Arms are finally free!

Hendrix got to have his IV removed this morning!  He has managed to get his feeding levels up to accepting 35 mls at one time. At his early morning feeding he seemed to be rooting around still hungry after that so we even tried letting him nurse a little bit.  He did latch on and seemed interested in it, but it really tired him out.  We know that he was getting some, because we could see some excess running down his chin.  While his nourishment will primarily come from the bottle for now, we will continue to let him try the breast so he can get the hang of it.  :)

Look, we can finally see his right arm!  He seems to be so happy to have the freedom to move that arm around now the way he wants to.   It is so encouraging to see the tubes and monitors come off him slowly and surely, making him seem more and more like the other "big kids" in the nursery :)

He is going to be spending another day under the lights, though his bilirubin level did come down quite a bit after just one day in there.  It had started at 14.8 and the goal was to get it below 12.  It was right at 12 when they tested his blood this morning, so the doctor said that though it was kind of a fencepost decision, it just made sense to keep him in it since he will be here in the hospital anyways.  Wouldn't want to have it flair back up after we get him home and have to be readmitted.  

This picture is a little bit blurry because I was the one taking it while I was holding him, but I think his little position is just so cute!  I had just finished feeding and snuggling him, and he really enjoyed having his hands up by his face.  I sleep with both my hands up by and under my face, so I thought it was really neat to see him enjoying this position.  I am not sure how much he is going to like being swaddled the way most babies do, since he has spent the whole first week of his life naked and sprawled out so far!  

The doctor is looking at getting his circumcision scheduled for tomorrow.  We have requested to have the plastibell procedure done, and there is only one doctor here at the hospital that performs this procedure so we are working around his schedule.  The fact that we are moving forward with this now is a good sign, because he is actually well enough to handle it.  The doctor told me that he wanted to wait until just a day or two before he went home to do it.  He said that if he continues as he has the past two days, we should be home by the weekend. :)

You know, I never got around to my 35 week update post, which means that I have one final bump picture to share with you.

This was the day before Hendrix was born.

This picture was taken at the hospital two days after he was born.

Though my body definitely doesn't look the way it did pre-baby,  I am very optimistic that it will eventually look more normal again :)  I even have been able to get back into non-maternity clothes (though most of them have been sweatpants...) which is good for my soul!

My plans for the day include a couple naps, another good stint of fresh air outside, and maybe even a quick run to Target to pick up some essentials.  There are just a few things I am going to need before we take Hendrix home, and I think it will make me feel much more like a normal person to get out and run the errands myself!  

I also need to run home and pack a little bag of clothes for Hendrix!  After he gets out of the phototherapy tomorrow morning he will be moved to a normal crib and will be allowed to wear real clothes!  He will still have a heart monitor on, so I need to find some lil' outfits to bring here that have snaps on them for easy access.  I am looking forward to this little step making him look even more healthy as he keeps on growing and progressing!

Thanks for your continued prayers and interest!  We appreciate all the support!