A few things of note:
Tobias continues to work at mastering bottle feeding. He has been trying a feeding once a day with varying degrees of success. It is a lot more difficult for him than I expected. He does well with the swallowing and breathing skills, which is good, but it takes a lot of energy and wears him out quite quickly. But he is definitely progressing in the right direction.
He continues to have problems with fluid retention. I don't talk about his weight much because I'm never sure how much of his gains are here to stay and how much will end up being lost to the diuretics which are given from time to time. For example, Toby gained 3 ounces between yesterday and today. And he looked a bit puffy when I saw him this morning. The extra fluid in his lungs makes it more difficult for him to breathe and the diuretics can cause other problems. It's another one of those balancing acts they seem to specialise in here.
Despite this, he does continue to improve with his breathing. Today he was changed from the high flow oxygen to what they call a "regular cannula". The main difference seems to be that the air is no longer delivered heated and at 100% humidity. So it is another step closer to normal breathing. It is still being delivered with a set volume, though lower, and actually with a higher level of oxygen content than he was receiving on the high flow. We will have to wait now and see how he handles it. As usual, they will be monitoring his blood gasses and alarms as well as evaluating how hard he is working as he breathes.
Thank you all for your continued concern and prayers. As exciting as it has been to see Toby improve and to enjoy his progress, I have had to realise that he still has a long way to go. He looks so normal to me now- I guess I've grown accustomed to his small size- that I forgot how hard he is working on basic functions.
But I must add-
I wish you all could have had a whiff of him after his bath today. There's nothing like the smell of a clean baby. God sends His grace in both big and small ways.
A Brief Introduction
This blog follows the life of one Tobias, who was born in the 25th week of pregnancy. Despite his minuscule size, Toby has already amassed a great number of people who care about him, his health, and his family. It is our hope that this blog will keep those caring people updated on all the particulars and praises.
There are two main contributors:
Nancy - is Tobias' mother. It is she who actually knows what is going on, and thus will make most of the updates.
Kathryn (ymryson) - Toby's sister, mostly here for technical backup, though she tends to chime in from time to time.
Thank you all for your love and support. We truly appreciate the care and concern you have shared with us during this time.
There are two main contributors:
Nancy - is Tobias' mother. It is she who actually knows what is going on, and thus will make most of the updates.
Kathryn (ymryson) - Toby's sister, mostly here for technical backup, though she tends to chime in from time to time.
Thank you all for your love and support. We truly appreciate the care and concern you have shared with us during this time.
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