Day 54: I'm GOING HOME!!

The day that we have all been waiting for is HERE!

After my big weigh in last night, all I needed was the go-ahead from the doctors during rounds. Of course there was a glitch in my chart.  The system reported I had lost 50 grams, but luckily nurse Lindsey and Mom made a stink about it and Dr. Patel agreed to re-weigh me.

My resident team- Dr. Patel pulled rank and said he got to hold me because he's the attending.

I had gained even more weight so it was no big deal, but it was kind of a funny start to they day.

Lots of people came by to see me off

Dr. Lange told me to listen to my parents.  He's big so  I didn't argue with him.

Voni helped Mommy through 2 bouts of mastitis and helped me learn to breastfeed

Dr. Phillips coached my Mom from the beginning of her hospital stay.

Lindsey is my favorite non family member.  I sure will miss her.

Then it was time to change outfits and pack up!

Super Malala

Car seat time

Let's blow this joint!

 And head out the door!

My home for the first 54 days of life.

Mom and Dad dreamed of this moment.

And motor on home!

HOME!

My new room

The NICU was a frustrating, but amazing place.  Without it and all the caring people that work there, I would not be here.  Mom and Dad are forever grateful for the special people that showed love and support we received while there.

I will keep blogging here and there, but for now I have to figure out how all this will work on our own.  Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers, and for reading!

We made a sappy & EPIC slideshow of my journey.  It took a long time, and I dare you not to cry.

VIEW MY JOURNEY BY CLICKING HERE!!!

  

Peace Out
Malala

Day 53 My Big Night

I have extra special news today!  I was able to take enough food to keep my feeding tube out and when the residents made their rounds this morning they said that if I can gain weight tonight and take all my feeds, I MIGHT get to go home tomorrow!  My parents are both excited and shocked.  They made a really big to do list that included getting my car seat inspected by AAA.  My nurse Linda even said Mom could ask 100 questions today.  Usually she just limits her to 30.  Linda is an invaluable resource and has worked in the NICU setting for many years.  She knows how to get babies out of here!  Mom and Dad really appreciate her help.  We took a photo together today.

Linda challenges me but is really confident I can make it home soon!

Mom really likes Linda.

 I had visitors today too!

My pal Pam came by and was shocked to see how big I had gotten.  She hadn't seen me since I was in the isolette. She said she'd come by and hang out with Mom when I go home.  Because I am a premature baby, I am not supposed to go out or have lots of visitors for the first month or so because I can get sick easily.  I told Mom Pam is fine because she made me lots of hand made gifts and came to visit me lots too.  I'm not above bribery.

Pam and I.  I have to show off all my sailing outfits to Mike soon.

 My friend Stacy came by too.  Stacy and Mom talk about serious stuff a lot like Poly ticks and sheroes.  For some reason Mom changed me out of my cute elephant outfit when Stacy came by.

Stacy said she felt lucky holding me.

 All these visitors made me sleepy.  I could tell Mom was in a good mood because she kept taking photos.  I hammed it up a little with this glamour shot.

Next Generation Rodin

 I had to pass a test today too.  I had to sit in my carseat for 1 hr without desaturating in oxygen or having a brady.  PIECE OF CAKE. I passed with flying colors and am ready for my next challenge!

A+

Everything seemed like it happened so fast, even though I've been in the NICU forever!  My weigh in tonight was crucial, because the only concern the docs had was me gaining weight.  Lucky for me my night nurse was my primary Benjamin.  When he weighed me, we all celebrated because I gained 50 grams!!! Mom and Dad both did a silly dance and Benjamin gave me a baby high five.

Big Ben and I spending our last night together.

When the doctors did their rounds, Dr. Iani, the doctor who was in the delivery room was the attending.  Mom was so happy because Dr. Iani let my parents hold me right after I showed up on the scene.  Dr. Iani said it was rare to let a mom hold a 29 week old baby, but I was doing great at the time.  Mom, Dad, and Dr. Iani shared a special moment.  My parents were impressed because there are 60 families at this NICU and the turnover can be high.  For a Doc to remember details of our delivery story really impressed Mom and Dad and made them feel like I had been well watched over.

My first Doc ever, Dr. Iani

So since I gained weight, I should be able to go home tomorrow!  Mom alerted Lindsey so maybe we could say bye to her tomorrow.  Lucky for me, Lindsey accepted an extra shift and will be my nurse on my hopefully special day!

Day 52: Progress!

