Cold, Wet Winter Day

Typical Texas weather:  Friday we were at 80 and today it was 31!  It was not ideal weather for Matt's first day back at work.  Thankfully the roads were not as icy.  Since it was so cold, we decided to dress John accordingly with some cute winter booties.  I figured they were too big but had not realized that his feet were in fact that long. 

Cute booties

Showing off booties while cuddling

Our nights usually involve putting John in the bassinet, him fussing for 10 minutes, falling asleep, waking up every 30 minutes with reflux followed by John throwing up.  And if I am not fast enough needing to be changed.  After a couple of these rounds, it's time for his next feeding and the process starts again.  Last night was different.  I slept sitting up in bed with pillows keeping my arms up while I held John.  We slept!  He didn't throw up!  It's not ideal, but it worked for now.  We are still trying different gadgets and suggestions from friends and family to find the best solution to help John, and us, sleep better.

John sleeping peacefully

Today John stayed alone with his Aunt Pau for the first time while I took Bevo to the vet.  It appears Bevo hurt his little paw but thankfully it's not serious.  He enjoyed the special treat of a car ride and alone time with Mom.  Poor puppies, their world has definitely changed!  When we got back, we found John cuddling with his Aunt Pau.  He did great and didn't even miss Mom.

John cuddling with Pau

While Pau was visiting she witnessed some of humorous moments of parenthood.  John threw up all over himself and had a change of clothes.  A  minute later he needed a diaper change.  Mom was not fast enough and his clothes got wet.  A new set of clothes later, he threw up before the onesie was completely in place.  While being changed, he had a really dirty diaper which required soap and water.  He threw up again while being cleaned (Mommy's clothes did not escape either.)  A new set of clothes later, mom realizes John was laying on a wet spot in the changing pad.... Yes, his back was soaking wet, and he got another wardrobe change while his mom and aunt laughed.  Thankfully, this is not the norm otherwise we would run out of clothes.  

Grumpy John after his last change.

This evening John watched his first UT bowl game.  He learned that the longhorns will toy with your emotions during games.  He fell asleep by the end of the game.

Learning about football from Daddy

End of Vacation

Thankfully, the cold has not gotten worse, and, more importantly, John is still not showing signs of it.  His temperature is back to normal too.  He slept for most of the morning but was up for some play time on his mat by the afternoon.  John did not enjoy the tummy-time.  He's gotten pretty good at moving his head from side to side but quickly loses interest.  He spent some time on his back too trying to grab some of the toys.  He was adorable.  

Frustrated with Mommy for forcing tummy-time

Halfway through turning his head.

John kept moving the dinosaur with his hand.

Matt goes back to work tomorrow.  It has been wonderful having him around with John the last couple of weeks.  We are going to miss him during the day.  And I know he will be missing spending so much time with John.

John enjoying  a nap on Daddy.

Not So Lucky...

The "bug" has turned into a nasty, NASTY, cold.  I am hopeful that the neonatologist is correct and that antibodies in the breastmilk will protect John.  So far his temperature is just slightly elevated, and he is a little more sleepy.  It breaks my heart to think of him feeling ill.  As for me, the pediatrician only recommends Tylenol (plain regular Tylenol) while breastfeeding.  I nearly cried when I was told that over the phone. Hopefully tomorrow we will all be feeling better.

Tummy Aches and Sore Throats

Last night was not a good night.  John slept less than three hours between 9pm - 9am.  The reflux was pretty bad along with a couple bad diaper changes.  He had to be changed several times.  Finally, he settled down while I held him.  He was better during the day.  

However, I am convinced that John knows when the doctor's office closes.  At 5:30 pm, he had two bad incidents of projectile vomit and diarrhea without including the reflux issues.  Thank God for good diapers.  But John did end up getting an unplanned bath, and we are now using the plastic-lined bibs.  The problems appear to be aggravated after we give him the Poly-vi-sol (vitamins).  He had been off it for a few days because of projectile vomit and diarrhea.  

