CHOP NICU day #17

 The doctors have put their heads together and decided that the short "events" that Leo has been having when his oxygen drops are simply normal fluctuations that many newborns have (most babies just aren't attached to a monitor, so no one worries about it). They have decided he doesn't need the oxygen monitor at all. The feeding tube was taken out again so that Brad could practice replacing it. That means for 3 hours, Leo got to experience life with no contraptions attached. Whether Leo noticed or not, Mommy and Daddy loved it!

He has been able to drink about 10ml from his bottle before each feeding. His feedings are about 65ml so he's 1/6th of the way there!

Leo's discharge checklist is getting shorter.
-Both Charis and Brad have replaced his feeding tube and completed a feed under supervision.
-Leo has continued gaining good weigh with some fortification added to the breast milk.
-The nasal cannula and oxygen monitoring is no longer needed.

Now he just needs to:
-Pass the car seat test this evening.
-Get circumcised 😖

Home is just around the corner! Charis and Bradley are feeling excited but so overwhelmed. The rubber meets the road when they all get to be home to start figuring life out, and it will be so different! Tube feeding at home just feels much less than ideal, but we all cannot wait to meet this little guy! Pray that Brad and Charis can grieve their losses without losing site of the joys. Leo has a lot to teach us all about how Jesus loves, and he's starting with his parents!

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