The Future of the Blog ......
Day 1 as a family was interesting! Yes, Ian did keep us up through the night but we expected nothing less. We all have to get to know how each other functions and only time will allow that to happen. Ian has been a delight for us both today, fun to be with and funny to watch!

The future of the Blog has now been determined ...... after much encouragement I now plan to keep the Blog running but I will move to posting only a weekly update, which I will plan to do every Saturday with a re-cap of the weeks best stories and photo's. Running the Blog has become a joy to do and a welcome distraction to my recent 'stressful' days, so thank you to the many who tune in regularly and for your kind words on how much you have enjoyed what you have both seen and read. I hope the weekly updates continue to allow many of you to enjoy seeing Ian grow and develop as well as catch up his peers in size and stature! Remember, his 'corrected age' is still minus two weeks!

Next Blog update .... Saturday April 1st (and no, I won't post an April Fools either!)

Cheers
STEVE

He's Home!

Every fairytale has a happy ending. Today, a chapter in our own little fairytale ended happily too, as Ian Karl arrived home after his 65-day stay at the St.Lukes NICU. Ian's journey has been one of many achievements, though often ones that led us all through anxious days and nights. Reaching his accomplishments have never been in any doubt to us as Barbara and I have been there with him all the way and seen how well he has responded despite being born so tiny and so early. Events like this change you. The people you meet, the family and friends who reach out and support you and your own personal determination to stay positive throughout. The Doctors and Nurses at St.Lukes have been magnificent and their care, freindship and professionalism is a credit to each and every one of them. Ian has a lot of people to thank and one day when he's old enough to understand, we know he will.

Tonight Barbara and I toasted with Champagne to the closing of one and the opening of another chapter in the life of Ian Karl and the beginnings of family life for us, together at home. The support we have received these last 10 weeks has been overwhelming and we are truly blessed to have such an incredible family and group of friends right across the world, whose support has been inspiring to us both during some of the toughest moments we have ever experienced. We love you all and miss all of those for whom many miles separate us. One day soon we will introduce you to our little champion son, Ian who we know will bring as much delight to your lives as he has to ours.

God bless and stay in touch.

Love and Best Wishes
Barbara, Steve and Ian

NEWS UPDATE

Home Coming Delayed!
Ian didn't fair too well on Monday. So many changes were made to his 'routine' which included putting him in a room with Barbara and I and a formula change that he didn't respond well at all to this sudden sequence of new events. This resulted in the Doctors asking that we stay over at the hopsital for another night and that Ian be monitored again with a review of his food intake and weight gain measured over 24 hours before he be given the all clear to leave. His weight only stayed as it was and anything less may have put us back even more. As I write tonight I can report that Ian has had an excellent afternoon of sleeping and eating. Barbara and I have gone back-to-back with skin-to-skin care which he reponds so well to in hopes that this settles him back into a new routine that will be readily seen by the Doctors on Tuesday. So, leave the Champers on ice as we will be drinking it real soon! Here's to better news later ..........

BREAKING NEWS!!

NEWS FLASH - 16.00 hrs

Ian has been given the all clear to leave hospital! As I write this entry, Barbara and I are headed to the hospital where we will stay the night in one of the hotel rooms within the hospital. Ian will stay with us, with medical help only a 'buzzer' away, we will get the chance to see how Ian reacts to being set free from his wires and monitors. Of course we have great expectations for him, so we are very, very hopeful that on Monday we will be bringing Ian home. Stay tuned for the next exciting update, which will hopefully be the news we have all waited for these last 65 days. Yes, he's coming home so stand by to celebrate!!

It's all up to Ian now!
Ian's tube has been removed again. This we hope for the last time. Now he is feeding when he wants to, not when the Doctors have scheduled him to. Today went quite well considering his sleep /eat patterns were disrupted so as long as Ian can show moderate weight gains over the next few days, he'll be booking himself a ticket home. Tonights photo shows Mom holding her little boy and giving him all the encouragement that he needs. Weight: 5lbs 3oz.

Drink that Milk!
A stellar day from Ian on the milk drinking front. All we need now is volume and he's performing as asked. Back-to-back bottles of 30 cc's or more all day today. It might seem a trivial deal, but it is all that stands between Ian and the hospital door. He's like a finely tuned athlete finishing his training program - and the finish tape must surely now be in sight for our little Marathon Man!

