Seven weeks already?

Our baby is now SEVEN weeks old!

I talked with Finn's doctor today. She said she heard a heart murmur, but wasn't concerned enough to do anything about it (if it gets worse, they will do an echo of his heart). She said it could just be "turbulence" in the blood stream or it could be a sign of a physical problem with the heart. So for now, I'm hoping it is option #1. She also said that as soon as a bed opens up, Finn will be on his way over to the ICC. Good job, Finn!

We had a sad night last night. It was Lisa's (Finn's favorite nurse) last night. She is moving to Ohio so she is taking a vacation to find a house. By the time she gets back from vacation, Finn will be in the ICC (again, barring any shenanigans on Finn's part). I am so thankful she was Finn's evening nurse. I felt that at least when I couldn't be there, he was well taken care of by somebody who really cared about him. I wonder if these NICU nurses comprehend what a huge impact they have on the lives of the babies they care for and the babies' families...

Pumping is going well. I only have to get up once during the night and try to pump every 3 hours during the day (sometimes it gets pushed to 4 hours if I have things going on). The freezer is two ziploc bags short of being completely full! At least Finn is eating 30 mL (about 1 oz) every 3 hours. Yeah!

In the last couple of days, Finn has started showing signs of the rooting reflex...for you non-moms out there, the rooting reflex assists in breastfeeding. A newborn infant will turn their head toward anything that strokes their cheek or mouth, searching for the object by moving their head in steadily decreasing arcs until the object is found. I find it promising that Finn is starting to do this and hope it is a sign he will be ready to breastfeed before too long. Last time we asked, they said it would be between 34 and 36 weeks when a baby can figure out how to suck, swallow and breathe all at the same time. Finn will be 33 weeks gestational age tomorrow (Wed). I know it can be tough and I also know Finn may not be able to breastfeed, but I'm really excited to try.