Matt and I are hopeful that it's just the vitamins upsetting his stomach rather than John having the stomach bug/cold we appear to have caught. John is back on clear liquids (breastmilk, pedialyte, and water) until we can discuss this with the doctor on Monday.

In the meantime, John enjoyed watching his first Cotton Bowl with his father and uncle.  Well, at least the TV was on while all three napped.  They looked really cute.

Uncle Jeff and John napping

Yummy Blackeye Peas

Happy New Year!  We can hardly believe how fast 2008 passed.  Last night as we watched John sleep peacefully, we reflected on the many blessings in our lives especially John.  It was worth it; we would go through everything again.

John's party gear

We celebrated the start of the new year in the most wonderful manner: peacefully sleeping through it.  John has been doing so much better now that he is taking Mylicon.  He slept 3.5 - 4 hours between feedings last night in his bassinet on his own without waking up!  It was amazing.  We had so much energy this morning; we had forgotten how it felt to have a decent amount of sleep.

We took a little trip out today and visited the NICU.  It was strange to go back and be able to leave with John.  We felt like we were sneaking out with him.  We enjoyed seeing some of the nurses that cared for John during his stint at the NICU.  They truly are amazing people.

Tia Rosa thought this was cute.

Just in case anyone doubts who's running the show.

Helping Aunt Pau surf the web

Return of the Reflux

Well, last night did not go as we hoped.  It's 9pm and we are still in our PJs.  Poor little John had a pretty bad case of reflux and gas during the night and most of the day.  On the bright side, he started doing better after Daddy gave him some Mylicon.  Our pedi does not believe it helps but says it does not hurt either.  We decided to try it after a lot of parents recommended it and because we were pretty desperate.  We did not like to see John in pain.  Thankfully, it appears to have worked.

John feeling much better.

There will be some video as soon as I figure out how to add it. 

An Important Day

Praise be the Lord!  (And Ticia for the hints!)

John slept 3+ straight hours last night in his bassinet.  We usually need to hold him for him to sleep more than 30-60 minutes.  We altered our feedi

ng routine: instead of changing his diaper, feeding him then putting him to bed, we immediately fed after he woke up, changed his diaper before switching sides which woke him up causing him to eat more, then put him to bed bundled up.

We are also trying some advice from the book On Becoming Baby Wise a gift from Ticia.  After trying them, John calmly stayed in his bassinet for 1 hour while I took a nap.  He also slept AGAIN the whole time between feedings in his bassinet!!!   We are trying not to get too excited about what this might mean for nights.  We know it may not work at every feeding right away but are hopeful.

Today was also noteworthy for another reason.  We took John to pay his respects to his grandfather and uncle.  It was emotional and difficult.  After Granddad John was diagnosed with cancer 12/22/04, he would tell us all he wanted was to make it to meet his grandchild....  Sadly, life had other plans for all of us.  But we are reassured in knowing that he would have loved John so much.

Matt talking to John about his grandfather.

We took the time to tell John stories about his grandfather and uncle.  We plan on John "knowing" them through us.

John hearing about his uncle.

On Our Own

We are on our own again.  The grandparents, Aunt Lari and Uncle Tony left today for El Paso.  Aunt Pau went back to her apartment.  It's now just Daddy, Mommy, Sandy and Bevo taking care of John.  It's been less than a day and we already miss all the extra arms to care for John.

An exhausted Uncle Tony and John

John with Abuelito

Mommy & John with the Grandparents, aunts and uncles

Daddy stayed alone for the first time with John this evening while Mommy went out to dinner with our friend Anne to celebrate her engagement.  Unfortunately, John took this time to act out for the first time.  He refused to be comforted.  He stayed awake and crying/fussing from 6pm - 10 pm.  Thankfully, he is finally sleeping after a change in clothes and being swaddled. 

This is before John decided to act up.

