Max and the C-Pap

Max is now off the ventilator and on a C-Pap machine. The little nosepiece is so tiny!! It really doesn't look comfortable and he doesn't like it......but it is necessary of course. Now that the only thing in his mouth is a feeding tube they are teaching him to suck on a pacifier in preparation for learning to eat. There is just SO MUCH that little guy has to learn!! Breath, suck, swallow....
He is doing good with his blood gasses and his oxygen level is set around 27%. Now they will have to wean him off the C-Pap....it is currently set at a pressure level of 6.
He has no problem gaining weight though....he is close to 6 pounds now and looks VERY VERY chubby!! I think he has at least 3 chins....like ME!! They say in the NICU their job is to fatten them up and then send them on to another unit where they might put them on a diet! Pretty funny!!
Thanks still for all the prayers.

It is SO much easier for Alissa to hold him now....she can actually move him around and play with him a bit. He cries now with SOUND! The sound is pretty hoarse from the ventilator being down his throat so long while his vocal cords were developing.

I love this picture of his little hand on his Mama's bigger one!

Here they are moving Max to the scale to see how much weight he has gained that day. It is always a LOT (though some is still the water retention)!

Max is such a helper! Here he is helping to hold the C-Pap in place!!

The speech consultant showed Alissa how to wrap him up just right so that he can hold his own pacifier in place. This is an important step toward his learning to eat.

Max says "Finally they leave me alone so I can rest and watch my fishies!"