First Video Post!! Linc is on the MOVE!

Lincoln has been very close to crawling for a few days now.  Today he was able to move forward about one foot!  It really wasn't far and he is not really crawling all over yet, but it was so exciting to see him actually MOVE!  I thought this would be a perfect first video post!  Enjoy!   (EDIT: I made the video public, so everyone should be able to see it now!  Sorry.  It is my first video and I am still learning!  Thanks for the heads up, Lisa!)

Neela the Cat

As you may or may not know, we are animal lovers in this house.  Lincoln included.  We have two dogs, Peanut and Bailey, who are staying with Dan's Grandma (G-G) while Lincoln is on oxygen.  I miss them a lot, but it is just easier to have them out of the house.  I can just imagine poor Lincoln being dragged down as Bailey, our hyper German Shepard mix, gets tangled in the tubing!  She is so sweet to look after our boys (and I know they are loving Grandmas!)

We also have a two year old cat, named Neela, who began living in our basement after she started to chew on Linc's oxygen tubing about six months ago.  She still comes up for visits when she can be supervised.  Lately, Lincoln has just been tickled pink with her!  He will look at the door to the basement and get excited, waving his arms, as if calling her up to see him.  It's so cute!  I was able to capture the first time Neela actually came up to Lincoln the other day (usually I just put him down next to her and she runs!).  He had a great time with his kitty!   (As I know he will with his puppies, too, someday soon!)

Calling to Neela as she thinks about coming over.
(Yes, there is a baby gate AND a door to the basement.
The gate is to keep our distructive cat from clawing the wood door.)

Neela is checking Linc out.

She's had enough, but Lincoln says, "Come back Neela!"

And she did!  Linc got a handful, which Neela didn't like too much by the way.

The evidence.

Lincoln LOVES his kitty, Neela!

Second Time's A Charm

I'm excited to say that Lincoln has been on 0.1 liters for a little over 24 hours! It won't be long now...

Back to 0.2

After a long day of Lincoln being very clingy/crabby, and drinking even worse than normal these days, Lincoln's saturation were hanging out at 95 when I finally got him to sleep tonight at 9pm! (wayyyy too late)  Based on these observations, I turned Linc's oxygen back up to 0.2 LPM.  He is sleeping soundly after a small bottle and satting 97.  I'll try again in a few days.

0.1 LPM - Almost There

Lincoln is looking good on an oxygen flow of 0.1 LPM today!  Hopefully he remains comfortable as he gets used to this flow over the next few days.  I'm amazed by his progress, with breathing and activity!

Lincoln is still not showing improvement with eating, but he is getting by.  On a good note, the Pulmicort seems to be starting to work, and I have seen improvement in Lincoln's wheeze these past few days.  Linc's Dietitian came for a home visit today.  Here are his measurements on her scale:
weight 16lbs (Yay! I know every scale is different, but I've been waiting to see this number again since Dec)
length 26"
HC  46cm

She is always interested in length for weight ratio, which shows proportion.  Similar to BMI for adults) His length for weight is between 25-50%, closer to 50%.  So he is pretty proportioned regardless of his actual weight.  She suggested restarting Linc's reflux med and working with OT to push using a cup since Lincoln seems uninterested in bottles.  So, I will be trying some of these over the next few weeks to see if Lincoln will eat a little more.

Babies Will Be Babies

After giving Lincoln some time to adjust to his new meds, get past some major teething, and get into the upswing from a mild cold, he is still not eating a ton.  He is, however, pretty much maintaining his weight.  He gains a little one week and loses it the next.  He is still just under 16 lbs.  He is much easier to feed while sleeping or just before drifting off to sleep, and only takes about 2 oz if I feed him awake.  He still seems uninterested.

His neonatologist reassures me that his behavior is normal for his age and/or for a baby with a cold.  While she would like to see him taking more like 720ml per day (Linc is struggling to get in 600), his intake is enough for him to be active and happy.  She is encouraged to hear that Lincoln has been so active and happy during his cold, and has actually been able to gain new milestones with his tummy time.

We will continue to watch Lincoln, but overall she is not too concerned about his feedings.  We may transition Lincoln early to Pediasure to help him gain weight if he continues to just be level.  Pediasure is 30kcal per oz and flavored, compared to his formula that is 24kcal and tastes like, well, formula.  I'll be in touch with SLCH over the next weeks to monitor Lincoln's calories, as well as his flow of oxygen. He is still on 0.2 now.

Also, Lincoln's urologist had to reschedule his first surgery. The date is now May 16th.  So, I will update the post about his surgery date.