Facts & Figures & Dates and such

Since staying warm and growing are Will's two biggest tasks right now, we have close follow up with his pediatritian starting right away today, just 48 hrs after being discharged.  While all newborns get their first checkup early on, Will will have mainly 2 appointments a week for at least a while to make sure he continues to gain weight appropriately as we adjust his feeding schedule between nursing, fortifying his bottles and overall volume, along with his work of maintaining his temperature.

Reviewing where he's been so far:

• US all along estimated him large for age ~ at 32 weeks was estimated at 5 lb 1 oz - which was 95% for his gestational age, or average for a 35 weeker
• Born at 32 weeks 2 days weighing 5lb 5oz and 18 inches long - still 95%.  His head circumference was up there as well, albeit proportionately
• Initial weight loss (as expected) down to 4lb 13oz but after a week old & no significant gains for a couple days after that, added a fortifier to his breast milk
• Weight steadily went onward and upward from there ~ on the day of discharge up to 6lb 4oz and length up to 19 inches
• First outpatient visit after 48 hrs home weighs in at 6 lbs 8 oz

Perspective takes some reminding sometimes, because essentially now he is the size of a "normal" newborn.  But he is only just over 35 weeks gestational age, just over 3 weeks old, and technically was of low birth weight when born, even if big for his 'age.' Considering the usual guidelines of doubling weight by 6 months & tripling by a year he should, there is a big difference in these numbers had Will been born full term.  Estimating he would have been a 9-10lb term baby, the numbers at each of these milestones would go from 10lbs to 20lbs at six months; from 16lb to 30lb at one year!  And this is just his growth curve.  Technically his adjusted age is still talked about in terms of gestation - he is just shy of 36 weeks today.  As a preemie, he will be age adjusted for all developmental milestones for at least the first two years of life.  The ability to nurse, head control, having hands open, rolling over, smiling,  reaching, sitting up, babbling & speech, awareness of surroundings, crawling, cruising, walking, and the list goes on and on.  I'm not concerned about his development yet; I understand he will be on his own time frame.  However I do find myself already somewhat defensive for him, after all he is a preemie and from the beginning he's done well enough to fool people into having great expectations for him.  If we have to remind ourselves "he's just a preemie, let him be a preemie," then how often will we have to remind others?  I just want to let him be who he is going to become at whatever pace he gets there!