Movin' on up

This weekend I moved into a new room and into a new crib. I guess I'm moving up in the world. I still don't have a "window side" but I think the families that have been in the NICU a really long time might get that perk. My new roommate is a girl and she cries a lot. She was born 18 weeks early and only weighed 1lb 2oz. I overheard she might go home this week though so it looks like she's moving on up too.

In other news, I keep gaining weight and am now at a stocky 4lbs 7oz. I can't wait to be in the 5s! My cheeks are filling out a bit and I am awake more often, usually during the times that I should be getting fed. Though I still sleep a lot, Mom and Dad get to see my eyes more often. As you can see, I'm still having a little trouble fitting into my clothes.  This outfit is from my cousins, Luai and Luka. They were much bigger when they were born but I have confidence I'll be filling these bad boys out soon enough!

I hear Mom talking about having to go back to work part time for the next couple weeks. She feels guilty for leaving me here on my own for longer hours but I told her all the pretty nurses do a good job making sure I'm healthy and growing. This week Mom and Dad might get to feed me from a bottle and I'm still practicing feeding with mom. Once I get that whole suck/swallow/breathe thing down, I'll be on my way outta this joint. Dad says Dunkin can't wait to get his little brother home!

Dear Max (#2)

Dear Max,

Even though you are only 13 days old, I wonder what kind of man you will be. I have so many wonderful men in my life but your Dad is my #1. Every time I see him hold you or talk to you, I love him even more than I already did. He has so many qualities that I hope you one day have. He is one of the most patient people I have ever met. He is sensitive and kind. He is thoughtful and intelligent. He cares about what is going on his community and the world. He loves deeply. I look at you and feel hopeful that you will have these "pieces" of your dad. I love you, my little man. I can't wait til you come home.

xox Mom

Rudy, Rudy, Rudy!

One of Mom's favorite movies is Rudy. She loves it because it's about a little guy, who against all odds, made it on to the Notre Dame football team just through dedication, hard work and resilience. She loves the stories of the "underdogs." Sometimes she thinks of me as her little Rudy. She says she is awe of how strong I am. Sometimes she even chants "Rudy, Rudy, Rudy" when she's holding me. I find her entertaining right now but check back with me when I'm 13.

Anyway, today was a good day. I didn't have any sleep apnoea spells (I had 2 yesterday) and I am back to my fighting weight of 4lbs 2 ounces. My nurse showed mom how to give me a bath. She was very excited by it and brought out the "good" camera," but I was not impressed. I was happy at first in the warm water and bubbles but I was not expecting the cold air on my skinny body afterwards! Thankfully I got some Kangaroo time afterwards. 

                                                                              ("who signed me up for this?")

I haven't moved from my isolette to my phat new crib yet but I hope to tomorrow or Saturday. This means mom and dad can hold me more often and it also means I've done a good job of regulating my temperature. I also got moved to "Team B" in the NICU, which means I'm off the high risk list. The head doctor of Team B says this time is sometimes the hardest time for parents because it is a waiting game. I know mom was hoping to take me outside to watch my Aunt Vicky run the Boston Marathon but I might only get to hear about it. Maybe one day I'll run it with her. A baby can dream....

Warming up

Today I was rocking the knit hat Ali made me. I was wearing this because my incubator got turned off and I'm now trying to regulate my own temperature so I wanted to keep cozy. I was a perfect 98.6 when Mom took my temperature. I also had Aunt Kara visit me and she told me all about her baby, Henry, who I'll have playdates with when I get out of of the NICU. I can't wait!

I'm filling out a bit and gained 60 grams overnight. My Mom and Dad think I'm really strong and are impressed with how incredibly resilient I am.  Mom is excited because she might get to give me my first bath tomorrow and I might move out of my apartment into a crib. As you can see, I'm really tired so I'm signing off for now....

Peace out!

Max's Monday Milestones

Max's Monday Milestones!

