24 Weeks old!

From Ashton Jeffrey Clark - Fall 2009

Yesterday marked 24 weeks for Ashton. 13 lbs, 14.5 oz

He had his "4 month" shots and checkup and for the first time is on the charts! As a 5 month old he is in the 25th percentile for weight, his head circumference is in the 25th percentile, and his 24" in "height" is in the 10th. They say premies catch up by year 2. He is on the charts and within a range of "NORMAL" by 5 months :) Teh doctor was very pleased with his growth and progression.



24 weeks. How life has changed. Spending time with this little man is absolutely amazing. He changes and grows every day and is so much fun. He now puts everything in his mouth, and has really learned to giggle. Stuffed animals and blankets really interest him. He has started to love them and hug them. He has such curious eyes - it is like he is trying to figure out how everything works. Ashton is an incredibly happy baby, and although i have nothing to compare him against, he is easy. I love it.

The last week has been really fun for me (he has become daddy's boy this week...). I have been travellign a ton, yet i had 8 solid days at home with him. He loves the running stroller and we have used it every day. the look in his eyes when i walk in a room and teh effect that has on me is undescribable. We'll see how he treats me after my next trip which starts in about 4 hours...



All is great here, with a growing and happy boy and family.

August 21, 2009

Wow. How fast time flies.

Today marks the 13 Week birthday. 1/4 of a year since Ashton was born.

9lbs, 13 oz and 22 inches long - more than twice as heavy, and 5" longer than the 4lbs, 8 oz and 17"...

This week Ashton has been sleeping really well (when he sleeps well, so do we). He eats around 9pm and we put him in his crib. He then wakes about 3am to eat (6 hours later) which takes about 30-45 minutes... Following that he goes back to his crib from 3:30 ish to about 7:30 when we wakes again. This time he is generally not ready to get up and eat, but instead likes to sleep on Dad's pillow for another 45 mintues until about 8:15 when we both get up to eat. Of course, this schedule has really cut into my running schedule this week, but i tell you - i feel great having some sleep.

He completely holds his head up, can sit as long as you help him not fall over, likes to pull himself up when you hold his hands and if you really help him he attempts to stand. Overall - this boy is getting quite strong.

Despite what we see as great growth, whenever we take him out in public people are always shocked to hear that he is 3 months old. 9lbs 13 oz. Kids are born that size.... ouch.

Today he had his first set of shots. Cried while they stuck him with the needle, but otherwise handled it well.

First airplane trip is coming quickly - that should be an adventure for all of us.

Z

New Photos!

I know, it has been a while since I updated any photos or blog. I suppose adjusting to parentood while starting a business leaves little time. But those are just excuses...

Life is great. Ashton is an amazing little person, who every day makes each Amie and I smile. If you check out his website www.ashtonclark.net you will find updated photos that give a great highlight of our time post-hospital.

The past couple of months have been amazing. We have had many sleepless nights and all kinds of new experiences. We have had some of our best friends stay with us and get to spend a lot of time playing with and napping with our little boy. It is fun to watch everyone react to the little man. We took him to a party last weekend, where i walked onto a deck filled with strangers - all of whom (female) came over to goo over the boy - people love babies - and really love this little baby; he is just so damn cute!

Ashton is likely weighing in around 9 pounds today. He had a Doctor appt about three weeks ago, where he weighed 7lbs 14 ounces, but that was three weeks ago. He eats a ton - usually about 8x per day, and takes around 45 minutes to do so. (hence the sleepless nights).

So, check out the photos when you have time. If you click through the slideshow on his site you will find yourself at Google's Picasa site where you can download, share, order prints or whatever. I heard there is a way you could even upload and share your photos of Ashton back. If any of you know about this give me a call and teach me. It would be really cool as I know many of you have great pics to share.

I hope the summer is treating you all well. More later

Z

July 7

Ashton is doing great! home almost two weeks and we are slowly establishing routines. of course, just as we get used to something he throws a curve ball. the last two days he has been all about being held while sleeping. This makes it really difficult to cook etc, but i am sure we will adapt. He still does great at night and sleeps 3-5 hours between waking to eat.

Having a child is certainly a fun and very different experience. an example: Yesterday was our 7th wedding anniversary. As we had dinner on our deck with Ashtonn we were thinking about how different this anniversary was in comparison to all others. We have spent two anniversaries riding motorcycles accross the western US, Three on the beach in paradise, last year in Paris and now one at home. Surprisingly we were absolutely happy about being home and enjoying this perfect little boy. Amazing.

The pic above was taken today, and is in no way a message to you...

July 1

(Yes, Dad put gel in his hair...)

Today marks the first seven days at home! We came home from the hospital last thursday, and so far have had six relatively restfull nights of limited sleep....

Ashton typically eats around 11pm and crashes out until 2-3am, then up again at 630 or 7. This, of course, varies. One night he woke up 4x to eat which was tough.

He is still gaining weight like a champ! Yesterday we went to a non-hospital doctor for the first time where Ashton was weighed at 6lbs 5oz. that is 1/2 pound greater than his discharge weight. I dont think we will have any issues keeping this kid growing at this rate.

Over the course of the past week he has had a ton of visitors. Both of his great-grandparents (Amie's Grandfather, My grandmother) came to see him and instantly fell in love. Amie's family came to a BBQ on Sunday, Jessika and Alex, his cousins were very cute with him. Many of our friends, some more comfortable holding such a small baby than others, have been to visit, he has been to our favorite neighborhood breakfast spot, Cottonwood Cafe, where the waitresses cooed, and last night he met his cousin Madison, aunt Nichole and was adored by his Uncle Matt. There is certainly no lack of love in this Kid's life.

June 26, noonish

Having Ashton at home for almost 24 hours has been fantastic! and slighly surreal.

We had dinner on the deck with Ashton in my lap, he had a bath in our tub and a very thorough tour of the house... Ashton slept over 3 hours between feedings, but we found quickly that did not mean we did. he went to sleep at 10, we tried at midnight, to be awoken one hour later with him ready to eat at 1am. As he is used to light and noise we had some lights on and for awhile the television on to provide a more similar environment to what he is accustomed. Of course, as a result we had trouble sleeping with noise, and light, and concern... I am sure all three of us will get used to this soon. He ate again around 4, then again at 8. Inbetween feedings he made a lot of noise (bringing more concern). No problems, just little grunts here and there to which we had to inspect every movement or noise.

