8/9 One month old, one IV left...

He's off of the ventilator. One month to the day after he was born, he's off the vent. He's breathing with the help of a special hose that keeps a little stream of oxygen blowing into his nose. If you read any of the other parents, it's a lot like CPAP, but doesn't blow quite as hard. His lungs are working better than I could have possibly hoped for. In fact, he is doing so well lately that just about everything is working as good as could be hoped for. He is tolerating the feedings very well. So well that he is gaining about 1 to 2 percent of his body weight everyday. Of course, we're only talking about grams right now, but for those who aren't nicu parents he is 1 pound 9 ounces.
To celebrate being off of the vent, the mama Ali got to hold her son for the first time! He was wrapped up just like a big baby, but he was so very small. I will never forget seeing the moter holding her baby for the first time. It actually made me cry out of happiness for once. Speaking of crying, he is working on that too. The vent went right past his windpipe blocking his voice. Now, there is nothing blocking him from crying. His throat is still a little bruised from being on the vent for a month, so he can only make a little chirping sound, but that should totally heal by the end of next week. He isn't going to cry much anyway because humans tend to be awake when they cry and that boy sleeps all day. Literally, he doesn't wake up until someone handles him, which he doesn't like the stimulus. I'm not complaining though. All I want him to do is sleep and eat, and he's really good at it.