Pierce reaches 30 weeks corrected and 2lbs 6oz!

That's right...Pierce is now 30 weeks corrected age (the 30's are a great mark to be at!) and he gained 2 oz overnight! His nurse didn't believe it, so she weighed him 3 times. It's hard to believe he is almost 1lb. heavier than he was at birth. Have I mentioned how much difference a pound makes?! After I posted that picture last night, I realized how much it made him look like a full-term baby. I think it had something to do with the angle of the camera, because I can ensure you, while he's gained weight, he is still no where near fitting into those adorable preemie clothes you see in the store. In fact, today I picked up a newborn outfit (I think it said up to 7lbs) and was shocked at how BIG it looked. I found myself thinking, "Will our kid ever fit into this?!"

Pierce had another quiet day. He was able to be weaned a tad on the ventilator and is back on the setting that allows him to do some work on his own. We are praying fervently that he will be off soon.

Our biggest prayer is that tomorrow, Pierce will come off of TPN (that's the IV nutrition he's received since birth) and will begin having his milk fortified. This is something that is scary, because until this point, Pierce has only received breastmilk, which is easy to digest. A lot of babies can have trouble digesting the cow's milk fortifier, but like everything in the NICU, it's a risk/benefits game. He needs this to grow and to get stronger. However, we know that NEC is always looming over us and now, more than ever, we will have to be on close guard. Our nutritionist has been AMAZING and is an expert in this area. She has promised to keep a close eye on our little guy and we are all praying that we do not have to deal with NEC at all. Fortunately for us, Pierce has a really strong GI tract (or so we've been told). Nik chalks this up to the fact that he comes from a long line of big eaters (on both sides of the family) and he doesn't seem to be hesitating when it comes to digesting food. Please continue to pray for this. I know it may seem so silly- praying for a baby to properly digest food. But I can't stress enough how important this process is and what a vital role it plays in his recovery/progress.

We will keep you guys posted and let you know how lil' man likes his first milkshake.

Love,
Lindsay