Update on Finn (our baby C): Finn loves to eat and you can see it from his growth! On the day he was born, he weighed 840g (1lb, 14oz). That is about twice as heavy as a soccer ball. As of today, he weighs 1080g (2lb, 6oz), which is half as heavy as a chihuahua. He has grown 0.75 inches longer and is now 14 inches long.
At the risk of providing oodles of teasing opportunities of his siblings later, Finn is our baby with no issues on his brain scans. Although the issues of his siblings are not really concerning, according to the doctors, it is much easier to be unconcerned when there are no issues!
Finn has struggled, however, when it comes to breathing. His lungs have been the most poorly developed and he has made some improvements on the ventilator, but not many. For this reason, Finn is now undergoing the DART protocol. The DART protocol is a super low dose of steroids given over 10 days to help lung development. We have received many warnings, one of which is that Finn may exhibit “roid rage” while he is being medicated, but the risks are outweighed by the benefits. The goal is that Finn will be able to be on a CPAP by the end of the treatment, or at least much closer to it.
Finn is also eating like a champ. He receives 11ml of food 8 times each day (about 3oz). His food is also fortified with extra fat and calories. This is great because it’ll help him develop much faster. Every rose has its thorn, though, and in this case, it’s that Finn’s poop is so stinky that he is developing a reputation throughout the NICU. We hope that this is just a phase.
Finn, like his brother, had a large PDA. In Finn’s case, though, he received the treatment of indocin. The medication worked without the scariest side effect (perforated bowels) and Finn’s PDA is now very small and should close on its own.
Finn’s personality has also shown itself. He likes to be the boss. He doesn’t like being messed with and will desat pretty quickly. He also most prefers to be on his belly with his head facing to his left. This is most likely going to be alleviated by the steroid treatment, but for now, he gets fussy if not positioned as he prefers. He also likes to try to stand on his head. When he is positioned on his tummy, he straightens his legs and pushes his butt right up in the air, putting his weight on his head. It’s super cute but makes it hard to wrap him up like a burrito.
Finn was also the last to open his eyes, but now that they’re open, he is making up for lost time!
I love that they all look like miniature old people!