Today Ashton went to his first party. Our close friends Chiao-Ih and Mike are getting married this evening, and the mornign started the festivities with a Tea Ceremony honoring the families. Really cool ceremony - their respective families are seated on opposite ends of a large outside deck. Chiao-Ih's brother introduces Mike to her family at which point Mike offers them each tea, then Mike's sister introduces Chiao-Ih to Mike's entire family and offers them Tea. After the tea cups are collected, the families get up and walk accrosst he deck meet each other (presumably in some cases for the first time). Ashton had a great time sleeping through it all. Maybe he will be more awake for the next party...afterall he has only been out of the hospital for 3/4 a day.

Have a great Friday!

June 25, 230pm

Day 36 of Ashton's life, 2585 grams= 5lbs, 11oz. Five weeks and ten minutes ago Ashton was born. Today we are leaving the hospital and he is coming with us!
I am amazed at the overall level of care and quality of service that the U and the NICU specifically deliver. It is weird to say I will miss these people who have worked so hard and done so much to ensure Ashton had a great beginning. Today starts the new adventure for us all and a big step forward into his great life
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 24 - 3:00pm

Still on track to come home tomorrow!

Ultrasound results came back to show all is normal (other than the fact that Ashton has a large liver). The doctor ruled this as "normal for Ashton" meaning that he cannot find any reason to explain why he might have a liver larger than average other than "he does". We will watch it as he grows to ensure he has no other issues with processign food, drink, medicine etc, but today his liver is functioning completely normally. It just happens to be 20-30% larger than most kids his size. Maybe it is just evolution at work, and knowing how much his parents (and in some instances, Grandparents) have used their liver that he might need a bigger one...

He is eating like a champ and being a pretty normal newborn baby. I love that part!

Tomorrow he gets to see and experience the sun for the first time! And hear music outside the womb, and feel wind on his face and listen to it blow, and windchimes, his first car-ride.... the list goes on and on, but is certainly exciting.

June 24 9a

Day 34, 2455 grams up 10, approx 5lb 10oz. No apnea since last wednesday. Still targeting coming home tomorrow. Wow.

He will have an ultrasound on abdomen later today to rule out or determine any issues after the labs have not shown anything irregular.

Getting exciting!!


Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 23 630p

A sleepy boy today, but I think all is well.

Ashton has been very aggressive as he begins each feeding, and as a result of his eagerness to eat quickly is forgetting to breathe. Maybe a lot of babies do this, but he is on monitors so we know everything he does. They don't think it prevents him from staying on track to go home, but it frightens me a bit. Today is the first he has done this so we will see what tomorrow brings. I am thinking that maybe since he eats so much, then waits for five hours between meals that he is too hungry at the beginning of each meal so he eats fast to satisfy the hunger.

His belly is still huge and we have accepted that as normal for about ten days. His nurse the past two days had not seen it before and asked the docs for additional tests to check his abdomen because it was so uniquely large. As a result they are thinking his liver is large (apparently they can feel it with their hands??), but don't know what that might indicate. Today they performed a series of tests, all of which yielded normal results. They may do an ultrasound tomorrow just to be certain nothing odd is happening, additionally they are awaiting results of two other tests that would indicate infection, although he shows no other signs of infection.

So far we are still on track for coming home on Thursday. We shall see what the next 48 hours might bring.

Z
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 23, 8a

Day 33, 2545 grams = 5lbs 10oz, no apnea since wednesday.

I am getting some work done this morning while amie is at the hospital hoping to talk to the docs to verify their intent of sending Ashton home. In a couple of hours I will take the car seat to them so Ashton can take the car seat test - sitting there for an hour, strapped in with no other issues...

It seems we are getting close!

Z
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 22 5pm

Another good day for Ashton. 2295 grams = 5lbs 8oz. One full pound ahead of birth weight.

No apnea since Wednesday. The countdown continues :)

We gave him his second bath ever today and he again kicked around in the water. I think he will be a swimmer. Greg - lookout he is going to race you soon!

Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 21, 5pm

Day 31, to whom it applies Happy Fathers Day...

2445 grams is a decrease of 25 but I don't buy it. The nurse last night was going to re-weigh when I told her that it was a decrease but obviously did not. We will see what it says tonight. Likely an increase tonight.

One grade zero apnea last night but apparently it lasted only a few seconds. Perhaps just a monitor issue, who knows. Either way, one of our favorite nurses. Denise, told the doc that if they were going to start countdown over for that then the doc needed to call Amie to explain because she would not make the call. Short story: the count continues. We are at 100 hours into the seven days and are targeting coming home on Thursday.

While I type this ashton is sound asleep on my chest. What a great way to spend the afternoon.

Tonight Amie and I are going to see David Byrne at Red Butte and hoping the rain will stay away to enjoy a nice evening of music and friends under the stars.

Enjoy the rest of your sunday.

Z
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 20, 330p

We cleared the 72 hour mark which seemed to be the point of failure in previous countdown attempts.

He is eating well, sleeping in between and acting just like a newborn should.

All is well on another rainy Saturday.

Z

Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 19 - Evening

Ashton's dad was mistaken earlier when he said he is three weeks old, he is actually 4 weeks old today if you all can believe it. Yes - we have spent 4 weeks total in the hospital, watching him grow, delivering milk and wishing we could all go home and start to live some sort of normal family life.

He has still not had apnea since Wednesday - the countdown is on again and we are all in suspense as to how many days he can go this time. At earliest this means we could possibly go home next Thurday, pending no more episodes. We will see.....

Ashton had a nice visit with his grandma (Connie) today, she was glad to finally see him awake for a few minutes. He is still eating great and I am breastfeeding him at least twice daily. His little face seems to change everytime I see him as he gains weight in his cheeks and neck, he might even have dimples on both sides :)

Zack and I will most likely go back to the hospital again this evening since he has not been there today yet. He has been helping Chiao-ih and Mike with painting and other household projects as they prepare for company and their wedding next weekend. We are having dinner there tonight as we help them with folding and stamping the programs for the wedding.