Notice anything different about my face?

I no longer have a feeding tube!  I am on a 24 hour test to see if I will gain weight and eat all of my food by mouth.  If I pass I don't have to have the tube anymore.  Everyone tells me that not having the feeding tube shows my beautiful face so much more! 

It is both scary and exciting for my parents because this is what I have to do to get home someday.  If I can show everyone that I can gain weight like a big girl, maybe I'll get to go home sooner than later!

Another cool thing that happened is that Stephanie and Violetta get to go home. We are the same age, but V was born 1 week earlier.  If she is going home, it gives me the baby confidence that I can do it!  Remember the photo of me in my mother's day present?  Well Grammy brought me an outfit just like it and I gave it to V.  V's primary Ashley let Stephanie and V come visit for a twinsie photo shoot.  Look how adorable we are!

I was just fed but Violetta is hungry!

Day 51: Happy trails Grammy and another major milestone

Today was a sad day.  My new bestie, Grammy Bond had to go back to Salem.  She gave me this cute outfit so I thought I'd try it on to remember her after she left.

Blue butterflies look good on me.

She stayed all day and fed me one last time before her flight took off.

Grammy feeding me.

The magic touch

 And we got very cozy together.

Two babes, passed out.

Me and DaddyO

I will miss her but to make her proud, I hit a major milestone.  Mom fed me my first WHOLE bottle at my 9 o'clock feeding a 45 whopping mL.  Mom cried,to nobody's surprise. She .said I was such a  big girl and called Daddy.  He was so happy! Mom and I snuggled together and slept.

My first empty bottle!

The night attending doc ordered ad lib breastfeeding so we tried that a few times but I woke up every half hour to snack.  Mom was ready to collapse by 3 so we did a bottle for the next two feedings and I threw them back college style, chugging them both!  It was a big night for me!

50 Days & 5 pounds

Last night Grammy Bond bunked in my room and kept a watchful eye on me.  When Mommy got to the hospital I was dressed in this outfit:

Literally. All.Day.Long.

Mom gave me a bath and put me into an outfit Great Grandma McGuirk bought me.  The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the hat.

My big news today is that I crossed a milestone.  Not only am I in day of life 50 but I hit the big 5 pound mark today, meaning I doubled my birth weight!!!! Everyone yelled and it freaked me out.  I'm just doing what i"m supposed to!

Growing is hard work!

7 Weeks old: Room with a view

 Hi there!

I have spent 48 days in an interior room.  This has been good for my brain and eye development but Mom says she feels like she is living in Star Trek.  She says this must be what space travel is like because there are days she doesn't see the outside.  Dad thinks its getting to her and nurse Linda says the walls start getting smaller.  One of the nurses suggested looking to see if there was an open room with a window.  She said we would have to move all of my fan mail and my mom's stuff, but that it'd be worth it since Mom spends so much time in the hospital with me.  She put the request in, but we didn't hear anything by the end of the day so Mom went home to sleep and get a mental rest.

When Mom goes home for the night, she always calls the night nurse when she pumps in the middle of the night to check on me.  Tonight (or this morning) she called to check on me at 4:30am and the nurse said we could change rooms but she would have to come to the hospital before shift change. Mom finished pumping and got the hospital at 5am.  It took her several trips, but she moved everything to my new digs.  It has TWO windows and faces something called Piestewa peak. Mom is soooo happy this morning she said she doesn't care if she only got a few hours sleep!

North facing windowS- a rarity in the NICU

To celebrate my birthday I gained weight and topped the scales at 4lbs 15oz, and the same length as last week.

Days of life 47 & 48: The hold me monster & the chair of abandonment

Howdy,

I'm still hanging out here at the hospital doing my thing with feeding and growing.  My average feeds are starting to creep up a bit, which is good.  I need to take 75% of my food through the mouth before they will take my feeding tube out.  I am hovering around 40%, but that is much better than last week! I am starting to open my eyes for longer periods of time.  That's why they brought in this pink chair for me.  It has butterflies for me to look at (actually they just create shadows, but it's something new), and the seat vibrates too.  It's much more my speed than that swing I was in a few weeks ago!

Mom put me in it, and I was so content and the vibrations soothed me right to sleep!

Blue jammies in a sea of pink.

I had a visitor today, Katie Bern came by to hold me and have lunch with Mom.  I liked Katie, I was really comfortable in her arms, and I just dozed off!

Katie has the magic touch.

