Ok, So I'm determined to be better about this now :) Of course now that we are much more housebound with Isaiah it may be easier to do.
So alot of people have been asking alot of questions regarding his plan, his health and when can everyone see him :) Let me try and clear up some of that.
His plan: He is currently a foster-to-adopt placement. This means that he is a foster child but because it looks like he will eventually need an adoptive home CPS has placed him in a foster home that is willing to adopt him (thats us!). As we all know CPS's first goal is always family reunification. In his case he has several sibs that have already been adopted by other foster families...they have been unable to find any family members willing or able to take care of them. The biological family has already stated that they are unable to take Isaiah as well. This is very good for us! With this process we still have to wait for the courts to terminate the parental rights, and then wait for 6 months before we can adopt him. We are hopeful that his case will be fast-tracked and at the end of 6 months we can complete his adoption. Keep praying that they are unable to find any other biological family.
His health: He was born 11 weeks early, and is now only 2 1/2 weeks away from his due date! For being so early he is doing really well!! The first few days home were a little rough, but we are getting in a good routine and he seems to be doing better. His main issues are feeding...he's slow! When we first brought him home he really couldn't figure out how to coordinate the whole suck, swallow, breathe thing while eating. He would gulp some food, then huff and puff for a while. He also occasionally has some spells when he would stop breathing and you would have to stimulate him. He's so much better now!! Our first doctors appoinment he had gained a half a pound, and we go back on Tuesday for another weight check...I'm anxious to see how much he weighs now. Just looking at him I can tell he's gaining weight, but the Mama nurse likes to see the numbers! He will be our true test of the Gould baby fatening up program :) We are still having to wake him up every 3 hours to eat but there are a few times when he actually wakes up himself.
He is having more awake times too. When we first came home he would go right back to sleep after feeding him. Now there are times when he stays awake and looks around for 30 minutes or so. He has beautiful brown eyes!!
He is still on a heart and breathing monitor that alarms if his heart rate is low or if he stops breathing. In the past week he has only had minimal alarms!! That has really decreased my anxiety!
When can we see him:
Well...because he is a preemie, it is much easier for him to catch colds, and a simple cold can put him on a ventilator in the hospital (and no I'm not just being a paranoid nurse!) Starting in October he gets monthly immunizations to prevent RSV. So we pretty much only take him out of the house for doctor's appointments, which means one of us is ALWAYS home with him (mainly Tim, since I'm back to work).
Sorry, no trips up north unitl Spring when cold/flu season is over!
We are open to visitors, but only if you have been healthy. :) And you all thought I was the hand sanitizer nazi before all of this!
How is Sophie Shaye doing?:
Well she had barely noticed him. Sometimes when he crys, she will look over at him like "why does that doll baby cry?" If we lay him down next to her she will show some interest but otherwise life is as it was before. She is starting to try to get up on her hands and knees, so she is working on being mobile, ekkk.... She is still her happy, easy going self!!
So hopefully I have cleared up any questions....Thanks for all of the love and prayers coming our way!
Beth
