The Story of Three

Just a quick update on our little monster:
Weight Gains
Ethan is getting stronger and stronger with each passing day. In each of the last three days he’s gained about 60 grams. Jenny even saw a double chin today! Heh, that mean’s he’s got all four of my chins!

Off the Biliblanket
This is huge because it’s one of the doctor’s milestones. Being off the biliblanket means that his jaundice levels are low and his liver is functioning exactly as it should. And we don’t have to have that weird blue glow behind all the pictures now.

Eating full feedings by mouth at least twice a day
Ethan’s come a long way in just a few short days. At the beginning of the week, he was taking just 5cc’s of his formula before petering out and having to be fed via the tube in his nose (for those that didn’t know what that was for, now you do. ). He now is taking 25-30cc’s by either bottle or nursing in all 8 of his feedings (every 3 hours). On top of that, in two or three of those eight feedings, he is taking the full serving of his 33cc’s. Huge improvement. The nurses say that sometimes a baby will just “turn a corner and get it”. Monday was that corner for Ethan.

And the greatest news of all so far…
One of our favorite nurses isn’t going to be back in the NICU until next Friday and already said g’bye to us — this is exciting because it means the nurses are thinking he’ll be in our home *before* the end of next week!

Today is Ethan’s 6th day, and he is getting so strong. His grip is stronger than ever and so is his cry.

As I wrote in a previous post, Ethan was born weighing 3lbs 10.2oz (1650 grams). Today he clocked in at 3lbs 12oz (1700 grams), which means he’s over his birth weight!

His first day in the NICU he gained 20 grams, but then lost 60 (down to 1610 grams), which the nurses said was normal and that every baby loses some weight when they’re first born because they go from not having to do anything (placenta and umbilical cord give them all their nutrients), to having to do all the work themselves (eating, pooping, peeing, crying). Every movement the babies make causes them to use energy which they’re not used to using – this tuckers ‘em out and causes them to lose some of their birth weight. The nurses said that it would be ok to lose up to 10% of their body weight – which in Ethan’s case would’ve been 165 grams (5oz).

Just like he’s gaining weight, he’s also getting a lot stronger and learning every day. So much so that the nurses are saying the even though he’s about 6 wks behind most newborns, he’s in some respects doing better and learning faster than them! Yep, our little boy is living up to his name:

• Ethan: Strong, firm, impetuous.
  Ethan means strong and optimistic, solid and enduring, or permanent. The name Ethan appears eight times in the Hebrew Bible. Ethan the Ezrahite, is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. It may be that Ethan was a cymbal-player in King David’s court. He authored Psalm 89. Charles Spurgeon theorized that this was the same person as Jeduthun. (via Parents Connect)
• Richard: Strong power, hardy power.
  Richard has always been a very popular name throughout the English-speaking world. It was first imported to England by the Normans, though it is derived from the Germanic elements “ric” (power) and “hard” (strong, hardy). The original form was probably pronounced with a hard C (RICK hart). Richard was the name of three English kings. (via Parents Connect)

I can’t wait to bring my strongman home.