Grammy told me a funny story about Pop pop falling asleep with his arms over his head one day and waking up so sore.  I wanted Grammy to take a photo and send it to Pop pop showing him was a big girl I am.  I can sleep with my arms over my head and not blow out a rotator cuff.

Take this Pop pop

Daily dose of cuteness

 Mom thought it would be nice to have dinner at a pizza place near the hospital so she invited Aunt Lisa, Uncle Shorty, and Billy but little did she know I was going to be WIDE awake when it was time to go. Dad said he'd never seen me so awake.  So Dad took Grammy Bond to meet up at the restaurant while Mommy stayed behind with me to get me to sleep.  I knew she was getting ready to leave so I really had to cute it up a bit to make sure she felt properly guilty for leaving.  She rocked and rocked and rocked me until my eyes got a little heavy, but I fought on.  Finally the night nurse suggested my pink chair so Mom put me in it.

My eyes are still open!  Don't leave me!

 I still had my eyes open but I was calm and enjoyed the vibrations.  I barely notice Mom tell the night nurse she'd be back in an hour and slip out the door.  Mom told everyone at dinner that she had put me in the chair of abandonment and let the night nurse watch me for a bit.

Just chillin.

 When Mom came back she stayed the night with me.  I decided I was a changed woman.  I had a taste of the good life with Grammy Bond holding me non-stop.  When Mom thought it was time to sleep, I thought it was time to be held so I cried and cried.  At first she changed my diaper and put me back and I cried.  Then she reswaddled me and put me back and I cried.  She knew I wasn't hungry, so she picked me up and I stopped crying.  The night nurse, Sarah said uh-oh  she knows you're here and now she wants you to hold her all the time.

If Grammy can hold me all the time why can't Mom and Dad?

Sometimes I can get fooled by these developmental gadgets that act like I'm being held.

Mom called Grammy the next morning and said no more holding all day.  Grammy said she was sorry and laughed but later she told me she wasn't.  I have a feeling the concept of a Grandparent is to become my best friend and thwart Mom and Dad's attempts at making me boring. I have a feeling the word I am looking for is karma.

Gestational Age 36 weeks: Romaine Lettuce

Top of the morning!

Today Mom got an email that said at 36 weeks, I am supposed to be the size of a head of romaine lettuce; about 6 pounds and 18.5" long.  I am pretty close!  I weighed in at a whopping 4 pounds 12 ounces this evening, and my length was around 17" last Sunday.  It's pretty amazing that this place figured out how to grow a baby outside of mommies.  Pretty amazing and a little too Brave New World if I think about it too much.  What, you think I sit around all day and get read the Hungry Caterpillar and Cat in the Hat? I'm all about the classics.  I am well read for 45 days old.  

My supposed 36 week target. Looks healthy.

I had a busy day today!  Mommy and I hung out for a bit until Grandma got here and then she made a break for it to eat lunch with her coworkers for Stephen's going away lunch and to run a bunch of errands to prepare for me going home one day.

I hung out with Grammy Bond who held me until her arm basically fell off; only taking a single restroom break.  She told me all about my family and said I one day I would meet my Grandma Simpson and she would hold me too!  I can't wait!

Lindsey gave me a bath while Grammy took 5,000 pictures.  I thought all babies got baths, but she thought this one was extra special for some reason.  I am starting to enjoy my baths, and I get them every three days.  The trick is not getting so relaxed that I end up pooping in the tub, because then I have to get another bath that is quicker, in a small tub, and waaaaaaay less relaxing.

I don't like to be wet unless I have a warm water blanket on.

Ooooh yeah now we're talking.

My wubanub has a rival for best friend.  Grammy Bond holds me all the time.

Week 7 Reinforcements

Hi!

Not too much fanfair for Monday, but here are some photos of it.

This is how I roll.  Animal prints, outta control.

Milk buzzed

My jammies.

 Mom and Dad kept telling me that reinforcements will be here Tuesday.  I didn't know what to expect but in walked Grammy Bond!!!  She got in late Tuesday, and was hungry and tired I bet, but she took a long time to hold me before going to get some rest.

This lady sorta reminded me of my Mom.

 Wednesday was pretty chill.  Mom, Dad, and Grandma went to a work shower to celebrate me.  I'm not sure why they get to party and I have to stay here!  It was cool though because I hung out with Lindsey and she took me into the hallway.  Mom walked by and realized it was me and the resident was examining me in the hallway.