Much Better

Well, the spit up episode has been determined to be an anomaly.  Probably just caused by a lot of food in a little tummy.  Calder was put back on drip feed today and they took his IV out around noon.  That is great because the poor little guy was puffed up like a puffer fish (original, I know...it's the best I could do).  Calder is retaining some water.  So, he is off his sodium chloride supplement (that is salt for all you non-science nerds) and I can go back to my regularly scheduled, salt free, diet.  Hopefully, that will eliminate the puffiness because high sodium levels also cause tachycardia (fast breathing).  If the salt elimination diet does not prove effective then Calder will have his first experience with a diuretic.  We hate to do that because he would also loose a lot of nutrients.  However, the good thing about the slight water retention is.....

4 Pounds!

That's right folks, Calder is a hippopotamus.
Actually, he is gaining weight so quickly the doctors are going to slow down his feeds as he needs to gain good weight...slowly...A-hem.

Calder also started a series of shots today to help his bone marrow produce red blood cells.   Bones are an organ just like your liver, heart, lungs, etc.  Preemies, especially micro-preemies, usually have bones that are not functioning at full capacity to make red blood cells.  In the past preemies have all had to have blood transfusions in order to combat this.  Now, the little ones can have a series of shots along with an iron supplement that help kick their red blood cells makers into gear.  Calder will receive his shots on Monday, Wednesday and Friday until his iron and red blood cell counts are stable.  His are actually not too bad now.

Calder went to town on his pacifier today.  That sucking reflex is really starting to work.  We even dipped his pacifier in breast milk so he could get a little taste of the good stuff and then we'd have him hooked!  I felt like a drug dealer giving him his milk laced pacifier...but, man, did he seem to like it.