Gobble Gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I am celebrating my first Thanksgiving today. From what I understand this holiday is a tribute to American excess where everyone eats too much drinks too much and then sits and stares at this box on the wall ignoring each other. And yes, as you can see my parents have dressed me up in yet another holiday costume. This is ridiculous! I don't see any of them wearing some dorky turkey sweater vest, so why do I get stuck with it? But that is not the worst of it! Today, all I do is watch my family stuff their faces with all this great food (except for the waffles) and all I get is the same ol' bottle. Get this, when I am drinking the same ol' bottle they randomly rip it out of my mouth and pound on my back like a drum until I puke on them. And then they act as if they are surprised when this happens (adults are not too smart). Can a guy just get some food in peace?

Anyway, today is Thanksgiving so, I guess I should tell everyone what I am thankful for. I am thankful for my boppy pillow. I am thankful for my super soft sleep-sacks. I am thankful for being out of the hospital. I am thankful for the scent of bacon (I haven't had any yet, but it sure does smell good). I am thankful for my music box that lulls me to sleep at night. I am thankful for a good bowel movement (you old people know what I'm talking about). Oh, and I guess I am thankful for my family, but please no more holiday costumes!

Happy Turkey Day!
JDP

JACK-O-LANTERN

Yo my peeps! JD here, sorry I haven posted in a while but I have been busy noshing and snoozing (like you do anything more productive). As you can see this is the first of many holidays that my parents torture me by dressing me up in some ridiculous outfit. Is it too much to ask for a tee shirt and a comfy pair of designer jeans. As you can see by my face, I put up the best fight that I could, but hey I am less than 3 months old and have limited motor control.

Anyway, in the vein of halloween and the TRICK-OR-TREAT spirit, I have a little trick planned for my parents tonight. Yup, revenge is not best served cold, rather 4:00 AM works just fine. So, my plan will start in the wee hours of the morning when my parents are so tired that they can barely stand. This is when I hit them with my first strike, I will start screaming and crying at the top of my lungs. Now, this is good revenge in itself, but the crying and screaming is just to set the stage for my second wave of attack. Yup, you guessed it, when one of my parents goes to change me (barely awake) I plan on giving them an early morning wake up shower. They are so out of their league, but I will have fun messing with them for years to come.

Happy Halloween! - JDP

My First Trip

Okay - we didn't leave the state of Wisconsin but we did go on a road trip this weekend to take in the beautiful fall foliage in Dodgeville. We had a lovely visit with Brindi touring the family farm and snapping lots of photos of leaves, oh yeah and Jackson too. He did well on the four hour drive round-trip so here's hoping he's a good traveler.

Healthwise Jackson continues to do well and this week is up to 7 lbs. 11 ozs. Because he is making good progress this will likely be our last week with the home health nurse which means the end of the regular weight gain updates. This week's photos should get you in the spirit of the season. Although Jackson likely won't trick or treat this year mom and dad still plan to torture him with seasonal clothes. Stay tuned for Halloween pictures soon.

Due date?

Tomorrow, October 21st was Jackson's due date and we can't believe he will be ten weeks old! He continues to grow at a steady pace now weighing in at 7 lbs. 3 ozs. He is still getting regular visits twice a week from his friendly nurse. This week he'll get a follow up eye exam to make sure he has not developed retinopathy a common but treatable issue for preemies. And Jackson still wears a belt around his chest connected to a monitor to alert his parents of any issues breathing or with a slow heart rate. Thankfully there have only been a few middle of the night alarms causing us to jump out of bed and check on the little guy.

Besides doctors appointments Jackson has been keeping busy meeting family and friends. Last weekend he got to meet his Uncle Billy and venture out of the house touring the museum and eating at some Milwaukee hot spots. Friends stop by to meet Jackson and get in some quality holding time. We look forward to introducing him to all of you sometime soon. Until then enjoy the photos.