We believe he may be going through a growth spurt since he is eating every 1.5 - 2 hours since yesterday.  This made last night a little difficult.  We are trying a few tips from my friend Ticia tonight; hopefully we will get a little more sleep tonight. Wish us luck!

Bubeaner Headquarters

10 Weeks! 

Bubeaner is now 10 weeks 2 days.  We are blessed that he is now, for all intents and purposes, a healthy preemie.  Caringbridge was an amazing tool that helped us keep family and friends informed.  And it allowed us to feel and know your support during a stressful time.  Thankfully, it has come time for us to "graduate" from Caringbridge.  Dad and Momma decided to start a blog to continue to keep you up to date with Bubeaner as he grows up. 

Wednesday 12/24/08

Wednesday, December 24, 2008 10:17 AM, CST
John is doing ok - he is still spitting up but he is eating well and enjoying being spoiled. We want to wish all of you a wonderful holiday and a very happy new year. We love you all and appreciate your support so very much.

Sunday 12/21/08

Sunday, December 21, 2008 11:56 AM, CST

John is spitting up quite a bit, has diarrhea and is fussy, but he is enjoying having Daddy home full-time for a couple of weeks and spent yesterday getting spoiled by his Aunt Pau and Uncle Jeff. The house is full of Christmas lights he finds fascinating. Merry Christmas to all.

Thursday 12/18/08

Thursday, December 18, 2008 11:31 AM, CST
John's pediatrician says this was just a bad reflux incident and that John will be fine. He is still a preemie, which is hard to remember, but his due date was Christmas Eve. He is confident John will be ok.

Wednesday 12/17/08

Wednesday, December 17, 2008 11:53 PM, CST

John abruptly stopped breathing tonight and turned blue. Ruth began performing mouth-to-mouth and Pauline called 911. John regained his respiration after about 2 minutes and his color after about 6 minutes. The paramedics cleared him and the doctor wants to check him out in the morning.

Monday 12/15/08

Monday, December 15, 2008 3:05 PM, CST

John is continuing his difficult-night adventures, as evidenced by the new picture of Mommy keeping him upright at night on the Welcome Page. Tonight we are going to try giving him Axid to reduce his reflux. We're down to Mom, Dad and 1/2-time Aunt Pau (who is mostly moved out but still helping out) at home to keep John company. He misses his NICU girls very much.

Saturday 12/13/08

Saturday, December 13, 2008 7:30 PM, CST

John had a rough night last night with reflux and kept his parents up all night. We kept him elevated today and it seemed to help. He is busy stealing Sarah, his Uncle Ivan's girlfriend, now. Thanks to the FW Haltoms for bringing a pot roast over for dinner.

Friday 12/12/08

Friday, December 12, 2008 11:27 AM, CST

After a rocky couple of nights, John had a good night Thursday night. He had multiple vaccinations and a clean bill of health from his pediatrician on Thursday. Dr. Wheeler is giving him Axid for reflux but otherwise he is a healthy boy. New pics being posted.

Wednesday 12/10/08

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 3:56 PM, CST

John is home! Mom and Dad spent Monday at 5pm through Tuesday at 2pm at the hospital with him in a closet-sized room without windows before obtaining their freedom. John has been a little fussy after vaccinations and the drastic change in scenery but is adjusting to his new dogs and environment well. Mom and Dad are exhausted but thrilled. Aunt Pau has fallen in love with her nephew.

Monday 12/08/08

Monday, December 8, 2008 4:56 PM, CST
John is now at 6 lbs 9 oz.


He passed his car seat test, although, it was close towards the end. He does not tolerate delays in his meal times (just like his Grandpa John) not even for a car seat test. A little "sweeties" (sugar water) on his Paci helped pass the last 20 minutes.

Dad and Mom are off to the hospital for their first full night with John. =)

Sunday 12/07/08

Sunday, December 7, 2008 10:22 PM, CST

Holy atomic news, Batman!

