9 Jan PM

Tommy Update
Tommy did something amazing today...he was laying on his tummy with his face toward Tricia, and he lifted his little head up and turned his head so it faced the other way! Tricia was amazed! The nurses told her that did not surprise them at all. They use a padded flexible cushion that wraps around his sides and feet and kind of squishes him to keep him all tucked in and comfortable. They said that a couple of nights ago, he managed to get himself on top of the cushion and had his arms and legs dangling over either side! I told Tricia that it was no big deal that he lifted his head up--after all, it can only weigh a few ounces at most! Hee Hee.

Because of his many movements, IVs have not lasted very long. In the last two days, he has had IVs in three different spots, and when the IV tonight quit working as well, they decided it would be better for Tommy to get a more permanent IV that goes directly into an artery. Tricia had to sign a consent form for the procedure to take place, and they reported that they got it in on the first try and that it was working great. I'm still not sure where exactly it went in, but the research I did said it usually goes into an arm or leg. The IV is called a PICC line--that stands for something, but I forget exactly what. It can last up to a month because it extends farther into a large artery. That is good news for Tommy who already has to suffer from daily heel sticks to test his blood. His poor little heels look more like pin cusions with all the little sores on them! :-(

Tommy is still feeding well, and he is now just about 25 grams from his birth weight...that equates to about 2 pounds, 10.2 ounces right now. Wonderful news, huh? As they increase his feedings, they expect that he will rapidly gain weight.