Slow and Steady, Steady and Slow

We're slowly but surely moving to the part in this first chapter of Dade's story where no news is good news, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to update! Dade has made some slow forward progress this week, and some other little changes are coming down the pipe. The swelling of his head continued to decrease, and we think his noggin is finally back to normal! While an ultrasound hasn't been done to formally check it out, the decreased swelling means that the blood clot we talked about a week or so ago is resolving itself!  Besides that, here are some other baby steps (ha!) that the little guy has made this past week:

• His feedings increased to 16cc (just over 1/2 oz.; 1 oz. = 30cc) every 4 hours.  Dr. Anderson has started to increase his feedings more frequently.  Dade has been sucking his ET tube in between feedings, so Dr. Anderson gave him what he was asking for!
• Dade's blood gasses have continued to be good, so his ventilator settings have come down.  While we still have a long road until he's done with it completely, it's great to see him making progress!
• His second and final chest tube was removed on Wednesday, 9/3.
• As we mentioned in a previous post, Dade also started Baby Betty Ford on Wednesday and is weaning from his pain and sedative medications.  Both are narcotics, so since he's been on those meds literally since the day he was born, he's become chemically addicted to them.  He gets a dose of methadone every 12 hours to help with the withdrawal symptoms.  He's been having a little fit when it gets close to dose time, but he was able to calm down and sleep through it today thanks to some help from his Mama :).  He's being weaned from his pain medication first, and the sedative will be next.
• He's wearing a onesie for the first time today!  I really thought it was a different baby when Tara sent me a picture!

Exhibit A: Newly Discovered Species Notnekkedus Infantus

All great stuff!  Another huge thing from this week was during a conversation with Dr. Anderson.  One of the things I like most about Doc Anderson is that he doesn't blow sunshine up your nose and has been very conservative and cautiously optimistic in his opinions of Dade's prognosis as we've moved from step to step.  Dade's nurses who I know are reading this know exactly what I'm talking about!  That said, he'd never say something to us that gave us false hope or made us think that Dade is doing better than he actually is, but he used the phrase, "when you take him home."  This is a very, very, big deal, and something that we have thanked God for each day since we've heard it.  While we haven't overtly pointed it out in these posts, it has been our reality until now that there was a very real, roughly 50/50 chance that Dade might not go home with us.  Don't get me wrong; Tara and I both have had a peace about this from the get-go, but we're ecstatic to hear Dade's doctor say it out loud!  We have a long way to go, and I expect some bumps going down the road - some bigger than others.  No matter how long it takes or what we have to do to get there, we are proud for every step that gets us to the end result...home!

Speaking of Dade's nurses, I want to take just a second to say a forever-inadequate "thank you" to them for not only being so professional, knowledgeable, and patient in caring for Dade (and us too!), but for loving Dade like family.  We cannot say enough good about the care he receives day in and day out.  He's garnered quite the little fan club in the NICU and has been given a few nicknames like "305" (Dade Co., FL area code), and Dadelebug (like doodlebug, but with a Dade).  I won't try to name everyone here because I'll inevitably leave someone out, but suffice it to say that it's a great feeling leaving him with family each night!  I believe that working in a NICU like these folks do is a calling.  It's a genuine pleasure to be able to work with people like them who are built for what they're doing!

I'd say "that's it," but Dade has had a big week!  We're hoping by the end of this week that we'll get to finally hold him!  I'm not sure I'll be able to put him back in his bed.

In closing, we have a little PSA we need to share with everyone.  I'm back at school as of today, and Tara will be back at work next week.  If you want to come by the hospital, please make sure you check with one of us first.  Otherwise, we can't guarantee we'll be here, and no one can come see him without us!

We love you all!