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.

Mother's Day weekend

Wait!  I'm 42 days old and I already have to get Mom something?  I thought I was going to fly under the radar on this Mother's Day. Luckily I am all the gift she needs so I just have to make a cute face, or a scowl, fill my diaper like I'm supposed to, and every now and then open my eyes and she thinks it's the greatest thing since sliced gluten free bread.  

After Friday's melt down, Mommy got her associate nurse, Linda, for two days.  Linda is all about sending me home and challenging me.  She says no cuddly nest or raised bassinet for me because I am a big girl.  She also convinces Mom to leave the hospital and have dates with Dad.  In fact, Linda sorta kicked her out the night before Mother's Day and told her not to return until the afternoon.

Our neighbors Stephanie and Violetta gave me this sweet outfit as a gift for Mother's Day.

This is my 1980's rapper pose.

Mom told me that she had a movie and dinner with Dad Saturday night and then a fancy breakfast and a walk Sunday morning.  She said Dad bought her a massage, facial, and pedicure too.  Guess it's not as cute when he smiles/scowls, fills his shorts, and opens his eyes.

When Mom and Dad came to the hospital, they dressed me in my first newborn onesie.  It was huge.

Nurses HATE pants, but mom couldn't resist.  It was her day after all.

Well hello there.

 We then had family portraits and I even got to be unhooked and walk down the hall.  It was really cool to not be tethered to any machines for a bit.  Mom and Dad were so excited!

Mom says Dad will be even more of a chick magnet with me in tow.  He is looking more handsome now than ever (but I have no previous frame of reference).

Me and Ma on Mommy's Day

Second family photo.

Our first walk down the NICU hall.

For my growth I am now at 4lbs and 9.6oz.