Thursday, March 6, 2008

Hello everyone,

Today was a good day overall. Grandma Houlihan was on hand and provided much needed support and assistance to Mom and Dad. She was able to have two long visits with Jack which provided Mom a chance to take a much needed afternoon nap. Grandma H had the doctors and nursing staff on their toes making sure all of Jack's needs were met. Grandma H brought Mom a "Hooter Hider" that will assist when Mom is meeting at the state capitol or waiting for a table at Gibson's.

After Mom's nap she was able to do whats called "Kangaroo Care", which involves both Mom and Jack with skin to skin contact. Jack was very happy to be this close to his Mother, he didn't move or make a sound for almost an entire hour. This was Jack's longest time outside his incubator.

Jack had a special visit from Aunt Connie and young Riley Doody. The Doody's brought Jack a special angel to watch over him during his time in the hospital. The angel was placed next to Aunt Patty's beautiful angel statute. Riley really enjoyed meeting Jack, he was very interested in all the machines that are helping Jack get better.

Jack did have a couple bouts with what's called premature apnea. In young babies such as Jack they breathe irregularly and often stop breathing for brief periods. This is a very common problem among preemies. As Jack's nervous and respiratory systems mature, apnea usually disappears by thirty-six weeks. Jack's nurses are always close by to assist when this happens. One of the many benefits of Kangaroo Care is that it assists in alleviating premature apnea.

Late this morning Jack received his first installment of Mom's breast milk. He was fed the milk through a tube that was inserted in his arm. This is a positive development to assist with Jack's nutritional needs.

As always, thanks for all the support.
JMJ