Day 82

Lots of exciting changes today, as we are starting the transition of getting Maksim ready to come home! The first thing that happened, was he was moved into the CCN (critical care nursery). This is a step down from the NICU, but it is still in the same part of the hospital. The "bays" for the babies are a lot smaller and less private, but hopefully we won't have to be there for too long.

They also changed Maks from the blended, vapotherm oxygen to wall oxygen. This is the kind of oxygen he will be on if he comes home with it, which is extremely likely, and we are planning on this at the moment. He seems to be tolerating it well. He is on either 1/8 or 1/16 of a liter right now (the nurse couldn't remember when I spoke with her this evening), which doesn't seem like much, but he still needs it to maintain his oxygen saturations above 92%.

They are also changing his feedings from breast milk fortified with a human breast milk fortifier, to straight breast milk 6 times a day and high-calorie preemie formula twice a day. This is also what he will be on when he comes home, in addition to the multivitamins.

Maks is still being a champ when it comes to eating his own bottles! He ate 100% yesterday and today!

Today someone asked me to give a refresher on some of the terminology I use on the blog. So, in case you were wondering, a "brady" or "bradycardia episode" is when Maksim's heart rate drops below 120, and a "desat" is when his oxygen saturations drop below 92%. Maks still has these on occasion, but they are becoming fewer and fewer as he grows and gets stronger!

We are a starting to get very nervous and excited for Maks to come home. It will be so nice when our family can finally be together. Milyn keeps telling me she wants to "hold baby Maks on the couch." It is pretty cute, and I feel so bad that she hasn't been able to even see him yet. She has been such a trooper through all of this. It has been such a blessing that she likes to go to the babysitter and play with other kids. I can't even imagine what it would be like if she threw a fit every time I had to leave her to go to the hospital. I hope she somehow knows how much her dad and I appreciate and love her! Here she is tonight with her cousins, Rylie and Whitney, on their first 4-wheeler ride of the year with Papa!


I am getting nervous about Maks coming home on oxygen. I know we will be pretty home bound anyway because of his prematurity and poor immune system, but the thought of having to haul him, and an oxygen tank, and a monitor, and a car seat, and Milyn is pretty daunting and exhausting! It really will make going ANYWHERE an ordeal.

Maks also has another eye exam tomorrow. I always dread Thursdays! We are really hoping that his good week will help to show some promising improvements in his eyes! We also know, however, that some decisions might have to be made tomorrow. I pray that we will be guided by the Spirit to know what to do if faced with them.


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