A Day in the Life...

Hello there, Allison here.

Things are coming together as the Davis Party of Four.  This last week has been just like you would expect the first week home with a newborn would be - lots of talk about bottles, milk, and diapers along with a little bit of sleep.  Oh and doctor's appointments, he is keeping us busy with those!

Friday he had an appointment with our pediatrician.  We were given a goal to reach in his feedings which was a relief to me because I am very goal oriented.  He also told us we could start adding some formula into the milk to increase the caloric value.  When we got home we realized that he was eating a good bit less than the goal and by Saturday we started adding the formula.

For those of you who aren't familiar with feeding a heart baby, for us, it kind of looks like this.
1.) Start the bottle (right now it's 2 ounces), Keller eats pretty well for about 5 minutes and then just sits for a while with the bottle in his mouth, tickle him and he'll drink a little more and then fall asleep.
2.) Wake up him, sit him up, and try to burp him.
3.) Make him mad while burping and hope to get a little more milk in before he falls asleep.
4.) Change his diaper or his clothes and hope to get a little more in.  By 1.5 ounces he's completely tuckered out, wake him up and try some more.
5.) Decide that he's probably done but keep the bottle near just in case he wakes up. Shove the bottle in his mouth the second his eyes open.
6.) Repeat 7 more times a day

Sometimes these steps take 90 minutes and you have just enough time to wash a bottle and start over again.

He loves this swing, so do I!

I had never thought you would have to be so strategic in diaper changing, either.  In order to save his energy and use it for good (eating) and not evil (crying) we wait to change him until we need him awake and not change him as often as most newborns get changed.

Tuesday he had an appointment with his cardiologists.  They decided to start him on lasix to help keep fluid out of his lungs.  This should slow his respiratory rate and effort a bit.  The idea is he won't have to breathe as quickly, saving some energy for feeding.  After starting lasix yesterday he did have an easier time of eating, we noticed that it didn't take quite as long to get the bottles in him and he finished a couple of them off.  Lasix diapers are no joke, I think one weighed as much as him.

We have noticed since adding the formula that he does have more awake time and we are enjoying his open eyes and funny faces. And he is so very snuggly!

He had another pediatrician check up today.  So far what we are seeing is what we expected to see.  His weight has been a little tricky.  Keller has been weighed on many different scales so some fluctuation is expected but today he was down an ounce from Friday.  This could very well be due to the lasix so there is no need to panic.  We have another weight check next week and until then his job is to eat, eat, eat!!

Our sweet Norah is adjusting pretty well.  She is getting used to watching Cinderella through "Baby Keller's" cries though she almost always wants to know why he is crying.  She will give him kisses on his head and she offers him his paci, she's usually pretty sure that he needs his "white paci".  She also has showed him pictures on my phone and we often sing him a rendition of a lullaby Minnie sings.  "Baby Keller, don't you cry. Everything will be okay.  Baby Keller, dry your eyes and dream, dream away."  She hasn't held him yet.  The momma in me wants that picture but is also afraid we might be opening up a can of worms with her thinking she can pick him up.  Norah did have a virtual play date over FaceTime a couple of days ago and more of those are in her future.  She is very good at entertaining herself, which is such a blessing, but she misses her friends and I miss her friends parents too.

Showing Baby Keller pictures. 

This is the worried look she gets when he cries.

One thing we have not had to worry about is food! Thank you to all who have brought dinner and who have signed up to bring dinner.  It has been such a gift to not worry about when to thaw, start, and cook dinner.  The food has been wonderful and once again we find ourselves blessed beyond belief.

From the NICU, one week old.

Two weeks old.

Not a "selfie" taker usually but I had a very special lap full.