Life at Home

With Jackson home now we are all adjusting to life with an infant. The nurses spoiled us and he is trained to eat every 3 hours. He's a good eater continuing to gain weight. As part of his follow up care a nurse comes to visit twice a week to check his weight and vitals just to make sure all is well. Today Jackson weighed in at a hefty 6 lbs 8 ozs continuing to make up for his preemie birth weight very nicely.



It's a relief to be home after the two month hospital stay and enjoy the trivial routine of a new baby. We have become quick studies at bottle washing and sterlizing, mastering the diaper change without incident and negotiating bathtime. And Jackson even got out this weekend with a brief stroll around the neighborhood. It's getting chilly so he was all bundled up to check out Tosa.

Homecoming

Big news - Jackson came home yesterday! Today he is two months old and just over six pounds which is tremendous progress. Our journey began August 12th when he arrived early at just 30 weeks gestational age. At a mere 2.5 pounds with issues maintaining his heart rate and breathing on his own he is now a strong little boy. Just to be safe doctors did send him home with a monitor to make sure he doesn't have any alarms and so far all has been fine.



Needless to say we are grateful to be home after eight long weeks in the hospital. We snapped some photos of his first ride in the car and getting settled at home. Dad spoiled him today with a giant teddy bear to welcome him. We are so grateful for the support of family and friends who have been rooting for him since birth. Now comes the sleepless nights and time to be a family.

Countdown is On

Progress is steady but slow. This week Jackson had his feeding tube removed since he is taking almost all his feeds by mouth. Speech therapy worked with him the past two weeks on his sucking, swallowing, and pacing skills and now he is doing just fine. He has quickly become a hearty eater and the last step in his feeding process is to move down to a lower calorie formula. As a preemie it's important to make sure he continues to gain weight at a good pace. His most recent weight is 5lbs. 12 ozs.



Jackson must really be liking his new space because he keeps extending his stay. Twice this week he has had a brady that required intervention so instead of coming home this week the current plan is for him to come home early next week assuming he does not have another bad brady again. The last few days in the hospital will be busy for Jackson as he has his last developmental exam, follow-up eye check-up, car seat trial, and a circumcision. We are counting down the days till discharge and hope Jackson is homeward bound soon. In the meantime we spend a lot of time with him and this week introduced him to the bouncy chair. We think he's still undecided about this one.

Moving on Up!

No it is not a, deluxe apartment in the sky, but Jackson made a big move last night to the 7th floor. This means he doesn't need the constant care and attention offered in a NICU with a nurse always at his bedside. In the new room Jackson has no neighbors, moved into a big boy's crib, and nurses check in on him throughout the day. As the photos show he is getting big weighing in at 5 lbs. 5 ozs, just look at that round face for the proof.



Our journey focuses on mastering feeding. Jackson has done very well this week maintaining his heart rate and has few alarms or bradies now. Doctors say if he goes 5 days in a row without a brady that he needs help recovering from that is a marker he is ready to go home. And he needs to feed on his own without the tube. He takes anywhere from 2/3rds to a full bottle for each feed so we are close indeed. We hope we have days left to go and are focsued on getting our son home.

Nip Slip

No we didn't bump into Tara Reid or have a wardrobe malfunction. We spent the weekend with Jackson teaching him how to feed from the bottle and slipping that Gerber nipple in his mouth. We had a wonderful nurse this weekend who gave us great tips on how to watch Jackson's cues to ensure he has a good feed. Jackson is learning how to pace himself and coordinate breathing while feeding. We watch to make sure his breathing is consistent and he isn't working too hard. It's also important to look at his color, another indicator that he may brady if he gets pale. He is not consistent yet on the amount of formula he takes at one sitting which can vary from a few ccs to a whole bottle. Yet another small step closer to home at 4 lbs. 14 ozs.