-And for the record I would like everyone to know that I do not have deformed feet! The longer second toe has been associated in history with royalty, idealized in Greek and Roman sculpture, and the Statue of Liberty has toes of this proportion. Ha!
(someone also told me once that having a longer second toe makes you smarter, and I believe them)

More news later, keep in touch bloggers...

Love to all,
Amie

June 19, 11am

Today is day 29 of Life - Three weeks old today! 2430 Grams = 5lbs 6oz - yes that is a 2 ounce gain in 24 hours. What a big boy.

No apnea since Wednesday.

Keep smiling.

June 18, 530pm

Ashton has had another good day. He has eaten well, no apnea or other issues.

Amie spent the bulk of the day here with him, and I spent about half. It is amazing how much time goes by as we sit here holding him, playing and feeding.

We may or may not come back later tonight but will update if we do.

Z
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 18, 630am

Day 28, 2385 Grams = 5lbs 4ounces. This kid is growing fast! he is 3/4 pound heavier than at birth (a 17% weight gain in 3.5 weeks). No Apnea since yesterday around 1:30 pm.

We took prints of his feet a few days ago, thought you would enjoy... on screen is not actual size His right foot, from the longest 2nd toe (yes, he has mom's deformed feet..) to his heel is 2.845 inches.

Have a great day.

June 17, 630p

Weight from this morning was 2355 grams, just over 5lbs 3oz.

He continues to eat well, he hates the vitamins they give him 1x each day but still eats them. They smell terrible, I cannot imagine the taste.

No apnea since about 130 this afternoon.

It really is amazing how much he changes daily. His face looks different, eyes seem bigger and more alert. This is really cool to watch.

Hopefully we are home by july so everyone can visit.

Z
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

Baby Math...

Ok, so here is something to think about.

This morning Ashton ate 120ml of breastmilk.

120ml = 4oz

1 ounce of water = 1 ounce of dry weight (likely dirty river water in London, but water nonetheless)

so...breastmilk must weigh more than water, but let's use water as the basis of this discussion

this morning he ate 4 oz of weight

40z = 1/4 pound of food

he weighs just over 5 lbs

4 ounces = 5% of his body weight in one meal.

i weigh approx 175 pounds

5% of my body weight it would be 8.75 pounds of food. Which i could never, in my wildest dreams eat in one meal.

The things you think about while in the hospital...

June 17, 2p

And the countdown begins at zero.
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 17, 11am

Day 27, still no apnea since Sunday. I wont count the days, but the events....and we are at zero events... he ate 120ml at 4am, then again at 8 so it has been very difficult to be there with any frequency to feed him. his pattern is a bit unpredictable. This frustrates Amie considerably, as she wants him all to herself for feeding... soon, very soon. He gained weight, new # 23XX - we forgot what the nurse said this morning, but will verify and post later. I hate not knowing the number.

All is going well in hospitalville.

more later

Z

June 16 915pm

Amie and ashton are very cute together; I think she has held jim more hours than he has been in bed today which is truly good for them both.

No apnic spells since sunday, everything seems good here.

Today's nurse was a bit passive and seemingly uninvolved. Charlene only gave him 65ml of food at each feeding which is very odd. The small bottles hold that much so it is all she gave him. Cross her off the list of nurses that get to have the opportunity to care for Ashton.

No new weight yet, but if he wakes up in the next few we will weigh him. If not we are going home to bed and will get the weight via telephone tomorrow morning.

Z
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 16, 8am

Day 26, 2310 Grams which is just about 5lbs 2oz. Baby boy keeps growing daily! No apnea since Sunday afternoon. He ate about 6:30 this morning, so Amie will probably go to the hospital around 10 to feed him again. More to come then.

If you are in SLC enjoy the sunny morning! If you arent in SLC, enjoy your morning!

Z

June 15, 7p

No Apnea all day, he did not want to wake for lunch at 11 but ate like a champ at four when I gave him a bottle.

All is good today. When apnea stops we come home :)

Z

Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 15, noon

Day 25, 2285 grams, up 5 grams. No apnea since yesterday afternoon. If he makes it past midnight I think they call that day 1.

All else is well here. He is eating and sleeping just like a newborn should. If we can cure Apnea he can go home.
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 14

Day 24 in the NICU, day zero on the apnea countdown. 2 episodes of apnea in the past twelve hours. 2280 grams is just under 5lbs 1oz (2296).

He has eaten really well all weekend. Last night they finally cut him off after 110ml of milk (nearly 4oz) in one short feeding.

The NP Lisa called him a perfect baby-boy that just needs to grow out of apnea.

We just gave Ashton his first bath and he loved it! He was very happy in the water and is now sleeping - full belly, warm bath and he is set.

Today Amie and I spent some time at our favorite store, babiesrus, returning a couple duplicate items and I think coming close to finishing the necessary items. Slowly it is all coming together; we just need Ashton to cooperate.

Enjoy the rest of your sunday.

Z

Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 13 6pm

Ashton has had a great day at the hospital. He has eaten well, no apnea or any issues.

I just held him for about an hour, I cannot believe amie let me get away with that...

Now he is waking to eat.

Amie had a great time this afternoon at her baby shower. Michelle, Beth and Jordan worked extremely hard to put on a great party. After all the showers it is quite amazing to look at the amazing generosity and loving friends and family we have. Thank you all for your continued love and support.

Meanwhile jerry and I took a ride in his convertible, too bad we have Seattle like weather and had to put the top up to come home.

I hope you have a great Saturday night that turns into a relaxing sunday morning.

Z

Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 13, 1030

I think I might have caught up on sleep. Woke at 10am and failed to care for the boy this morning. I guess we can catch up when we can as he will be keeping us awake soon enough...

Day 23 of life, 2265 grams = 5lbs, day 2 of no apnea - it has been 48 hours with no episodes.

He continues to eat like a champ. I will post some pictures later to show you how big his belly gets.

Have a great saturday! Keep holding your breath as it seems to be working!

Z
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 12 6pm

This kid is so damn cute! Right now he is wide awake and talking up a storm.