We've got a 5-pounder!!
Yes, Ian has reached another milestone and tipped the scales at 5lbs tonight. Ian has also been moved to the fourth floor, much because of a lot of newborn arrivals who clearly need more elevated care than he. So Ian is now coasting his last few days at the step-down unit of the NICU. We still don't know when he'll get out but we are feeling good that we are now getting close. Ian had some kangaroo-kare with Mom tonight, which will help him sleep soundly!

Biography:
Name: Ian Karl
Age: 60 days old
Weight: 4lbs 15oz
Height: 16" (he can't stand up yet though)
Eyes: Blue (at the moment)
Hair: Strawberry blonde (at the moment)
Favorite Food: Milk
Favorite Drink: Milk
Favorite CD: Lullaby Classics - 'Baby Einstein' Collection
Education: MBA from a top ten school on a full athletic scholarship (see below). Class of 2030.
Profession: Professional Athlete (see above)
Wife: Miss Sweden 2026 (she's not been born yet)
Favorite Team: Boston Red Sox ('cos my Dad said so)
Favorite Color: What are colors? I can't even focus properly yet!
Favorite Saying: "Can I go home now?" (roughly translated as "waaahhhh")
Favorite Hobbie: Sleeping
Ambition: To get out of hospital before the end of March!

Oh No ... the Tube is back!
After having his tube removed on Monday, the Doctors decided it was just a bit too premature as Ian didn't fair too well. Thus the tube went back in again, though his feeding cycle has been changed to reflect his increasing capacity to eat. He achieved a personal best today of 40 cc's of milk - he needs to prove he can do this regularly and the tube will be then removed again, hopefully for the last time. Mom bathed our 4lbs 14oz little bundle of joy today ........ he's ounces from being a 5-pounder!

Look Mom, No Tube!
Yes, it's gone! The tube that is. Ian's feeding tube was officially pulled today. Our photo shows Ian with no tape, tube or anything attached to his face. Doesn't he look even more cute now?! No indication has been given as to when he might come home, but the tube being removed is a great sign.

Sunday Cruisin'
Ian's Sunday was simple. Just eatin', sleepin' and bathin'! He's 4lbs 11oz as of today. Monday is typically the day that the Doctors assess where he is and what his week looks like, so we are hoping for some good progress reports to follow.

Second in Command!
Ian is now officially the second most senior baby in the NICU! He's been there 56 days, second only to another baby who has been there many more days than he. There are currently over 50 babies in the NICU alone, one of the highest numbers they have ever had. Such the 'achiever' that Ian is, we believe he is now campaigning to become the 'top dog' in the unit very soon! Of course, Mom and Dad are hoping that crown will be short-lived and that the most famous baby on the NICU will be home with his parents sooner than we hope. No date has been set yet, but the Doctor indicated that the feeding tube is only a matter of days from being pulled.

We're ready at last!
The surprise of Ian arriving so early did not leave us much time to prepare ... for anything in fact. Finally we have caught up and tonight put the final touches to Ian's nursery. Ian's crib now awaits his arrival home as does his antique changing table and hundreds of soft toys scattered in various places and around his hospital bed. It's been fun to pull together, but also a lot of work. We hope he likes it!!!

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY!
Ian couldn't wait to celebrate his Irish heritage and so tonight he clasped his Irish flag and wore his lucky harp in anticipation for his first St.Patty's Day! It rather looks like he's had a few pints of Guinness too, doesn't it?! Alas for Ian it was milk again tonight, but Dad plans to indulge in a few pints to celebrate with Mom. Have a wonderful St.Patricks Day everybody!

55% and nearly there .....
The magic number to reach is 60%. That is the percentage of food per feeding that Ian must take from his bottle before he can have his feeding tube removed. He's at 55% as of today so the end is now in sight. We've asked the nurse if we can have his tube as a keepsake - it'll be funny to look back on this in a few years time knowing that this was the only way he could get his food! His girlfriends will like that story, of that we are sure.

Ian ..... "The Thinker"
Tonight we see Ian contemplating his day! He's had a terrific one, with much progress being made on the bottle front. It is almost as though someone flipped a switch and he suddenly realized what to do! We knew he'd get it and are delighted he appears to now be enjoying his bottles and getting the hang of it. Dare we think of the suggestion that he might even come home sometime next week? We are beginning to think so ........ and at 4lb 6oz Ian is beginning to show he really means business!

A Much Better Day ....
Ian bounced back from Sunday's back-steps and he did it in style. Ian finished his first full bottle (37 cc's) this afternoon, which is a significant accomplishment for him. As you can imagine, he didn't manage many other feedings himself today but this is a great start to his week. We'll need a few more of those this week and then we'll really be looking good. In tonight's photo we see Ian struggling to open his eyes, though tiredness is clearly getting the better of him!