5 Weeks and Counting

Yesterday marked Jackson's fifth week in the NICU and progress is slow but steady. He is now up to 4 lbs 10 ozs and nurses tease that for such a little guy he still has the triple chin action. He has set feeding times every three hours and when he is alert he is doing well even finishing a full bottle on his own. But he still gets himself into trouble sometimes forgetting to breath during a feed or failing to deal with reflux and then he has alarms and reverts to a tube feed. We know he is anxious for the feeding tube to come out as he has started pulling it out on his own just to keep the nurses busy.

We are busying ourselves to make sure the house is ready for his homecoming and anxiously awaiting word that he is strong enough to go home. In the meantime we enjoy spending time with him in Pod G and snapping cute photos of our little guy.

Exposed

Jackson graduated to big boy baths this week in the tub - no more sponge bath. As you can see he has yet to emrace the joys of bath time. However, he continues to have steady progress as he packs on the pounds and takes more formula from the bottle. He still struggles with "bradies" - a dip in his heart rate but recently he has been able to come up on his own rather than needing help. The doctors and nurses think reflux after feedings are to blame. Mom and Dad are patiently waiting for him to grow out of this common preemie issue.

One Month Old

Yesterday marked Jackson's one month birthday! It was four weeks ago he decided to make his early arrival and took residence in the NICU. His new neighbor, a preemie too, reminded us of how far he has come. Jackson has been packing on the pounds at just over 4 lbs 3 ozs and has switched from a high calorie formula to a regular formula.

And today Jackson had a developmental exam which compared him to other preemies. They looked at his reflexes, his muscle tone, visual tracking, and feeding cues. I can see this being the first of many exams to come in his life and like all parents we were eager for him to do well. We can proudly report in almost all categories he was on track or excelled for his age. JD was later quoted as saying, "That Shiznit was Easy!"

My New Crib

This weekend Jackson found himself in a new crib - literally. Even though he is just shy of 4 lbs. he maintains his body temperature quite well and was moved to a non heated crib, top off. This makes it easier for Mom and Dad to get him out for snuggling time and marks another milestone.


He also no longer wears a nasal canella, that tube in his nose providing oxygen. He still has a ways to go in maintaining his breath and heart rate but more often than not is able to self resolve any issues or the nurses help him out. Jackson needs to go 5 days in a row without any "bradys" which you may recall are a low heart rate before they would consider sending him home. It's good to get to see more and more of his face. We are hopeful he continues to have forward progress.

Jack's day

This week Jackson has continued to gain weight tipping the scales at 3-lbs. 9-ozs. today. He is tolerating feeds well and is fed 35 ccs of high calorie formula every three hours. The next step is to get him feeding on his own. We understand that most preemies who get to 4 pounds can come out of the incubator and into a crib without a roof.

What do Jackson's days look like? Feeding time lasts an hour to help minimize an upset tummy. Besides eating every three hours Jackson looks forward to visits with Mom and Dad who hold him, talk to him, and as you learned play music for him. Bath time is every three days which Mom and Dad do too and it's a good ol' sponge bath. Most exciting is he is more alert during visits opening his eyes to check things out, using his hands to grab on tight, and smiling.

Strange Condition?

The night before Jackson was born, way back when we thought we had at least two months to go and lived in blissful ignorance of a NICU, Clarissa and I attended a Pete Yorn concert. I am not saying that the music of Pete Yorn caused the early delivery - though some might - but figured I would give all mommies to be out there fair warning to decide for themselves. To start it was a nonsmoking small venue and we sat the whole concert with a decent view, so it was not like Clarissa and I were jumping around or body surfing (though that would have been an interesting sight).

