‘Angel’ gains his birth size on apt day
ON MONDAY, three-and-a-half month old wonder baby Nico celebrated the day he was supposed to be born. As reported in the Leader last October, the Berwick infant was born 14 weeks’ premature and weighed only 710g. His mother Karin said he was the size of a 390ml bottle.
But now, speaking to the Leader this week from what has become the family’s second home, the special care unit at Monash Medical Centre in Clayton, Mrs Arnold said her ‘‘angel’’ was almost the size of an average newborn baby.
Premature baby Nico with mum Karin, two-year-old sister Brooklyn and dad Geoff Arnold.
‘‘He’s still pretty small but he weighs 2.2kg, which is the size of many babies when they are born,’’ Mrs Arnold said. It hasn’t been an easy ride for tiny Nico.
Still breathing with the aid of a ventilator, he had to be resuscitated twice this year: once while Mrs Arnold was at his side in the hospital room. ‘‘It was absolutely terrifying,’’ she said. ‘‘He got something stuck in his airway and he couldn’t breathe.’’
But despite the recent scares, Mrs Arnold said Nico was making progress: ‘‘We can bathe him by ourselves now and cuddle him whenever we like. I feel more like his mother now that he is less fragile.
‘‘He’s definitely progressing but he’s doing it at his own pace.’’
Mrs Arnold said celebrating Nico’s due date provoked mixed emotions.
‘‘It’s absolutely amazing that he’s been here for more than three months when I wasn’t due to have him until this week.
‘‘It’s a wonderful milestone for him but it’s been really tough. I just wish I could take him home.’’
Nico is expected to be in hospital for another month.