Day 52,

Ronan had a nice bath tonight and was able to show off how good he was to Aunt Margaret ("A").. He gave a few little cries but soon settled and loved his bath as always.. 

He was weighed and was 2410 grams!! His oxygen levels were all up and down and his respiratory hasn't been good either so lets hope he was just having a bad day..

Day 51,

Well Ronan had a pretty crappy day with his oxygen as he was up & down the whole time we were there.. Today was his worst day for a while now so this is one step backwards.. We are hoping he has 2 steps forward tomorrow when we see him as it's bath day again!

I was able to give him a quick cuddle but he wasn't happy as you could tell with his oxygen fluctuations so we decided to let him rest and sleep.. These are the days where you feel a little flat, seeing that he hasn't taken a step forward but this is part of the rollercoaster ride of having a premmie.. It is hard to believe that we are onto our 8th week of having our precious little son in the world with us!

Day 50,

Ronan had another bath tonight and was fantastic again! He started to cry as soon as his bottom hit the water but once he was submerged he suddenly stopped! He certainly makes my work easy..

I was also able to weigh him and he now weighs 2360 grams!!

Mark is fantastic when it comes to bath time.. He undresses Ronan whilst i run down and organise his bath, fixes his nappy once he is dry and dresses him again and it is fantastic to see Mark involved.. Mark is quite a shy person and was worried about getting involved with the nurses standing around but when i told him that he needs to change a nappy at least once before Ronan comes home, he has since taken charge and it is fantastic to see!

We spoke to the doctor tonight and he said that Ronan has had another head scan and eye examination and they have both been clear.. He said that Ronan should be moving onto the Low Flow within the next 2 weeks if he keeps going the way he is but i am praying that Ronan decides to show those doctors who's boss, takes charge and progresses to the next stage before then..

Total Weight Gain To Date: 1220 grams

(view his latest bath pic - he is going to kill me when he is older for showing it!)

Day 49,

Well nothing really to report today other than Ronan was asleep the whole time we were there.. His chart was the same as always "up down, up down" with his breathing but the best thing of all is that he was content and we couldn't ask for anything better..

Day 48,

Well Ronan had another bath tonight only i bathed him! He was a real cutie as he never cried whilst in the bath or when he was being dressed.. He was also weighed tonight (i did it, very exciting) - he is now 2260 grams!!

I also got a hold tonight and we placed him on my breast.. He lay there licking it and doing what any 234wk baby would do as he is still too young to know how to suck but it's just getting him ready to know the texture and smell of the milk for when the time does come..

We are getting an ink pad tomorrow so we can take a print of his feet and hands for a momento.. He is now on 27mls every 2hrs (little piggy)..

Make sure you view the 3 new pictures from tonights bath! You will notice his hair looks quite orange but away from the camera it is more blonde with just a slight tinge of orange..

Total Weight Gain To Date: 1080 grams

Day 47,

Well this is the first time since Ronan was born (47 days ago) that i haven't been in to see him! We decided to take the night off and relax a little.. This gives me a chance to store up some milk supply as well so i will be a day ahead rather than stressing that i don't have enough to give.. 

I did ring the nurse earlier today and Ronan has gone back onto the CPAP.. He put in a GREAT effort and lasted 13 hours so we are really proud of his achivement.. I give him a week and he will be on low flow constantly.. I couldn't quite understand the nurse today (strong accent) and i "think" she said he had another eye exam and it was all clear, but i will find out more tomorrow.. 

Day 46,

We have news AGAIN!!!!!! Ronan has his first real bath tonight and after a tiny cry he loveeeed it.. He is such a placid little man, he is amazing.. Because of his good behaviour and the fact that his oxygen levels were so good after he was dressed they put him on the Low Flow!!!.. Low flow is basically two tiny prongs that rest in his nose and pump low set oxygen through to help his breathing and it is the next step before going off oxygen totally! They normally like to place the bubs on the low flow for about an hr a day to weave them off CPAP but the nurse believes Ronan was more stable being on the low flow so we will see how he goes.. 

This is a HUGE step as whilst he is on the low flow they will start to try and get him attached to the breast etc.. but we will have to see how he copes in the next 24/48hrs with the low flow because he may just need to go back on the CPAP for a little while longer yet, but *fingers crossed* he will never need too! 

He was also weighed and is now 2220 grams (2.22kg).. 

Total Weight Gain To Date: 1080 grams  

Day 45,

Well when we went and saw Ronan today he was fast asleep and breathing well after they suctioned his nose.. He is still in 21% natural air and only occassionally in oxygen so he is going well.. There isn't much to report today as we didn't stay long (didn't want to wake him up) but the more he sleeps the more he grows right?