Day 61

1 week already! I can't believe that I have been at home for a week. Time sure does fly!

Mom and Dad seem to be adjusting well to having me at home, especially since they discovered the swing. It's my new favorite thing and keeps me happy for hours. My second favorite new thing is the fancy bath tub that Mom and Dad got for me. It sure beats the metal tub that they bathed me in at the hospital.

Grandma Hawley came over last night and cuddled me for nearly the whole hockey game. Sucks that the Senators lost!

Day 60

I'm 2 months old! Bust out the good Cabernet. Wait a minute, who is typing this blog? My tests went well today and I've turned into quite the little breast feeder. Even when I'm snuggling with Dad I'm searching for something to suck on!

To celebrate my first 60 days, I give you...lots of pictures of ME!


Grandma Hawley makes a great babysitter

It's tiring being this cute all the time

Yeah, I see you looking at me

Darling, I am way too gorgeous for you

Eh, who made this seat so damn big?

Day 59

Wow time sure flies now that I am at home. So far so good. I had a couple of nights where I wasn't feeling well so Mom didn't get much sleep. Last night was much better. Hopefully a sign of things to come. Cross your fingers for me!
So many appointments this week. I met my family doctor. She seems really nice. They sterilized one of the exam rooms just for me before I arrived. Mom was pleased.
The doctor checked me out and said that I appear to be doing just fine. We booked my 2 month vaccinations for next week. Hard to believe I will be two months old tomorrow! Yesterday we met with the lactation consultant. I am 4 pounds and 13 ounces. Five pounds here I come! I got weighed before and after I breast fed so that we could tell how much food I was getting. I got 35ml which is about half my feed. Karen (the lactation consultant) was pleased with my progress. I have another appointment with her next week.
Today I have the second dreaded eye test and I meet with the surgeon for a follow up.
It'll be a bit of a test for Mom because the appointments are spread out just enough to make it tough to coordinate.
Grandma Hawley babysat me last night while Mom and Dad went and played in their playoff football game. Mom and Dad won, but more importantly I had a great night with Grandma!

Go Sens Go!

Day 55

I think Mom and Dad want to ship me back! We didn't sleep at all last night. They now have a true appreciation of the nurses. Turns out Mom has an upset stomach and must have given it to me in the milk. Finally all Mom's pumping will go to good use because I can have the extra milk that Mom stored for me when I was at the hospital. Hopefully my stomach will settle and we can all get some sleep. That being said we had a great day together. Grandma made curtains for my new room and Dad and Mom took me for a walk. I really enjoyed the fresh air. It sure is quiet her compared to the hospital. Dad bought me a radio for my room to help me sleep. Sure is nice having Mom and Dad around all the time now.

Day 54

I'M AT HOME!!!!!

Mom and Dad arrived at CHEO to get some really great news today. I was finally allowed to go! I gained 50 grams last night despite the stress of surgery and didn't need any pain medication. The surgeon and neonatologist checked me out and were satisfied that I was good to go.

I've been home a few hours now and I love it!

Day 53

Well surgery is over and the doctor is calling it a success. It was a stressful experience and I am in some pain but I handled the situation pretty well. They gave a spinal which numbs me from the waist down. That was a bit scary but surgery didn't hurt a bit. Mom and Dad agreed that if I didn't need to be put under and surgery was going well the doctor could do the exploration of the right side. Well I slept through surgery and it turns out I had a hernia on my right side too. The doctor repaired both sides and stitched me up. Mom fed me after surgery and cuddled me to sleep. The nurses say I was in what they call a honeymoon period, meaning they expect me to get a bit worse throughout the day. No one seems to know yet where I go from here, perhaps back to the General or maybe home. For now I'm just going to rest up and start healing. Thanks to everyone for all the well wishes! Hopefully that's my last surgery for a long while.

Day 52

I have a new home for the night. I was transferred from the General to CHEO tonight in preparation for my surgery. They managed to schedule me for noon tomorrow. The two hospitals are connected via a tunnel and my nurse from the General brought me over and gave the CHEO nurses all my details. Things here aren't as nice, or familiar as the general so hopefully I won't have to stay for too long.
The surgeon talked to Mom today and told her that they want to explore my right side for a hernia while they have me sedated to repair the hernia on my left side. This means an extra incision and that surgery will take a little longer than expected. I think Mom and Dad are still deciding if they will have that done. I guess I'll find out in the morning. Anyhow, I'm off to bed because I have a big day tomorrow. I'll let you know how I'm doing once I'm out of surgery.

Day 51

So it turns out I am not going home on Friday. During a routine exam today the doctors discovered that I have a hernia and will need to go to CHEO for surgery. Dad found some info on the Internet about hernias in preemies and it doesn't sound too bad. The doctor was able to tuck the lump back in so at this point it does not seem to be an emergency.