This morning I fed him 90ml of food, then he slept for almost five hours. Amie got here around 4 and gave him another 70-80ml, and now he is acting like he wants more! The great part about eating big and sleeping longer is that when he comes home we would greatly prefer that schedule to getting up every 3 hours to eat. I think they are training him well.

No apnea since around 8am yesterday. Hold your breath!

No other changes, all is well from here.

Have a great weekend

Z
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 12, 1030am

Day 22 of life, day 1 without apnea

2215 grams = 4lbs, 14oz

Ashton ate a huge amount of food overnight and is sleeping the morning away. I am trying to wake him so I can feed him around 11 while Amie goes to work for a while.

No other updates.

Enjoy your friday!
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 11, 630pm

Uneventful day at the hospital; no real changes from this morning.

Ashton has eaten really well at both noon and 330.

No additional apnea since early this morning. I am holding my breath that he won't hold his.

Amie is convinced he has a dimple on his left cheek, but I have yet to verify. We will continue staring at him and trying to get him to smile so we can check it out and determine with 100% certainty.

Tonight is wedding wine tasting with Chiao-ih and Mike and a night off from hospital. I hope we can help them pick the perfect wine to serve at the wedding.

Enjoy your night. The story continues tomorrow

Z
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 11, 11am

Day 21 of ashton's life, day zero on the apnea countdown. We will see day 28 in the NICU.

Ashton received his first mail this week. His social security card arrived.
He ate less during the night than other nights but continues to gain weight. 2200 grams = 4lbs 13.6oz. Anyone want to set up a side bet of on what day he breaks 5lbs?

Overall things are good, but the same here. I think we are tiring of it all.

The house is pretty much ready. I finished painting and cleaned up the mess, the carpets are cleaned. His room is pretty organized and coming together well. It is amazing how much stuff a baby brings into the house!

More this afternoon

Z


Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 10, 6pm

Today is day zero. I hope you didn't get your hopes up that it could be day one...

He ate well most of the day; was a bit sleepy at three and ate less than normal, but still ate well. We are hoping he wakes now so we can feed him before shift change when they kick us out in 45 minutes.

He is beautiful, yet premature. With time he will grow out of his apnea and come home.

We'll be back in the morning and will report then

Z

Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 10, 9am

Today is day 20 of Ashton's life, he weighed 2165 grams last night which translated means about 4lbs 12.5oz up 4.5oz from birth.

No A's&B's since yesterday so I don't want to say today is day one of seven but you can interpret how you like since yesterday was day zero.

He ate like a champ last night, he has pretty much doubled his intake the past two days over the previous two.

Everyone here says he is ahead of the pack and that he is in great shape. We are quite lucky.

We'll keep holding our breath that he stops holding his

Z

Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 9, 7p

Ashton ate well at 2pm by bottle and then the nurse called me at my desk at 5:15pm to say he was awake and ready to eat again. So I rushed down to breastfeed him and he only ate for a few minutes and then quickly returned to his sleepytime state. The whole eating when ever he wants is a little frustrating for breastfeeding because I cannot predict his schedule for eating and it is making it almost impossible to get any work done. I may have to start my maternity leave next week so I can try and breastfeed at least a couple times a day.

He did get to visit with his grammy (my mom - connie) tonight even though he was sleepy and she was excited to get to hold him for the first time.

He had 1 episode of apnea midday today so we are all still held hostage by these premie actions of not breathing. One day they will disappear never to return and that will be a happy day for all.

No other issues to report for now, we expect him to have a great night with his favorite nurse - kelly.
More updates tomorrow.....

Love to all of you following this blog,
Amie
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 9, 10am

2125 grams, up just 5. 2126=4lbs, 11oz

Last night kelly moved him from 3 hour regulated feedings to 'ad lib' which means he can eat whenever he wants and as much as he wants. So, little piglet ate every four hours, and doubled his intake. His regulated feedings were 40ml, last night he had 75ml in middle of night, and 80 this morning at 6. I see weight gain in his future.

Galina, his NP came by and reiterated that Ashton is ahead of the curve on everything but apnea. Today is day 0 on the 7 day countdown. One apnic episode last night. His sentence to this place is at this point based solely on apnea. If he can learn to breathe consistently he can come home.

Amie will feed him around 10 today (if and when he wakes) and again this afternoon.

All seems to be progressing well here.

Z
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 8 630pm

all is still well at the hospital.

Ashton just ate his 5pm from bottle, and I helped. That is my first time feeding him. Pretty cool.

His temp continues to be holding.

No A's&B's since night shift.

No other updates to speak of.

We are coming back for his first feeding tomorrow, more then

Z

Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

6/8 - morning

He had a good night last night, no major issues and still gaining weight. He did have a few bouts of apnea overnight but all grade 0 requiring no intervention.

Ashton was too sleepy to breastfeed at 11:00am, will try again at 2pm and see if he will be more alert. It seems that about once per day he is just too crashed out to want anything to do with eating and the rest of the time he does great.

He is still in the crib dressed and swaddled, doing OK as far as his temperature goes. It seems we are in a holding pattern until the apnea stops, no other changes have been made in his plan of care. They will proceed with letting him eat on his own schedule as soon as he no longer sleeps through any of his feedings for at least 24 hours.

The nurse today was talking about him and said he is definitely in the Advanced Placement class of kids for how well he is doing, especially since he just turned 35 weeks gestation today and is still very young. Most kids his "age" are not able to breastfeed at all and rarely take bottles, so he is ahead of the game and I am sure he will continue to be.

As usual - more news later.....

Amie

June 7, 7pm

Ashton has had a great day. No A's&B's since last night, all meals by bottle or breast and seems to be doing ok with his temperature. He is dressed with a blanket and hat, but he is definitely progressing in that dept.

He met his nana today, and I think if she didn't love him before, certainly does now.

Amie and I both have early meetings in the morning so will update again around noon tomorrow.

Z
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 7th-morning

Ashton was wide awake when his mom and yia yia got to the hospital around 11 am today. He was put into an open crib during the night and remains dressed and swaddled in a blanket to keep warm. So far so good on being able to hold his temperature on his own.

Last night he really showed us what a big boy he is because his weight is all the way up to 2105 grams (almost 4lbs 11oz).