1) My umbilical cord stump fell off.
2) I gained an ounce.
3) I'm still off my phototherapy light.
4) Mom AND Dad got to hold me once today.
5) I pooped on mom 3x again. That's not really a milestone but still hilarious.
6) I tried to breast feed (TMI?). ;)

My nurse says I get to have my first bath this week and Dr. Z (he's the really nice "guy in charge") said that I am progressing well. Mom and Dad met with a social worker today to talk about maternity leave stuff and a referral for Early Intervention if I ever need it. My nurse, Maria, is mom's new favorite since she let her hold me for as long as she wanted. Mom and I had a lot of quiet 1:1 time together today. She really loves that.

Until next time....

(Cheeks!)

Dear Max

Dear Mellow Max,

This is your Mom butting into your blog. Today, I read a card from your Grandpa Metzger that made me smile. I wanted to read you what it said....

"Someday he'll be a strong, confident man...but you'll always remember the first time you held him in your arms. Someday he'll have his own hopes and dreams, not knowing that once upon a quiet time, you closed your eyes and dreamed to have him in your life."

Nights are the hardest time on me, Little Max, because I want to make sure you're okay and I want to kiss you goodnight. I hope you know that, even if I'm not next to you, I think about you every second of the day.

Love, Mom

One week old

Happy one week birthday to me! Today Grammy Shen and Kung Kung came by the hospital to visit me. They had a pretty entertaining visit because I pooped on my mom three times! It was hilarious. Mom and Dad cracked up. It was good to hear them laugh.

Mom was excited to see that my IV was out and that my phototherapy light was still off. Now I am strictly getting fed through my nose with mom's milk. My nurse dressed me up in a "real" outfit! As you can see it's a little big but I am confident my skinny little legs will soon fill out and my elephant butt will get nice and plump.

Mom and Dad said it was a beautiful 'spring like' day outside. Mom talked to me about all the things we would do together once we could enjoy the outdoors. She says I'm her sunshine even when it's winter in March. 

Cheers to me

Today was a good day! As soon as Mom and Dad got to the NICU they saw that my phototherapy light had been turned off. They knew this because they saw the blanket my Grammy Shen made for me hanging over my incubator.  Isn't it it pretty? It has my name, birth date and the Chinese symbol for Shen on it. This will stay over my incubator when I'm sleeping because the dark helps me grow and rest.

The doctor also told them that I had gained an ounce so I'm now 3lbs 12 oz and they hope that I grow about an ounce a day from now on. They have upped my feedings to every 4 hours and I have been digesting mom's milk pretty well. I haven't had any "sleep apnoea spells," which means times during the day where I stop breathing for 20 seconds so I'm pretty proud of myself. Most of my day today was spent sleeping and watching March Madness with Dad in the afternoon. He says he can't wait to take me to Vegas in 18 years for the annual March Madness trip with Kung Kung.

Mom and Dad decided to have a date night tonight and were going to listen to some live music on the waterfront and "Cheers" to me and my birth. I'm glad they have each other.  Until next time....

Visitors!

Today I had a lot of visitors! My Grammy Shen, Aunt Sarah, Aunt Katie and Aunt Amy all came to see me in the NICU. Unfortunately, I was still in the tanning bed but I heard their voices. Mom got a whole hour and a half of kangaroo time too so she was pretty stoked. She had a mini melt down when my glucose was tested because it's the first time she heard me cry REALLY loud but I attribute that to her lack of sleep. I got over it pretty quickly and so did she. I hate to tell her, but she'll be hearing that cry A LOT when I'm outta this place.

In other news, they are going to try to turn off my tanning bed tomorrow. When Mom says, 'tanning bed,' she's referring to my Phototherapy light which helps make sure my bilirubin levels are down in order to best treat my jaundice and helps my maturing liver. We'll see how that goes. I'm also eating more (through my nose tube) and I've pooped twice! I guess it's a sign I'm half Metzger, when I'm talking about my bowel movements openly. Oh, and I also peed on my dad. He never changed a diaper before I was born but he's pretty excellent at it.