What is Mr. Yorn really referring to in his well known hit Strange Condition? Some might argue that he is referring to the condition of love, but I surmise that he is really referring to the condition of pregnancy. And the nerve of him to call pregnancy strange- what could be more natural. Here is an excerpt from another one of his more well known hits Life on a Chain, "Waiting over here, for life to begin, Still looking for the new thing, And you were the sunshine heading my front-line,I was alone, you were just around the corner from me." Need I say more? If that was not enough evidence to sway you, over the past two weeks, when I hit random on my Ipod to play for Jackson - it invariably plays a Pete Yorn song! Coincidence? I think not! Considered yourself warned...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doY82-bQChs

The Next Goal

In order to go home Jackson needs to be able to breath on his own, hold his body temperature, and feed on his own. He is making steady progress with his breathing and temperature and now Mom and Dad hope to focus his attention on the task of sucking. Jackson continues to get his feeds through a tube and the next step is to get him strong enough to take his feedings from a bottle. In an effort to prepare Jackson to take to bottle feeds Mom and Dad are helping him by introducing a pacifier during his feeds so he makes the connection between sucking and receiving food. If he is alert he takes to the pacifier quite well and makes the most amusing suckling sound inspiring his parents to grin ear to ear. We hope to try bottle feeds in the next week so he can meet another key goal in his progress as a preemie.

Meeting Grandma

This weekend Jackson got to meet another family member, Grandma! Besides a nice visit he got spoiled with new preemie threads. Now that Jackson is in clothes the trick is to find options that don't swallow him up. He is just over 3 pounds so even newborn clothes can fit like a potato sack. There are many more family and friends for him to meet and it's been nice he has had a chance to meet his grandparents in his first weeks of life. Watch for photos of all my new outfits this week.

Baby Pictures

Hey there, these are pictures of Jackson, Clarissa, and I as babies. I believe I am slightly cross eyed in my picture, but that was just a fad - all the cool babies were doing that back in the day. Also, one of these babies was pretty chubby - which one do you think?

Jackson is now down to level 1 with his air pressure, which is progress. Clarissa's mom left this morning and we have been spending a lazy Sunday with Jack today.

Do I Look Like Mommy or Daddy?

Great news - no more annoying CPAP for Jackson! This means he no longer has the head gear and he is breathing better on his own. Instead, Jackson now has a nasal cannula to help him breath, like the ones they use to climb Mt Everest. This marks significant progress towards his respiratory goals and one more step closer to home. It is really great to see his face now and we can start to make out his facial features, see his eyes, nose, and ears, as well as get a better sense of his personality. So far doctors, nurses, and visitors agree, he looks like dad. What do you think? This weekend Jackson gets to meet his grandma for the first time as she made the trip from Tucson to see him.

Baby Steps

Jackson continues to make small, incremental process while in the NICU. Today's milestone;he is retaining his body temperature and although still in the incubator it's no longer heated. It was quite a treat to see him decked out in baby clothes today even if a bit oversized. The next big step mom and dad are hoping for is the removal of the CPAP or as the nurses refer to it, his fighter mask. If he continues to have less bradys (breathing issues) he can go down a level to what will look like an oxygen tube in his nose. It will be so much more comfortable and we'll get a glimpse of his face. Fingers crossed Jackson keeps making positive baby steps so he can come home.

Cribs

Hello Everyone, Welcome to my Crib! Well, actually it is not exactly a "crib" rather I was using the more colloquial/urban usage of crib as defined as place of residence. Anyway, I wanted to take this time to orient you all to my sweet neonate condo. The picture to the left is me in my living quarters. Its actually called a Giraffe OmniBed made by GE. My condo is approximately 5 square feet. It features wall to wall windows and a sweet climate control system. I can elevate and decline my whole condo as I see fit and I can actually literally blow the roof off this house as it lifts off altogether. I sleep on a bed with a number of blankets and pillows to support my head and just make feel snuggled in. They set me up with a "surf board" when I am sleeping. Basically, it is just a blanket that is folded tight and they place it around my body through my legs so my legs and joints grow appropriately. The fridge to the right of me is not full of Cristal champagne, rather I prefer a combination of formula and breast milk.