He is still having a few apnea episodes per day but none in the last 24 hours that required intervention by the nurses.

He will be meeting his nana (patricia-zacks mom) today for the first time.
More news later....


Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 6, evening

Amie and her parents spent some time with a very sleepy Ashton tonight. They had to give his 5pm meal through the fortunately placed nose tube as the boy wouldn't wake enough to eat. I guess the premie in him is showing...

His temp seems to be starting to regulate. They have turned him down to 29.9 which is just over 80 degrees and he seems to be holding his own. They will continue to turn it down through the nigh with hopes of pushing him to room temp quickly.

No A's&B's since this morning. Maybe we have started the 7 day countdown (I probably should not have just written that...)

I hope whatever fun and revelry you find saturday night yields a mellow and super sunday morning.

Z

Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 6, noon (ish)

Ashton is awake and happy today. He lost 20 grams from yesterday, new weight 2020 grams. (Slightly greater than 4lbs 7oz for the metrically challenged) They are concerned w/ weight loss at this point and are hypothesizing that as he is trying to maintain temperature he is burning too much energy.

Last night's nurse put the damn tube back in his nose, but he (of course) woke up and ate the entire bottle so the tube was never used. I think the nurses like to keep it in because if it gets busy or they are lazy they can feed via tube instead of holding the child for 15 minutes to bottle feed.

3-4 A's&B's last night, two today so far. The seven-day countdown starts ______.

Have a great saturday!

Z
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 5, 530pm

Ashton ate every meal today. What a champ. We got here around 430 and he had pulled the tube out of his nose. Good for him - a declaration that he was ready to eat 100% on his own. Lazy nurses shouldn't have an excuse anymore!

3 A's&B's today. Maybe those were the last and we can start the seven-day countdown.

Temp turned down on his bed, and his body temp is warmer than normal. Hopefully we can keep turning down the temp while he maintains on his own. Room temp here we come...

We're headed to Jessika's grad dinner and then to an early bed. We are beat.

More tomorrow mid-day or afternoon

Z
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 5, 9 am

2040 grams, up 40 from yesterday. 40 grams = approx 1.4 ounces. Let's call 2040 grams 4lbs 8oz. Ashton is back at birth weight.

The nurse last night gave one feeding by tube, the other 7 of the day were by mouth. In report she said he was 'too tired'. I really question that. In the past three days he has eaten all but three meals, and the other two were because of busy nurses. I think I will ask them to pull the tube today to lose that excuse.

They turned down his air temp slightly and he is doing well so far. I think they will continue to slowly turn it down to room temp to see how he adapts.

Three A's&B's, maybe four. Does not seem any worse without the nasal canula. The doc said this morning that most kids stop 100% by 36 weeks, which would be one more week for Ashton. I hope he finishes ahead of that as he has to stay 7 days after the last episode.

Enjoy your Friday!


Z

Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 4, 6pm

Overall a good day for Ashton.

He has been a great eater - 100% by mouth. Likely they will pull the feeding tube soon. It has been used 1x in past 48 hours.

3 A's&B's on the day shift which is as many he had all day yesterday. Maybe the flow of room air was making a difference? We'll see. Any minute now he should have his last one and never have one again.

Tonight Amie and I are going to baby CPR and baby discharge class tonight. That way the only thing keeping here him, is him!

Have a great night

Z
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 4, 9am

2000 grams = 4lbs 6.5oz. Only 1.5oz below birth weight

One feeding in middle of last night by nose due to nurse being stretched too thin and too busy to feed him.

3 A's&B's in past 24. They are going to remove his nasal canula today that is pushing extra room air in because it seems like he is going to have 2-3 per day regardless so he might as well not have the tubes on his face. That will certainly make better photos.

If he keeps eating this way they will remove that tube too which leaves him just with the monitors on his chest that track temp, respiration and heart rate.

In total we are amazed at how well he is doing and although tired and overwhelmed by the past 16 days of being in the hospital (today is day 14 of Ashton's life) we couldn't be happier that he is healthy and progressing quickly.

It is amazing that Ashton has been here two weeks. Time sure flies... Tomorrow is his cousin Jessika's high school graduation. I was thinking this morning about the first summer I met Jessika and how her hair would get tangled as we drove in my open air jeep, she was three or four, now she is graduating high school, moving out of state and headed off to an entirely new adventure in life. I feel like that was about 10 minutes ago... Before I know it Ashton will be______. I guess the possibilities are endless.

Enjoy today.

Z
.
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 3, 6:30pm

24 hours, 8 feedings, 7.5 of which taken through his mouth, .5 taken through his nose.

Two A's&B's today. Damn!

They tried to turn off the heat and put him just at room temp, but no go. At this point he is more reptile than mammal and cannot control his body temp to the environment, instead needs the environment controlled to him.

Apparently kids his age (just over 34 weeks) don't eat and breathe as Ashton is. We are very lucky. Most kids his age have temp issues and apnea issues. He is very normal in that regard.

We will try again tomorrow to make a mammal of him, give him some time to stop the apnea and keep increasing his eating skills.


Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 3 9am

Our big boy weighed. 1980 grams or 4lbs 6oz last night

Through the night, our new favorite nurse (kelly) gave him every meal by bottle, and he then did a great job eating from mom this morning. In the past 24 hours, of his 8 feedings only two have been by nose tube. We may get to 100% bottle and breast by 6pm today. Wow. How quickly things change with an attentive nurse. 48 hours of eating on your own is a license to go home...

He has had about one A&B each shift the last few days. Each time starting his 7 day clock over for going home. Last one was in the middle of the night.

They are still giving him a heated bed, but will keep trying to dress him up to see if he stays warm.

Progress every day.
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 2, 630pm

Ashton seems good. I got here just after 5 and he was wide awake. We talked and smiled...

His inefficient nurse got him off schedule so when Amie came to feed him @ 530 he still had nearly 1/2 of his last meal in his belly. We waited until about 615 and he still had about 8% and at that point there wasn't time to feed him by breast or bottle because he has to be in bed @ shift change at 645. Aargh. Her inefficiency combined with the fact that her other two patients are super needy (ashton is easy!) Screwed up his schedule to a point that he had his feeding by nose tube instead of a developmental feeding. Can you tell I am frustrated?

