Rollercoaster

Today was full of ups and downs, again. After a calm night, Archer put the NICU staff into a flurry right at shift change this morning. His oxygen levels took a nosedive and a chest x-ray was ordered which revealed a small collection of air in his left lung. His lungs have been overinflated. Luckily the doctor was able to remove the extra 20ml of air in his chest using a needle instead of placing another chest tube.
Archer's blood gas levels were a bit low a few times throughout the day, but the last x-ray showed improvement. His oxygen level is currently at 70% with 70 breaths per minute. He was taking 5 to 10 breaths per minute on his own for a while today.
Archer squeezed Lacy's pinky finger (through a glove) after one of the chest x-rays. It was a good bonding moment.
Archer also started feeding today! He is on schedule to receive .5 ml of milk every three hours. It will take some time to tell if he accepts the feedings or not. Most preemies don't tolerate the milk at first; we may be in for more rollercoaster rides soon.