Mom and Dad wanted to thank everyone for their kind words and for everyone who is checking in with them, everyone who has reached out to share their stories of babies in the NICU and everyone who has offered their help. It's truly touched their hearts.

                                                                 Back tanning

                                                                        My eyes!

Kangaroo Time

My Mom and Dad love holding me. It is their favorite part of the day. The nurses here call it "Kangaroo Time." It helps moms/dads and their preemies bond and also is proven to help stabilize my heart rate and breathing, improve my weight gain, increases mom's lactation, make me more alert and help with any crying or colic. Essentially it helps us "bond" skin to skin.

Care Time

Mommy and Daddy get to visit me whenever they want. I have "Care Times," where they get to take part in some of my every day baby stuff like changing my diaper, taking my temperature, changing my IVs and getting to ask my nurses all the questions they have on their minds. My dad asks the most questions and mom spends more time staring at me and telling me she can't wait until I get to come home. In between care times, I usually am under the tanning bed which helps with my jaundice and also keeps me warm and cozy. I have a lot of pretty nurses who handle me gently and help Mom and Dad feel more secure in my care.

                                                         (Tanning under the lights)

(Important conversation with Mom)

Stories by Max

                                                           {Written by Max}....

Since so many loving people ask about me each day, Mom said it'd be a good idea to write a blog so that those who want to know about me can read about me whenever they want!

I've been hanging out in the NICU for a while now. It was scary to come out early but my doctors tell me that it's good I made it until 32 weeks and that babies born after 32 weeks have a good chance of developing properly and thriving in all the ways full term babies do. The doctors say my main goals to leave the NICU are to be able to breath on my own, eat on my own and regulate my body temperature. As soon as my Mom got to hold me for the first time, my breathing was regulated enough to take my annoying CPU tube off and it has been off since that day. She really hates all the tubes and stuff on me. She reminds me every day how handsome and strong I am.

My first visitors in the NICU were my Grandma and Grandpa Metzger and my Kung-Kung and Grammy Shen. I have a feeling I lucked out in the grandparent department. Score!

Early Arrival

On Friday, March 14, 2014, I went to work for the day, feeling a bit sore and achy. I complained to a few of my teacher friends that I felt like Max was sitting on my bladder all day long and that my lower back was on fire. I worked the full day and went home in hopes to meet up with my parents for dinner. The pain kept getting worse on the way to dinner so we ended up calling my doctor who said to go into Beth Israel Labor and Delivery Unit. Once Chris and I got there, I was examined and found out I was 4 centimeters dilated and the baby was coming that night possibly. They were unsure why this was happening but they said the main goal would be to keep Max in me as long as possible so that they could get nutrients in him and steroids for his underdeveloped lungs. Chris, Max and I had an excellent team of nurses and doctors. Chris was a great coach and such a supportive partner. I was in labor from 7pm on Friday night until Saturday afternoon, the scheduled day of Max's baby shower. While we were delivering Max, our friends and family were at his baby shower (i.e. "surprise" birthday party).

On Saturday March 15, 2014 at 1:11pm, Maxwell John Shen was born. He weighed 4lbs, 2oz and was 17 inches long.  After he was delivered, he was sent directly to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). This will be his home away from home until his anticipated due date (May 8, 2014), however we are hopeful we might be able to come home sooner. What we do know is that we are incredibly blessed to have this little boy in our life. He is, indeed, our greatest gift.

(My first cries! Where am I?!)

(First Family Photo)

(My NICU outfit)

Growing Baby

Chris and I found out we were pregnant with our first baby in August of 2013. We found out we'd be adding a little boy to our family on the expected date of May 8, 2014. This is a blog dedicated to our little guy, Maxwell John Shen, who came into the world 8 weeks early, on March 15, 2014.

                                                                       

                  (Last picture at 32 weeks pregnant. I was actually in labor during this picture. )