Earlier today we fed him by bottle; he did really well. I think he will totally transition to breast and bottle feedings this week. Today he has had every-other feeding on his own, and the alternate by nose. Tomorrow we will try to have the majority be breast or bottle.

He still has a hard time keeping his temp up so they are warming him while he sleeps. Every couple of nights they will try to open his bed to non-heated air, get him dressed and see if he can maintain a constant temperature.

The doctor's comment this morning: "he is in great shape, a little time and he should be set..". (He didn't know I was there listening and he made that comment to a nurse.). Gives me hope.

I added a couple new pics to the website, the software seems to not sort by date but instead filename, so june photos (one of them so far) are in the middle somewhere.

More tomorrow

Z

Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

6/2 945am

Ashton's getting big (bigger). He is up to just over 4lbs 5oz.

His hair seems lighter than it was at birth - maybe it is just cleaner?

In the past 24 he has had two A's&B's which means he will be here next Tuesday with certainty.

He is eating 2-4x per day direct from Amie and seems to now be getting a full feeding each time. Maybe the bottle tomorrow.

I don't like today's nurse.

Z

Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

June 1 6pm

Happy Monday, welcome to june.

Amie spent the bulk of the day @ hospital with Ashton and had a great time. He has been pretty sleepy, but pretty healthy and cute.

He seems to be doing well with breast feeding. Talking with the NP we will start mid-week giving him a bottle if he is awake at feeding time. If he is asleep they will just feed through the tube in his nose.

No A's&B's in the past 24

He is slowly growing and progressing.

I think we should be excited and grateful for where he is and the seemingly short list of challenges standing in front of us coming home.

We ordered his birth certificate today, I guess I should check into passport requirements so he can make his first trip! (Not yet scheduled) maybe Belize in the spring for a scuba adventure...


Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

5/31 6pm

What a boy. I stole Ashton from mom while she prepped to give him his second full breast meal today. It is always amazing to just hold him.

At 11a and now at 530pm he is eating 100% from mom. A great step forward. Between meals he shows signs of being hungry which is very important.

After almost 48 hours of no A's&B's he has had two today. The seven day clock starts over every time. So, I can safely say we will still be here next Sunday.

today his yaiyai Michelle got to hold him for the first time, which I think made them both smile (and maybe one of them cry...)

I spent the day trying to finish what seems like the longest painting project in history. A few more hours and I can call that project complete and can help finish organizing Ashton's world in prep for his homecoming.

Overall things are well.

We'll talk with the NP in the morning to figure out the next steps to development and what he may need next, hopefully at that point we will have a better idea of time frame. Living at the hospital is being tough on us all. Some time this week we will start him on a bottle between Amie's feedings. Hopefully we can do away with the tube feedings within a few days.

Amie's very tentative plan is to work this week; saving her leave time for when Ashton comes home, although dependent upon his feeding schedule it may make more sense for her to reside in the NICU with Ashton. He begins each meal 3 hours apart and takes 30-45 minutes to eat which doesn't leave much time for non-eating. We'll see....

Sunday night finds Amie and I at the opening night of Red Butte Gardens summer concert series w/ Neko Case performing. Next summer expect to see Ashton dancing in the aisles at the Red Butte shows.

I hope you have all had a great weekend. Thanks for reading and being interested and concerned about our little boy. I can't wait for you to meet him.

Z
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

5/30 6pm

Ashton continues to do well. No A's&B's all day! Is eating well and looks great.

We got here about 5pm and he woke up and started to smile at us and make all sorts of very funny faces. They had him in a blue hat that looked very cute. This kid is super mellow, expressive and cute as can be! I know, I am biased, but really I know you will agree once you meet him!

Prefeeding weight 1994 grams, post feeding weight 1998 grams. 4grams = roughly 10% of his meal, so this one only counts as an appetizer.

He is slightly over 2oz below birth weight and gaining about one ounce each day.

He was very happy to meet his aunt Peggy and uncle Scott this afternoon. (And I think they liked him too.

We're taking the rest of the night off, more tomorrow

Z
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

5/30 1230pm

A beautiful saturday.

Ashton is doing well. Pre-eating weight (with all tubes, diaper etc) =1990 grams, post feeding = 1996 , a gain of6 Grams or an estimated 1/2 of a normal feeding.

Bilirubin to 8 ish, down from 11.1 yesterday. Phototherapy suspended hopefully forever.

He is very awake this morning and was happy to see his new friends Katie and Dave. I really think he is smiling at us even though 'they' say babies don't smile.... I will put some new pics on the website later.
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

5/29 530 pm

All you can eat sushi scares me, all the breast milk a baby can consume is a good thing!

Ashton had probably 2x his standard food quantity this afternoon direct from mom. He just kept eating and eating. They say one of the hardest skills for these kids to acquire is breathing, sucking and swallowing at the same time and in rhythm. It appears at 6 days, 22 hours old our little man figured it out. Of course, he now slept all afternoon in a "food coma" but everyone is celebrating this huge milestone. At 3pm he had a slightly smaller meal, as he was still full from lunch. We'll see what he does at 6:00.

Since 7am two A's&B's which they still assure me is normal and that he will grow out of it. The good news in terms of development time "growing out of". Could mean hours or days as they are still developing so fast at 34 weeks (out of the typical 40 week pregnancy).

Bilirubin was 11.1 at this morning's lab draw ( a pin-prick to his heel) down from 13.0 yesterday morning. If tomorrow morning is under 10 they will hopefully take away his spotlights for good.

Amie and I have scheduled a discharge baby CPR class for next week in hopes that he is waiting on us, but let's not get too optimistic or hopeful here.

Happy Friday! I hope your weekend is great!

Z

Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

5/29 930am

Ashton and dad are alike - mornings are tough some times... He woke up briefly but not enough to eat much. The good news is he seems to understand the concept of breast feeding, but not enough to get a full meal.


He is super happy when he does wake, and seems to be smiling at us. Very cool!

One A&B this morning but apparently none last night.

More this afternoon

Z

Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

5/28 930pm

Day 2 of weight gain! 1890 grams = 4lbs 3oz, just 1oz under birth weight.