Kiss Me, Mommy
Ian had only an OK day today. He seems to have reached a plateau with progress and the Doctors attempts to increase his feedings and change his bottle nipple to a faster flow didn't work. In fact Ian downright rejected these and struggled a little with these apparently simple changes, which unbalanced his respiration patterns that he has worked so hard on. With every step forward he has made, we did expect to take the occasional step backwards and today seems to be one of those days. But then there is nothing as reassuring as a Mommy's kiss goodnight. Sleep well Ian.

Saturday Bath 'n Nap
Yep, it was get clean day with a nice 'day spa' experience for Ian today. Dad was on hand to administer bath time, which is done in a warm bath tub under two hot lamps to keep Ian from chilling down. Initially he dislikes the water, but within a few seconds he's wallowing around in it! Since he's still so tiny, Ian tires quickly so he's off into sleepy-land as soon as his onesies are on!

Friday Night is Boys Nite
Me and my boy hangin' out on a Friday night! With a beer would have been nice, but a warm bottle of milk will just have to do for now. Oh, he's so cute!

Mommy's Moved!
Barbara now spends several hours a day at the hospital. Ian is enjoying all this 'Mommy Time' immensely as he also gets lots of feeds in with Barbara too. All good practice, I guess! No weight gain today, but Ian was wide-eyed and checking out his surroundings for the parts of the day when he was awake.

Food, Glorious Food!
Ian is getting the hang of food - at last! He is expected to take about 35 cc's of food per feeding (every 3 hours) and he's managing about 15 - 20 cc's now each time on his own. He tends to suck a few gulps down then breathe frantically through his nose! But slowly he's getting the hang of it! He weighed in at 4lb's 1oz tonight and he also passed his second eyesight test after an initial eye test indicated a possible problem. Way to go, Ian!

Mommy and Me!
Is there anything quite as beautiful as a baby gazing into his Mommy's eyes? Precious, just precious.

Welcome to my Crib
Ian has moved again! He has finally taken up residence in an open crib, which is where he will spend the rest of his days at the NICU. It is so much nicer for Barbara and I as we can access Ian and get so much closer to him even when he is asleep. Ian even enjoyed hanging out just wearing his PJ's tonight. And yes, we are finally finding some clothes that actually fit his tiny little 3lb 15.5oz body. He's so very close to reaching 4lbs!

Bath Time (By Popular Demand!)
As you've heard, Ian loves having a bath. Tonight he finally let the media in and we are finally pleased to show Ian enjoying some bath fun with Mom! The Doctors have also signalled Ian's upgrade to an open crib, which will make life easier for everyone. This will allow easy access to Ian for diaper changing among many other daily tasks, but also begins Ian's adaption to an environment much more like he will experience at home. He will likely lose some weight in this transition, which is common but we know he's strong enough to take this next big step forward.

27 degrees ..... the magic number!
Ian's Isolette was officially cranked down to 27 degrees centigrade today. A far cry from the original 36 degrees he enjoyed in his first few days, but most importantly now the final temperature setting before he moves out of the Isolette and into the freedom of an open crib! Ian fell asleep tonight holding my finger, having had an energetic bout of looking around. Yes, that is all it takes now for Ian to get tired! Weight today: 3lbs 14oz.

Here's Waving At Ya!!
Ian could barely manage a wave tonight as we left him. It's been a long week, but one where he has put on weight, controlled his breathing much better and begun to learn the basics of feeding. Mom and Dad managed 10cc's and 9cc's of food with Ian today, which is Ian's best effort yet and a great sign that he will master this activity very soon.

What a Differance a Month Makes!
Ian is doing really, really well. In fact, the Nurses think he is the 'star performer' in the NICU! He's now 39 days old and to really show how well he's progressed the two photo's show him at 8 days old and 38 days old so you can compare. Tonight he weighed in at 3lbs 10oz, almost double his birth weight. Rumor has it that he's about to get another new home, basically an open crib so he'll be moving out of his Isolette perhaps even this weekend. I'm getting the moving boxes ready as we speak!

Hey Diddle Diddle ...
Stories about Ian take the back seat tonight as instead he is keen for you to see his nursery, which is now coming together nicely. Mom and Dad chose the theme of the popular (English!) nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle" a mural of which now adorns one whole wall in Ian's nursery at home. Hand painted by our friend Dana, the cow jumping the glowing moon will be a welcome sight for Ian when he finally gets to sleep in his own crib!