the interstate and didn't even make it a mile before a tire blew out. The G8 doesn't have a spare tire, just a patch and pump kit, but the tire was completely shredded and not salvageable. We got a tow, bought a new tire and 2 hours later were back on the road.

On the trip home we got a call from a worker at the Ronald McDonald House. A child staying there was diagnosed with chicken pox so there is a chance we may have been exposed. Jake and I had chicken pox as kids, but Cooper is too young for the shot. We are hoping he was not exposed since he only spent one night there. Chicken pox is very dangerous in babies, especially ones as tiny as Coop.

It is great to be home again! I think Cooper is happy too! No one waking him up to unwrap him and listen to his lungs, or squeeze his leg with a blood pressure cuff, or stick his heels for blood, or poke him all over to get an IV in. What a relief!

Yesterday was Cooper's 3 month birthday! I can't believe how fast time is going by. He was 5 lbs 4 oz at the pediatrician's office today. I'm glad he's gaining weight, but I'm sad he's growing up. I just love exactly how he is right now.

I think we are pretty lucky that he is so easy to care for. He falls asleep right away in the car, so the long trip home was pretty smooth. This morning he slept in his bouncer long enough for me to take a shower, fix my hair, and sort laundry before leaving for his ped appointment. The only time he's not so easy is in the middle of the night. He likes to sleep all day and party all night. That's kind of expected with a newborn though. I'm surprisingly not that tired during the day. I guess new moms adjust to bring very little sleep. 

Bronch #2

Cooper has been recovering from his hernia surgery perfectly! In fact, yesterday morning we had plans to get discharged today. We had trained on using the NG tube, lined up a feeding pump rental in Great Falls, and learned how to do a gravity feed through the tube for the ride home. We also set up appointments for the end of the month to come back for another bronchoscopy with ENT and a swallow study with OT/PT. Everything was done and we were ready.

Then yesterday afternoon, ENT decided they wanted to get a second look at Cooper's throat before he goes home. So they scheduled him for his second bronchoscopy this afternoon. When OT/PT found out we were staying a couple more days, they scheduled his swallow study for Friday. We're pretty bummed about staying longer, but hoping that this means we won't have to come back as soon for the follow ups. Maybe next month instead of this month. His bronchoscopy looked pretty good. The scarring is coming back but they did anticipate that and hopefully as he gets bigger the scar will be less significant. He is still breathing great!

Everyone tells us how great this hospital is, but honestly, I would give anything to be back at Benefis right now. I won't use this blog to vent my frustrations, but being at a large "learning" hospital makes me truly appreciate the consistency and empathy we got at Benefis.

Here's our cutie in recovery from his bronch.

12 Weeks

I'm way behind on bogging. I fully intended to blog on Friday, but it was a pretty busy day. Then I intended to blog yesterday but we spent the entire day working on Jake's homework.

No joke... the ENTIRE day! This week he had his usual weekly conference posts due, but also has the midterm paper due this evening. We hadn't even started on the paper until yesterday. We both researched and typed away all day yesterday and most of today, but it's finally done! He probably wouldn't have signed up for an accelerated 8 week online course if he'd known we were going to be away from home. We're halfway done with political science, and once this course is done he will only need to take public speaking to be done with his associates degree!

So on with the Cooper update. Cooper had his hernia surgery Friday morning. He did so well! They did not want to have to intubate him again, so the plan was to give him an epidural. If he was still squirmy, they would give him a sedative to sleep. If he was still moving, they planned to completely put him under with anesthesia, which would mean he would probably need the breathing tube. The surgeon came to talk to us after and told us he was completely surprised that the epidural worked perfectly and Cooper slept on his own, without needing anything extra! He said the entire surgery couldn't have gone any better! Cooper had Tylenol for the pain for the first day, but yesterday at about noon we decided to not give it to him to see how he does and he has been happy without it.

He does still have a feeding tube. OT/PT has been working with him to make sure he is not asperating while eating. Depending on how long this therapy takes, we may be here for another couple of weeks or they may send him home with a feeding tube. I am so ready for him to just be off all support, but if he needs it and it means we can go home sooner, it is worth it. The feeding tube will be more convenient than the oxygen was as the feeding tube can be capped off and disconnected from the pump, so most of the time he will be easily mobile.

Today Cooper is 12 weeks old. I'll try to update as we find out the plans, but as of now they don't really have a plan. They want to set up a feeding plan and make sure he is gaining on his own, then we will go from there. 

It's so great to have Jake in Seattle with us! He got here on Tuesday and I think he's making up for the two weeks they were apart. He always steals him from me to hold him or feed him. He's a good daddy! 

For the caregivers at Benefis

A couple other Montana babies have been flown here in the past week so Nurse Practitioner B and nurse L who were on the flight crews were able to come by Cooper's room to see him. It was so great to see familiar faces and reminded me that the blog is the only way his caregivers from Benefis get to see his progress and photos.

At about midnight they took off his cannula and he has been doing great breathing on his own! I just love his cute little nose!

Waiting

Cooper was extubated yesterday and it seems like the stridor is gone for now!  He was put on high flow with the intent to try room air today, but he had a pretty rough night with frequent bradycardia and a few desats.

His heart rate has been low all morning,  80-90, but the doctor feels certain this is because of the high doses of the medicine he was given to control the swelling from his ENT operation. Once that medicine wears off he should get back to his baseline heart rate of 140-150.

As of now, we are just waiting for his hernia surgery. He is on the schedule for next Friday, October 4th. The plan is to wean him off respiratory support again, then when he goes to the OR, they may do a spinal anesthesia so he will not have to be intubate again.

He had really chunked up in the last week. Last night he was 4 lbs 12 oz. Compared to other 40 weekers that's 0.03%. He's still a little guy.

The Ronald McDonald House is going to work out great! It's about a 10 minute walk from my room to Cooper's NICU room. It's nice to get outside too.