I have a bunch of wires and tubes in me at this point, not to mention the annoying CPAP mask. I am constantly being monitored by my nurses and parents which makes it difficult to get away with anything. Can't wait to get a curfew. The other picture is a view of my monitor. The top number in green is an ECG which monitors my heart rate. They get really annoyed with me when I slow my heart rate below 100 which they call a "brady" (bradycardia). The number second from the top in yellow is my respiration rate. Again, they get really annoyed and poke at me when my respiration rate dips, I think they call that an "apnea". I am a bit confused because I thought people with sleep apnea are older, overweight, and snore a lot? The third number from the top in blue is my oxygen saturation level, which I understand I have to keep above 87 or they poke at me again. The number fourth from the top in white is my blood pressure or what they call for neonates MAPS (mean arterial pressure). Well, it was nice showing you around, but I am getting tired and I believe I feel a poop coming on, so I am signing off for now. -JDP

Taking after Daddy!

Jackson has already started taking after his daddy. That is, he has been packing on the weight. Today he finally surpassed his birth weight (1.2 kg) and continues to increase in his feeds. He no longer requires additional nutrients and lipids via IV but rather is taking his feeds through a g-tube (tube that goes to his stomach). Apparently the magic number is 1800 kg when he will be able to regulate his temperature better and can come out of his incubator for good. He continues to require CPAP at pressure level 6 and we are hoping he can tolerate a decrease in the pressure over the weekend. Recently, we have been able to spend more and more time holding him. Today's picture shows a tube feeding in progress while Clarissa holds him.

Bath Time

Today Jackson had his first bath and mom and dad were able to help out. Jackson gets a sponge bath in his incubator and the key is to be quick so he doesn't lose too much heat. It's a bit scary trying to gently clean someone so little but our nurse was there the whole time to offer tips along the way. Jackson's breathing continues to be something to watch. We had hoped he could come off his CPAP mask today but he is just not ready yet and still needs to be reminded to breath. Today was a good reminder that his progress will be up and down for the weeks to come.

And my dad heads back to Michigan early tomorrow morning. It was a big help to have some help during my own recovery and I know he was excited to meet Jackson and hold him one more time today.

First diaper change by Mommy

Clarissa was discharged from the hospital yesterday and she is feeling pretty good. This picture was taken yesterday evening. I realize how stupid this sounds but it was really cool to watch my wife change her first poopy diaper. I suspect poop and the different consistencies of it will be our dinner conversation for next year. Please stay tuned as we are planning on posting pictures of every diaper change from here out!
We actually figured it deserved its own blog: jdpotterPOOPS.blogspot.com.

First time with Mommy and Daddy

We were very excited yesterday and today as we were able to hold Jackson for the first time. Clarissa held him yesterday and I got to hold him today. I was able to do a "kangaroo" hold which means skin-to-skin contact as his little body has a hard time retaining heat. His skin and hair is so soft. As the days go on we should get more time to hold him as he can tolerate time outside the incubator. You can't tell we are proud parents in these photos.

I'm not blue, just working on my tan

Jackson is taking in some UV phototherapy to help his jaundice. Checkout his cool sunglasses! The mask he is wearing is a CPAP machine that constantly blows air in his nose. Not sure at this point when he will be taken off the light therapy.

Jackson Dylan Potter

We are truly excited about the birth of our first child and I guess Jackson was excited too as he decided to come early. He was born at approximately 7:00 PM on Wednesday August 12th 2009. His birth weight was 2.6 lbs and was approximately 14 inches long. He is currently in the NICU at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin as he was born at only 30 weeks gestation. He has some issues with breathing (as most premature babies), but appears to be in good health and doing well. Clarissa was able to hold him for the first time today and I should be able to hold him later on today (hopefully). The NICU nurses and doctors have been taking exceptional care of Jack and have been very compassionate and understanding with us. And he even met some of the family already with both grandfathers dropping everything to be with our family this week. We look forward to sharing updates with you all and catching up with you.
Love,
Brian & Clarissa