We are rooming in tomorrow night! During rooming in Mom and Dad stay in a hospital room with John and are completely in charge of his care with the NICU nurses as backup. Once that's completed John would be discharged. That means that John could be home by Tuesday evening!!!

Tomorrow he will have his car seat test (making sure he maintains his heart rate in a seating position) and probably his Synagis RSV vaccine. He had the second Hep B vaccine today. So John was a little fussy and uncomfortable.

He is 5 lbs 7 oz today.

Our little boy is coming home!

Saturday 12/06/08

Saturday, December 6, 2008 11:18 PM, CST

John enjoyed a quiet Saturday. He continues to gain weight, now up to 6 lbs 5 oz! No episodes last night nor today. =)

Mommy and Daddy spent the day reorganizing the house (furniture/rooms/etc) in preparation for John coming home soon.

Friday 12/05/08

Friday, December 5, 2008 11:59 PM, CST

7 WEEKS!!!

WOW! John is 7 weeks old today!

Our little bundle of joy now weighs 6 lbs 5 oz. Yes, he is heavier than some term newborns. John has officially outgrown his preemie clothes.

He did not have any incidents last night or today. He still has some drops during feedings because he gets impatient. However, those are not the ones that concern (scare the living daylights out of) us.

The nurses are starting to mention possible discharge dates. And though delighted, Mommy is panicking (FREAKING OUT). But John appears to be ready to come home.

Thursday 12.04.08

Thursday, December 4, 2008 10:27 PM, CST

John continues to improve, grow and get cuter!


He gained 19g from yesterday. He has outgrown several other preemie outfits and is now wearing a few newborn onesies. He did not have any episodes last night and today. He is also spending a little more time awake and alert.


Daddy did an excellent job bathing John today!

We are hopeful that he will continue to improve and come home soon.

Wednesday 12/03/08

Wednesday, December 3, 2008 7:07 AM, CST
Tuesday was a good day for John. He weighed in at 6 lbs 1 oz! Mommy was able to assist RN Susan with bathing him. He really is enjoying baths now.


The echocardiogram results came back. His heart looks good except for the cause of the murmur. He has Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) which means his heart has a little hole (3mm) between the left and right atrium. The neonatologist mentioned this is not unusual in preemies; however, it's usually closed by John's age. It may still close on its own. We'll see a cardiologist in 2 months to make sure it did close.

In the mean time, John continues to improve. He was taken off the pulse oxygen monitor yesterday. It's one step closer to going home. The doctor also decided against thickening the breastmilk because he is overall doing much better with reflux. She stated the reflux issue appears to be more due to immaturity and is improving.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008 11:19 PM, CST

Our little chunky monkey is now up to 2810g (6 lbs 3 oz)! He had one incident earlier today, but otherwise has done well without the pulse oxygen monitor.


We did have our first experience with projectile vomit today. Thankfully, it appears to be a one time incident. (Daddy was relieved that it was not pea green and that his head did not rotate 360.)


We are hopeful to have him home by early next week.

Monday 12/01/08

Monday, December 1, 2008 11:02 PM, CST
John was a little fussy this morning (very unlike him). He wouldn't settle down and was pretty restless thru the feedings. He mainly wanted to be bundled and held. Thankfully he was much better by the evening.

He continues to have little drops in heart rate and O2 levels. He mainly resolves them on his own and some of them are so quick the monitor alarms don't go off.


The doctor ordered an echocardiogram today to double check on John's murmur. Murmurs are quite common in premature babies; she just wants to make sure it is just due to prematurity. We receive the official results tomorrow.

Since John is continuing to have reflux, the doctor is considering adding something to the breatmilk to thicken it up. From what the nurses tell us, these "additives" are not readily available and are expensive. Ironically, this would be less of an issue if he was on formula. Go figure!


Thankfully, John continues to grow and get more beautiful. And he is getting the cutest cheeks!