Kangaroo Care

Greetings,

Another fabulous day. I was greeted with an amazing surprise when I came to the hospital this afternoon. Jonas's nurse asked me if I wanted to do some kangaroo care today. There were some tears of joy and then about an hour and a half of being able to hold our precious boy for the first time. Kangaroo care is the practice of holding a baby skin to skin with their parent. It is a great way to bond, and not only that, a baby's temperature is regulated, and they tend to have a decreased oxygen requirement, longer sleep periods, and burn fewer calories. It's just a great thing for everyone. Jonas's nurse was kind enough to be our photographer as well so that Dan could see our time together. Jonas is down in the 24% range on oxygen and is up to 6 ml of milk an hour.

Elsa had an outfit on for the first time today. The shirt looks more like a dress, but it was adorable. Her oxygen is a bit higher, in the 50% or so range, but her blood gases have been coming back favorable, so that is good and she is up to 5.5 ml of milk an hour. She is becoming a bit more of a wild woman during her care times--she has been moving her arms and legs like crazy. It makes changing diapers and avoiding all the wires a challenge, but one that we are up for.

We are thankful for stable days and time for them to continue to grow, rest, and heal.

God bless,

Mari, Dan, Elsa & Jonas