gettting close!

time has been flying by! my updates haven't been as frequent as my visits to the hospital but now we are in the last stages of his time in the nicu, which means MORE hospital visits, mainly focusing on the times when he is eating because he does better with consistency vs having different people feeding him all the time (that's what they tell me) but I think he really just likes it when his mama or his daddy feed him! He has done really well with us, drinking all his milk with only a few times drinking just a partial (the rest being given to him through his NG tube). He has to drink 3 full bottles during a 12-hour shift before he can go on his own schedule and they just go off his cues with when he eats and how much. He has been up and down as far as taking bottles. His doctor says that as he grows and gets stronger he will be able to last longer drinking. He seems pretty strong to me, he can lift his head and upper body up off my shoulder when i am burping him, but i know he needs to keep building up his endurance.

Riley is now weighing 6lbs 3oz! He is long and skinny and fits into newborn clothes but hasn't quite filled them out yet. He is so cuteee and we cant wait until he is finally home. Not to say that him being home won't have its challenges but at the same time it will be nice to not have to go up to the hospital various times throughout the day! I think Riley will probably appreciate a change of scene too ;)

We have gotten his pack n play (which he will sleep in to start with), carseat, we were gifted a great baby swing and playmat from my cousins, and he has also gotten some clothes and diapers plus homemade gifts from family and some friends. I am trying to make sure I have all the essentials...yesterday I realized I didn't have any baby shampoo or lotion so i picked some of that up. I love DI (a secondhand store) for picking out fun children and baby books for cheap! Riley loves it when we read together, he is so attent.

I really want to paint his room this weekend just in case he is home next week. He wont be sleeping in his room for a while but we will have some of his things set up in there.

anyways, i am a little sleep deprived right now (yeah, that doesn't start start when he gets home, it started when he was born! although i admit that i am probably getting more than a new mom with her baby at home with her from the start). I went to give Riley his 5am feeing, so I got up about 4:15 am.

also, happy birthday Rocky!!! You are the best daddy Riley could have and he reminds me so much of you, you two make life so much fun and so much of an adventure! Love you!!!