Cuddling with Aiden

We have been holding Aiden everyday now for at least an hour. We hold him on our chests against our skin with him in just his diaper, it is called "kangaroo care" and studies have shown that it is very beneficial for preemies and increases their weight gain and overall health (not to mention it is good for us, too!). Aiden loves it, he cuddles right in and usually has some active time with his eyes open responding to our voices and then he falls into a good sleep. One of the best parts about holding him is feeling his little hand curl and uncurl against our skin - so sweet.

Cuddling with daddy - wide awake, but he fell fast asleep a few minutes later...

Either he looks really small in this picture or my head looks really big :)

He has been doing well this week, he does have a new thing going on where his oxygen saturation level dips into the 70's (usually it is around 95%) for a few minutes. The nurses and doctors say it is a normal part of his lung problems at this age and he recovers from it himself without extra oxygen, but it makes mommy and daddy a little nuts. He is quite a little trooper with his feedings, he is up to 5 mls of milk an hour (last week it was 1 ml/hr) and it is now being fortified to give him extra calories and his IV nutrition has been steadily decreasing.

I think we are starting to see some changes in him, signs he is getting stronger and older - little things that aren't even a milestone for full term babies...he is starting to curl his hand around our fingers stronger and more purposely, his ear cartilage is forming, his cheeks and legs are starting to fill in a bit, he slowly finding his fingers and thumb with his little mouth and he has times where he is just happily wide awake looking at us. It is really cool to see him developing!

- Holly