Friday afternoon the doctor mentioned that Simon would be getting another scan administered on Monday. This one would be to evaluate the cerebral cortex and check for ruptured blood vessels, a common occurrence for preemie babies. If the rupturing is severe enough, it could cause conditions like cerebral palsey. After hearing this, Perry and I were very anxious for Monday to come and the test to be over.
When we walked into the NICU this morning, the doctor on duty told us that the scan had already been performed last evening and that Simon had a normal reading. I asked what 'normal' was and the doctor said a hemorage of 1 or 2 is standard, but normal means zero hemorages! We were very releived and feel very blessed. Thank you God!

From Simon Levi

Today when we arrived at the hospital we were delighted to find that the doctor had removed the CPAP from Simon's face. (The CPAP is the annoying apparatus that you see in a lot of the pictures up to now.) The purpose of the device is to add some pressure to the lungs to prevent collapse and also usually supply some oxygen. The nurses call it the 'Hannibal Lector' mask because it really does decrease some of the mobility of the baby wearing it as well as obstruct the view! Perry and I were so delighted to be able to see our beautiful boy's face. Up until now, our glimpses have been very brief, taken during cleanings by the respiratory therapist. Hopefully, Simon will be able to continue doing so well with his breathing and he won't be needing the CPAP again.

Both Becca and I have been able to do what is known as "Kangaroo Care". After Simon has had his vitals checked, diaper changed, and is fed, he is transfered from his isolette onto one of our bare chests for some serious skin contact. He usually falls directly to sleep, but sometimes he opens his eyes and tries to look up at whoever is holding him. As soon as he is placed on one of us, he is covered with warm blankets that feel like they are directly from the dryer. This makes it easy for both of us to fall asleep!

From Simon Levi

Becca and I were anxious to go meet our little guy in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) before we rested from the long night in the labor and delivery room. She got in her wheelchair and I drove her down the hallway to see Simon. The lights of the NICU were dimmed and most people were speaking in hushed tones and bustling about attending to their charges. Simon was located in a little room off to the side of the main area. Since he was so young and needed more intensive care, they placed him in this room so her could have a more undisturbed atmosphere.
We met his caregiver, Janice, who was settling him into his isolette where he could have his temperature and vitals monitored and regulated. We quietly watched as she tucked blankets around him and positioned him for sleep. He had the addition of a nutrient & blood line fed through his umbilical cord. We couldn't touch him because of the danger of infection, but we could watch and talk to him.