Mark

Mark is doing very well. He is on a trace of oxygen right now. No big deal really, it should just help him not work as hard to breathe and tire out. We did find out that he has reflux and we think that might be why he was desatting. Some of the nurses think that he needs the oxygen, others don't. I think if it helps him rest and get stronger that it is a good thing.

Mark was tongue tied but not anymore. I talked to the right person at the right time and half an hour later his tongue was clipped. No crying. He was just a little annoyed. They watched him reflux while they were clipping his tongue and since Leata and Taylor both had fairly severe reflux they decided that he has reflux as well.

He was half an ounce smaller then his birth weight last night and has been gaining about half an ounce a day, so, if the reflux doesn't interfere with his weight, he shold be right at his birth weight again today. That's good news. By next week, he should hit 4 pounds. His weight gain will probably slow some though.

He is still just as quiet and rarely cries. He has to be really bothered to cry. We gave him a sponge bath last night. He can't have a real bath because he has a PICC line (a more permanent kind of IV) and his umbilical stump is still on. He did not like the bath though and cried pretty loud (for him anyway) when I scrubbed his little head. He's nice a clean now though. He is wearing clothes now as well. He looks so big in the the clothes!

When we got to the NICU it was pretty quiet and not even close to full. Yesterday nursery B was full and Mark had a curtain mate. A little girl who is even smaller then he is. She has been there for over a month now. She is a pretty little girl though. She is in an isolette. Her mom is able to hold her now though so that is wonderful!

Mark looks SO MUCH like Taylor! He does look like a boy though. Several people who work in the NICU pointed out that he has a hairline that defintely makes him look like a boy though. I still think that his hair would look great with a bow in it but A.J. disagrees. (I am just teasing him!)

All in all, things are going great! It is completely physically and emotionally exhausting to have a baby in the NICU. More so when you have two kids at home then just one. It takes a lot to get through it all and leave him at the hospital every day. I do learn a lot while we are there though and it keeps me thinking and learning so much. I have so much respect for the doctors and nurses who work in the NICU and take care of these special little spirits. Some are critically ill and don't make it. The little one who was born not long after Mark was 22 weeks 6 days. He is not doing well and they do not expect him to make it. If he does he will have many serious problems. Mark was born at 1755 grams and dropped to about 1600 grams at one point. We think he's so small but this other little guy was 600 grams. That is pretty big for when he was born though. They are doing all that they can for him but babies born so early rarely survive as long as he has.

Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers. Please continue to pray for Mark and that he will be strong and healthy and will quickly catch on to feeding and come home as soon as he is ready.