Goodbye Darth Vader

Jackson had a wonderful day today!! The doctors took him off the Bubble CPAP (Goodbye Darth Vader) and weaned him onto the High Flow Nasal Cannula (level 4). This is of course wonderful news because it is one step closer to being weaned off all respiratory support, but it is also stellar for the following reasons:
1) At level two (we decrease by increments of 1) he can begin non-nutritive sucking!! That's one step closer to removing his feeding tube!
2) He can begin wearing clothes!!!
3) One step closer to a big boy crib!
4) After level two, he is eligible to move up to the penthouse! (The penthouse is another name for the seventh floor NICU which is a less intensive place for babies to feed and grow before they are ready to go home).
5) One step closer to going home!!
6) We can see his face!!!

After he is weaned off of high flow, he will progress to low-flow. After low-flow he will be breathing on his own!


In other news, Hannah has a bit of a cold. She was sneezing all last night and most of today. It seems a little better tonight, but I spent the morning trying to convince my cat to blow her nose. (No, I'm sorry. I didn't get a video of it!)


Jackson's Stats for the Day:
Weight: 3 pounds 8 ounces (3 1/2 pounds!)
Respiratory: High Flow Cannula, level 4, requiring 25-30 percent oxygen (remember room air is 21 percent)
Feeds: 25 ccs every three hours (up 1 cc!!)

Goals:
1. Stay under 30 percent oxygen.
2. Keep on growing!
3. Try putting clothes on him tomorrow! (I hope so!)

Lots of love!

Anna