Happy Days are Here again.....17 weeks actual, 1 month 1 week adjusted

Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So let's sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again

Altogether shout it now
There's no one
Who can doubt it now
So let's tell the world about it now
Happy days are here again


So today was a very good day, a very good day indeed. First of all, my mama is here. With her here, I really wonder how we have been holding up all this time without any family around. Family lifts you up. Not just physically, by helping around the house, cooking, cleaning, helping with Viola etc. but there is something about your family that just the sight of them helps you on this deep down emotional level, that just by looking at them, you know everything is going to be ok. Anyone that has been through a time of crisis and has family around them on a consistent basis, are truly blessed and extremely lucky people. Even though my mom is only here for a very short time, I truly feel like I have won the lottery. Its just what we needed and hope that it will help to carry us forward after she leaves. You just never stop needing your mommy!!!!!!

Today also was the first time in 3 months that Chad and I were able to be with Thurston together. It was beautiful to be able to enjoy our son together, especially now that he is so much older and healthier and interactive. So that was extremely special for us.

Yesterday was also very special as Ama was able to meet her grandbaby for the first time. When we walked in she had mentioned she saw something going up his nose and I thought she was referring to the nasal cannula. I actually had to do a double take as they had put his ng tube up his nose instead of down his throat. It totally threw me off because that could only mean one thing.......he was going to be completely weaned off of the cpap. Well not only did the doctor tell us that but they wanted to try giving him a bottle. WHAT....I had not expected this as they usually only try bottle feeding when they are down to 2 liters and Thurston is on 5 liters. The doctor explained "Thurston is not your normal preemie, we need to bend the rules with him".....AWESOME!!!!!!!! I say!!!!!

So today, the nurse gave him his first bottle and he passed with flying colors, just gulped it down like a champ. 15 ml which is about half and ounce. We took a video so if I ever figure out how to load stuff up I will post it later this week. Chad and I both cried. This is the light at the end of the tunnel that we had been waiting for, a very long tunnel, but a light nonetheless. It has been so hard for me to talk to other NICU moms as it seems all of their kiddos, no matter what their gestation they were born, and weeks later after Thurston, they are all on low oxygen and starting to bottle feed, that is the one of the first indications to a nicu mom that her child could be coming home soon(and soon to us could mean another couple of months but HELL, to us thats amazing considering what we thought could be another 5 months). This has all happened so fast that my head is spinning, I just never thought that we would see this day. Now Thurston's oxygen is still pretty high, he is still needing 50s/60s, but like the doc said, Thurston gets to bend the rules a bit. It does seem the steroids are helping a bit, not as fast and much as of course we would like, but I have even noticed that his breathing doesn't seem as laboured as it has been, so I just so hope we can continue on this upward spiral, however slow it travels.

When I asked the doctor today how much oxygen Thurston would have to be on to get him home, he walked over and turned his pressure from 5 to 4. He said lets just see how he tolerates that and we will go from there. He could go back to 5 but I am just ecstatic at all of my son's progress these last few days.

Its nice to have my mommy here, its nice to get some good news from the docs, its nice to see my sons progress a little, its nice to finally feel that happy days are here again.