Bili-lights have been on since this morning, hopefully tomorrow they go away again. At most I would guess a day or two

IV went bad again, (six in as many days) and they decided he was big enough to not put a new one in. That is a big win as you can't go home with an IV.

No A's&B's on the night shift yet. Hopefully it stays that way.

Feeding went well; even better than last night. 830 seems to be his awake and alert time. He looks around and is very inquisitive in his expression. He had a full appetizer from Amie, followed by the main course via his tube.

During the day today Amie started organizing clothes by size and age. Amazing how much 'stuff' a kid has! We are trying to get ready for him to come home and making great strides. We will be ready before he is...

Goodnight moon...
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

5/28 1pm

Ashton continues to do well.

Bilirubin is up again (not surprising) so they will start the lights again today, although his skin still looks really good. He has a different NP today, maybe this one is more conservative and cautionary.

Feedings will increase volume for the afternoon.

Two A's&B's today, and two overnight. More than we want, but not too bad.

He is on his 6th IV as he keeps pulling on them. This one is back in his head. Hopefully tonight or tomorrow the pull the IV for good.

Z



Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

5/27 9pm

We're gaining weight!

1870 grams = 4lbs 2oz, up 30 grams or 1/2oz from last night

Ashton had a light dinner direct from his mother followed by the main course from the tube. They don't expect much for a kid his age - next week they might expect more but today he is beating expectations.

It's funny; he was sleepy at noon and didn't really want to feed, now that night is approaching he is awake and ready to play. Sounds like his father.

Bili-lights have been off all day and his skin color still looks good. They draw labs each morning so we should here an actual value then, but based on our limited observed evidence the levels are coming down.

He has had a few A's&B's throughout the day which they keep saying is normal, but really I hate to hear about and still concern me. Breathing is just so important!

A good, hopeful night.

Z

Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

5/27 1pm

It was great to get Ashton out of the incubator for a while. He pretty much slepth through lunch but was very content being with his mother.

A couple of A's&B's this morning, which I hate to hear about. Apparently they were minor and he caught himself.

We will keep trying to get him out and held several times each day with hopes that he starts eating more from mom than tube. At that point they will intro a bottle for feedings where mom isn't at hospital - like 3am... It will probably take a week or so for him to develop that instinct and skill.


Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

5/27 10 am

Ashton looks great today.

He slept well, has been feeding and is currently asleep.

They increased food volume to 25ml per 3 hours and at 1130 today we (amie) will try to give him his first non-tube meal!! A key to going home is to eat naturally. Let the education begin

Bilirubin down slightly and we turned the lights off. As long as it keeps going down they will stay off

Weight still going down, but last nights nurse forgot to write it down so we don't know a number, just that it is still lower than yesterday

He still has room air being slowly blown into his nose and still no A's&B's in over 36 hours. I guess they will keep the air for a few days just in case.

All in all we are very hopeful and excited this morning.

More after his first real feeding

Z&A
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

5/26 7pm

A long day at the hospital... But in a good way.

Amie and I came to the hospital about 830 and are now on our way out in search of mexican food.

Ashton had a great day.

He was visited by our great friends Chiao-ih and Cori and is yai-yai (grandmother in greek, michelle).

No A's&B's since 7pm yesterday!! Breathing is good. If it stays this way, and we expect it to.

Ate well and digested in full each time. Diapers being well used as a result of all the food. Tomorrow food goes up again and he will start feeding directly from the source instead of always using the feeding tube.

They weigh him at night so unsure about any loss or gain yet today.

Bilirubin checked this am was 10.3, up from yesterday's 9.7 so the lights stay on.

We will be back in the morning for more...

Cheers!

Z&A
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

5/26 10am

Sounds like Ashton had a great night.

No A's&B's since 7pm yesterday. They have a small amount of room air through a tube in his nose to remind him not to stop breathing that seems to be working. Rule #1 to going home is 7 days without A's&B's.

Feeding is great. Starting with the 9am meal we just gave he was increased to 20ml per feeding, up from 5ml on Saturday. He continues to fully digest each meal prior to the next.

Bilirubin still high, they don't have an updated value yet, but he still has two spotlights. It's like he is already on stage...

No new weight, hopefully it is increasing.

More this afternoon
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

5/25 10:15 pm

Damn, I want this kid to come home. He looks so perfect and content...

They increased his food to 15ml per 3 hours. 3x what it was the first day.

He is maintaining temp well. I guess he gets some heat from the bili-lights, but they have had to open his incubator because he gets too hot.

The nurse was talking tonight about moving him to a crib in a few days provided he can get out from under the lights.

His weight has dropped to 4lbs 2oz, but that is normal. With increased food intake hopefully that number starts increasing tomorrow.

No other changes or updates. Back tomorrow morning for more.


Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

5/25 1:00 pm

We decided to get some rest and missed the 9am feeding, instead slept until 8, I took a run and we had a slow morning at home.

Ashton is doing well. Last night they had to move his iv to his head, as he keeps pulling or biting on IV in his hands (one has failed in each hand). I hate looking at the IV in his head, and am grateful the put it in while I was not in the building.

He still has the occasional apnea which in turn decreases his heart-rate. He seems to be catching himelf and remembers that breathing feels good and should be continued. I keep telling him that in scuba diving the first rule is to never stop breathing and the same goes for life in and out of the ICU - never stop breathing. Apparently caffeine helps you remember to breathe (have you ever seen a non-breathing barista @ starbucks) they may add caffeine to help if it keeps up today. Hopefully not; caffeine started means a minimum of 2 weeks here. He has had 4 total episodes since 7am today, less than the 15 he had in the previous 24 hours. A rule for getting out of here is 7 days without having A's&B's

Eating is still good. 10ml every 3 hours. The NP says they will increase it today. So far production exceeds consumption and we have inventory.

They still have him on an iv that has TPN, a nutrition product as well as liquids that help with bilirubin.

Bilirubin level this morning are unchanged from yesterday so he remains under the phototherapy lights to work on that situation.

The thought is that with the IV liquids, the lights combined with eating more should bring those levels down.

