Today Cooper had his first eye exam. Micro preemie babies are at a very high risk of developing ROP, but with these eye exams measures can be taken to prevent blindness. After the exam, they grade Cooper's eyes as either a stage 1, 2, or 3, with 3 being the best (his eyes are fully developing the way they should). His results showed that he is currently at a stage 2, but hopefully as he continues to grow and develop he will move to a stage 3. If you want to pray specifically for his eyes, we would be grateful:) Cooper will have weekly exams for the foreseeable future. The eye exam is a little traumatic for babies (and for parents, I didn't watch) and Cooper spent the rest of the afternoon sleeping peacefully after his exam.
When he was weighed this evening it showed that he had gained another 10 grams! Still about 2 lbs 14 oz. When the nurse weighs Cooper each evening, the process actually happens in his isolette. There is a scale built into his bed. However, tonight the calibration in the bed was off. Cooper was weighed four times in his isolette, and each time the bed said that he weighed over 2000 grams (more than 4 pounds)! Taylor and I were dying. Although we want him to get up to that weight quickly, more than doubling in size overnight is definitely not a good thing. The nurse finally weighed him on a pediatric scale (like the ones full term babies are placed on right after they're born) and it said that he weighed 1310 grams. Hopefully we'll be at 2000 grams soon, but not too soon :) We ended the evening with Taylor doing skin to skin with Cooper for two hours.
Thank you for supporting us in our long NICU journey... I can hardly remember what life was like before Cooper was born. Now I spend an average of 12 hours at Primary's each day, and it really is our new home. We have formed relationships with nurses, doctors, social workers, respiratory therapists, phlebotomists, security guards and other people who are now part of our daily routine. Before Cooper's birth, I was pretty unfamiliar with the medical world. I have been extremely blessed with great health throughout my life. Prior to my pregnancy, the last time I had been to the doctor was when I was 14, to get a physical exam so I could go on pioneer trek. Before my delivery, the last time I had been a patient at a hospital was when I was 6 and had stitches. Good health is definitely something I had taken for granted. I have learned so much medical information in the last five weeks, and for at least the first few years of Cooper's life we will be very familiar with doctors, hospitals and specialists. I'm so grateful for modern medicine and will never take the blessing of good health for granted.
"Challenges will come to you but as you trust in God they will strengthen your faith." -Neil A. Andersen. Thank you for praying for us, we love you all!
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