Moving Up and Moving Down

The big move to the second floor is history! Miles bade a fond farewell to the NICU this afternoon after 56 days.

Although we knew for several days that Miles was working his way to the top of the NICU class, graduation to the second floor came suddenly. The doctors made the decision on rounds this morning, and by 1 p.m. we were ready to roll.



We packed up his art work, breast milk stockpile and binky bag and rolled him and his oxygen tank right out of there. Just like that! We took great pleasure in erasing his name off of the Nursery Five roster. It seemed so easy . . . and a very clear reminder that we really do get to bring our baby home SOON.

So what is the difference between floor six and floor two, besides the obvious elevation? Simple, floor six is intensive care and floor two is special care. The nurses on the floor two care for four babies, while those on floor six care for one to three. The whole goal of the Special Care Nursery is to get the babies ready to go home, while the NICU goal is to keep the babies alive. See, simple. Our baby is getting ready to come home.


He's so ready in fact that he is practically packing his own bags. After installing him on the second floor, Dean and I left for a few hours this afternoon. When we returned for his 6 p.m. care, the nurse told us that Miles had pulled off his own nasal canula and gavage tube. She felt that his O2 levels looked strong enough to leave the nasal canula off. Miles has been breathing without any assistance since late afternoon and seems to be doing well. The gavage tube was reinstalled until he can prove that he can nipple feed for 12 hours straight. We are working on this task.


It's been several weeks since we'd seen Miles' little face tube-free. Back when he was on CPAP, we could see him without it for a few minutes every four hours, when it was being changed. But the nasal canula has been a constant presence since then.

Seeing Miles in his new room with a view on the second floor, breathing without any assistance at all, was an unexpected delight. We feel like we've turned a corner and can now really begin to visualize bringing him home.

-Lisa and Dean