My Child is on the Honor Roll at Vanderbilt (nicu)

As Max approaches his 2 month birthday, I’m reflecting upon his accomplishments. His development will not be like that of most babies you know. We will have to adjust his age according to his due date of May 11. However, I like to think of Maxwell as an overachiever (don’t most moms) and note the things he does well that many “term” babies are also learning.

-When on his belly, Max can pick up his head. The first time he did this was scary for me since I thought his little muscles should not be able to hold up that big noggin.

-When calm and “organized,” Max can visually track the movement of an object or person. If he is feeling overstimulated, he will avert or close his eyes. We also learned he can see contrast best so he is attracted to patterns.

-Max can soothe himself by sucking on a pacifier and bringing his hands together. Sometimes he will suck on the side of his hand or even a finger. This is a very good skill to have because it is a coping mechanism.

-He can suck, swallow, and breathe at the same time! This is a HUGE accomplishment as it requires the coordination of 17 muscles and some term babies struggle with this skill. While Max is not taking all of his feeds orally, he is working on it. For those praying for Max, please pray for Max’s stamina in feeding. Sometimes he will only be able to take half of his bottle. We don’t want to push him too hard, but in order to go home he has to be taking all feeds by mouth.

-Max is also very good at charming the hospital staff. One of the social workers has declared herself Max’s girlfriend and was devastated when he moved to 7 South. Another nurse under his spell brought him an Easter gift of 2 books. So sweet! Here’s a picture of our cutie (be sure to read the shirt!):