When he has normal bilirubin and if he continues to allow increased feeding then he can move from incubator to crib, but he needs to be off the lights and IV first.

Amie was able to hold him and 'practice' feed for a while at the noon feeding which is really cool. He is very comfortable in Amie's arms.

We are very happy that to date there has been no bad news or issues and that all problems Ashton is going through are minor and 'normal'. We can only hope that it continues this way. There are so many kids here smaller and sicker than Ashton; we are tremendously lucky.

We will come back tonight for his 9pm feeding and will try to update then.

Enjoy your holiday Monday.
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

5/24 930 pm

The 9pm feeding went great, ashton was out of the lights for about 30 minutes. We are trying to keep him in as much as possible as he is quite red in color. He loves to be in his mother's arms. During the feeding he was very alert and was staring at the two of us as we talked to him. Very cool.

He has eaten consistently all day and seems to be digesting nearly 100% of the previous meal each time.

Ashton weighs 4lbs 4oz, same as yesterday, but 4oz less than birth-weight.

All is well from here, surely the story continues (and improves) tomorrow.
Zack Clark
Mobile-801.244.4849

5/24 330pm

So far a great Sunday;  we had a lovely brunch with Shauna, and made it home from the hospital a few minutes ago.  I am trying to get Amie to rest, but so far it isn’t working.

 

Amie just spoke with Ashton’s Nurse to get an update:

 

They decided against the caffeine as they think a cause for the A&B’s is the high biliruben.  I guess it makes them irritable and tired, which causes the other.  They have added a 2^nd light to help decrease biliruben and asked that we leave him under the lights for a while.  It is hard to stay away, but we are going to let them.   We will go back and try to feed around 9pm.

 

His food portion was increased to 10 ml from 5, which is a good sign.

 

More to come later

 

 

 

 

Day 2

Sunday morning finds us back at the hospital. Amie slept here last night, and surely did not get the most restful sleep possible. I slept at home, took a long run this morning and met Amie at the hospital around 8:30 so we could feed Ashton his 9am meal.

They are letting us take him out of his bed and feed him / hold him two times each day which of course to us does not seem like enough, but I suppose the experts know what they are talking about.

Last night we fed him at 9pm and he did really well. I think this kid is going to be a great eater once as he is practicing quite well. They give him the bulk of his food through the tube in his nose every three hours, but it definitely is a great experience for us to have him out and practice feeding twice a day.

This morning he was too tired to eat because they had changed out his IV which really made him mad. Too much crying makes a baby tired. Amie did get to hold him for about 20 minutes after I changed his diaper.

The doctors will see him later today, but all indications are that he is doing well. Still having the "A&B's" every few hours; they may give him caffeine today to help stimulate him to not forget to breathe. Amie is drinking a latte from Starbucks to see if that helps too... or she just wanted a latte.

Amie will be discharged from hospital later today and is really looking forward to getting home, but not leaving Ashton behind. We will likely feed him again at 3pm, then go home for a few hours.

I hope you are enjoying a beautiful Sunday morning, and recovering from whatever transpired Saturday night...

Z

First full day

27 hours into life, and things are looking good.

Amie spent last night in the hospital, and will do the same tonight. She is recovering well and has slightly caught up on her rest. I think another night of quality hospital sleep will do her well. Tomorrow she will come home.

The nameless boy now has one: Ashton Jeffrey Clark. We told him his name earlier today but he did not seem to care.

Ashton moved from room 1 to room 2 in the NICU, kind of a graduation from 1:1 patient care to 3:1 patient care. He did not love the move and the stress of being messed with during that process. He cried so hard that when he stopped and calmed down he also forgot to keep breathing, which caused his heart rate to slow. They call it "A &B's" which means Apnea and bradycardia which means low heart rate and stopped breathing. Apparently this is relatively common with kids this size. He still breaths only room air, and recovers well as this has happened 3-4 times since moving. Some babies need to be reminded to breath. So far he reminds himself that it doesnt feel good to not breath and therefore starts breathing again.

Around 1pm today he had his first 5ml of breast milk. Baby's first meal. Now he is on a 3 hour interval feeding schedule starting at 3pm. They are feeding him through a small tube in his nose, but 2x per day Amie is going to the NICU to practice what natural, non-tube feeding would be like. He instinctally knew just what to do. I think with a couple of practices he will be feeding on his own, which is a HUGE step in being able to gain weight and come home.

Visiting here is tough. They restrict to only 2 people, one of which always has to be the parents and asked us to keep visitors to a minimum. Not sure how that is going to work when there are so many people who are dying to see this kid. When he comes home we hope all of you will come visit. For now we will update this blog a couple of times per day to hopefully give you the answers to all that you are looking for.

If i can figure out the technology it will auto post to his website: http://www.ashtonclark.net

If i dont figure it out, and any of you reading this are more of a geek than i, please help.

It's a Boy!

After a very challenging few days it seems all is well.

Ashton was born at 2:20 this afternoon weighing in at 4lbs 8 oz, 17” long

Amie went into active labor – the kind you see on TV – the pushing, sweating etc about 12:30pm and I can tell you she worked very hard to bring this little boy out to play…

Amie is in her room at the hospital, has eaten dinner and looks like she is ready to crash for the night. She feels good and seems very happy. Amie will likely stay in the hospital until Sunday afternoon.

He is in the NICU and doing well. There are a few concerns w/ babies born this early. Chief among them: Breathing and Eating. Immediately from birth he was breathing “room air” meaning that he needed no assistance to do so. A great sign. He will try his first meal tomorrow. I guess the stomach of a baby is smaller than a marble, so it wont be much of a meal, but a true indicator. I have asked a dozen NICU nurses, NP’s and Dr’s about how long he will be there, they all give me the same standard line, but the story goes that when he is over 5lbs, and breaths and eats on his own, he can go home. They always say that the standard is to stay until due date – hopefully he can figure a few things out earlier than that.

Amie and I can visit him basically 24 hrs a day, and will likely see him multiple times each day. As we visit and have updates to him we will likely blog about it and will provide you that info so you can keep up with his development at your leisure.

Thanks for all the kind words, thoughts, prayers and love that you have always shown to Amie and I, and will surely be shown to our son.