Three Weeks Old!!!

Just stopping by to do a quick update.

Draikaiden is doing well. He has no major issues, which is a blessing having been born 15 weeks early!!!

Today he is three weeks old. He’s very tough, and a little temperamental. He knows what he likes and that’s how he wants it!!! He’s such a little fighter. 

He’s been bumped up on his feedings, now receiving nearly 3cc’s every 3 hours. To help you understand how much milk that is, 1 teaspoon equals 5cc’s. He’s starting to gain weight, today he is exactly 2 pounds! He started off at 1 pound 10 oz at birth. His weight fluctuates quite a bit still, but now that he is eating more, he should really start to gain.

The doctor wants to ween him off of the breathing machine for a second time. The first time he was off for nearly 24 hours of breathing on his own. We are hoping this time is longer or even permanent. The longer he needs the machine to breathe for him, the higher the risk of him having chronic lung problems throughout his life. So we are praying hard for him. 

He is strong. He is tough. He is growing and improving a little every day. So many people are praying for him and for that I am tremendously thankful.

The monkeys have been in Winnemucca (7 hrs north of where we are in Vegas) since a few days after the delivery. I miss them terribly, but they will be here with me next week. I have been staying with a great friend, Jana, here in Vegas, and will stay here until Draikaiden is ready to come home. Todd is at home in Tonopah (3 hours north) and we only see each other when we can afford the trip for one of us to travel either there or here. Today he is coming down here to see the baby. Last week I was able to go up and spend a day with him. It’s difficult being away from him, he is my strength and support system.

This has been difficult to deal with, but a very dear friend, Tamara, put a bracelet on my arm which reads, One Day at a Time. And that is the only way I can take it now. It’s hard to plan ahead, because as of now, this tiny little man is the boss. Everything depends on his progress, his milestones, and all the blessings God can give him. He’s already been an incredible blessing to me and I feel I have changed as a person and mom. I pray like crazy that God gives me the strength to get through this.