Dec. 20- mommy's first kiss

mommy's first kiss

Lucas will be a month old on Christmas day. Today is his 25th day of life and still so many milestones to go. Every day brings small realizations of the little things most moms don't think twice about. The gift of being able to hold your child, to comfort his pain and to change his diaper without help. The joy of giving him his first bath, bottle and blankie. I realize that because my son was born at 25 weeks, its not my voice he hears most often and the voices he recognizes most are those of his caregivers at the hospital. They changed his first diaper, will give him his first bath and take care of him. But, I'm grateful for every moment and every first... the first time he opened his eye [one at a time :-) ], the first time I could hold his hand, to see his hair turning brown, and today, the first time mommy gets to kiss her little man! So many firsts to come and I cannot wait.

One scary moment today came when Lucas was being repositioned he went into an episode where his blood oxygen dropped below 68 and his heart rate dropped. The nurse had to open his isolette to prepare to bag him incase he did not recover on his own. The episode is caused by the baby's throat spasming and clamping down on the ventilator tube preventing oxygen from getting into his lungs. Bagging the baby helps get oxygen in until the spasm ceases. Lucas has had several of these episodes today, but luckily has recovered on his own every time so far without needing to be bagged. While the isolette was open and baby was recovered, I was allowed to kiss him. Made me sooo happy!

Premature Caucasian, male babies are at greater risk for developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia. They won't diagnose Lucas with Chronic Lung Disease or BPD until he's 28 days or older, but almost every baby born as early as he was gets it because they have to be on the ventilator. After all is said and done, this is one of the conditions that will have a long term impact even after Lucas comes home.

More info on bronchopulmonary dysplasia:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002079/