Life in the NNICU

You may think that Life on the Homefront sounded pretty sweet... but I can't lie, Samuel is a spoiled little boy :) Don't get me wrong, I think he will like home better than the hospital, and we can't wait to bring him here, but in the meantime we couldn't be happier with not only the care he receives but also the way the medical team loves on our boy.

A few photos of our sweet Samuel... and of course, a medical update :)

If I look a little unsure...

... it's just because I'm getting used to my new bed! Check out my HUGE crib! This is a serious upgrade from the radiant warmer. I've got my library and reading chair at one end, all my toys, some medical supplies, and still enough room to stretch out. Sweet! (And of course, I would rather look at my nurse friends than any toy :) )

Ha ha! Nothing to be unsure about... I love my new set-up!

Check it out - I get to wear clothes again! I haven't been able to wear clothes in WEEKS! Not sure I could get any cuter...

... oh, wait. Clothes AND a little smile... I can get cuter!

I even get to hang out with mom and dad again... also something I haven't done in weeks. I love to be held!

I also got to paint mom and dad a picture! George and Olivia are sure going to be jealous!

Samuel is doing so well! After a bad CT scan of his lungs, followed by two weeks of paralysis (beginning July 10th) and not being sure he would ever come home, on July 23rd we were given the good news that the medical team was becoming more optimistic (a quick recap :). It was the hardest two weeks of our lives. When they lifted the paralysis Samuel began to stir almost right away... even though he was still heavily sedated. DB and I saw his eyes open for the very first time in two weeks on July 24th. It was the most incredible feeling!

Since then, Samuel has had a few ups and downs... but mostly ups with just a few dips :) He is still on the JET ventilator - the one that gives lots of little puffs of air (he's currently getting 320 small breaths/minute), he is weening off a few meds for some slight pulmonary hypertension, and we are keeping an eye on some ventricles in his head that appear to be a little swollen. He has also regained strength in his eyes since waking up from the paralysis... for the first few weeks his eyes tended to go a little screwy when he got tired. It's got to be nice to be able to see straight again! Samuel has also had a few high temps and some skin irritation, but nothing we're too worried about.

All in all... things are good! Prayer is amazing! Our goal is for him to come home around his 1st birthday, at the end of January. Samuel is a fighter!

**I get the question... "So, is Samuel better?" a lot, and unfortunately there's not a great answer for this. He is doing much better! But, we are still in a scary place... bottom line - he is in intensive care and will be for a while. The medical team is very optimistic, as are we. I wish there were more specifics, but that's about the best answer I have. We'll take it :) **