Inguinal hernias are very common in premature infants. In all male fetuses, during development, there is an opening that connects the abdominal cavity (which contains intestines and other organs) to the scrotum. Normally, this opening closes before birth. Premature infants (and even some full-term ones) may be born before this opening fully closes. When that happens, a small loop of intestine can slip through the opening and end up in the scrotum, where it is felt as a mass or lump.

An inguinal hernia doesn't cause any problems unless it gets trapped, which is then a medical emergency. To be safe, most doctors recommend having inguinal hernias fixed as soon as possible. Surgery is the only way to fix a hernia. Luckily, the operation is a simple one that surgeons do all the time. Most babies handle these operations very well. They don't seem to have a lot of pain. Within a day or so, they usually look as though nothing had happened (except for the presence of a very small surgical incision). The incision from a hernia repair usually heals to leave only a tiny scar that is barely visible.

We don't know when the surgeons can schedule the surgery but the best guess at this point is that I will be here until at least mid next week.

Day 50

Day 50 already! Time is sure going fast. Mom and Dad got some exciting news today. They get to take me home on Friday. I can't wait to see my new room.
Mom spent the day with me and chatting with the nurses making sure that everything is all set at home for me.
I put on over an ounce again and had a good day. They are going to do a hearing test on me, probably tomorrow and one more head ultrasound before I get discharged. I think it's going to be a long couple of days. Mom said that Grandma G. is coming to Ottawa for a visit on Friday. She is not going to believe how much I have changed.

Day 49

Wow! I put on almost 4 ounces in the last two days. I guess this feeding on demand must be working for me. That being said Mom met with the dietitian today and it turns out that I am only in the 5th percentile for weight for my age. I was in the 50th percentile when I was born. Apparently it's normal for babies born as early as I was but it means that I will need to get fortified food even once I get home. Mom and Dad came in and bathed me and fed me tonight. It takes a long time to feed me now because I get so much food and need to burp often. The nurses were telling Mom and Dad that I am a tough kid to burp.

Day 48

I got to see the whole NICU today. Now that I am in my cot I am one of the more portable babies. I went from room C, to B, to A and back to C. I am glad to be back in room C with my old roommates.
They have switched my feeding times again. This time I call the shots. I am now getting fed when I am hungry. I wake up, give a little shout out and they give me food. They are trying to prepare Mom for when I go home. She is so used to giving me a set amount of food at a set amount of time. They didn't weigh me today so hopefully tomorrow night when I get weighed I will still have put on some weight.
Mom and I watched the Senators win game 3 tonight!

Day 47

Notice anything different? That's right, they finally took out my feeding tube. I didn't take it out this time, the nurses did. Hopefully they will not need to put it back in. This feeding every four hours thing is making me pretty tired. I like the extra sleep between feeds, but they sure expect me to eat a lot when I do feed.
Dad and Mom came in tonight to bath me and imagine this, I was too cold. The afternoon nurse didn't bundle me before she left because I was a bit warm and by bath time I was too cold. The night was not a total loss because Dad gave me a bottle and cuddled with me in the parent room while we watched a little hockey. Oh, and I finally passed the four pound mark!

Day 46

I am 34 weeks old today and not quite four pounds. I took my car seat for a test drive today. Looks like I am going to fit just fine. The big concern is the shoulder straps and they sit right at my shoulders. Plus I'll be doing some more growing before I get to go home.
I have been taking all my feeds by bottle today so they decided to see if they could get me on a four hour schedule. To do this they need to give me a lot more food with each feed. I went from 35 cc's at 6pm to 48 at 9pm. Mom and Dad came in and Dad fed me but it was really tough to get that much food in me. I felt really uncomfortable and tired afterwards. I fell asleep cuddling with Dad but didn't feel very good when he put me back in my cot. Hopefully it gets better or I am not sure how long I'll be able to keep this up for.

Day 45

Mom and I had another good day today. Dad's in Vegas for business but Mom said he'll come visit me tomorrow. We had an appointment with the lactation consultant today and I decided to cooperate. She said that I am doing really well. Mom gave me another bottle and the nurses taught her how to give me my iron supplements. She didn't do so hot and ended up squirting it all over my face. Good thing she has the nurses around to help out. I'll be 34 weeks corrected tomorrow so they weighed me and took my measurements. I am 1cm longer and am up to 3 pounds and 15 ounces. Looks like I'll be 4 pounds in no time. One more pound and I'll be big enough for my car seat! I'm still getting tired when they feed me so I won't get to use it yet.
Mom gave me a bath again tonight. I love the bath! I am not scared anymore and didn't get the hiccups this time.

Day 44

Mom gave me a bottle today for the first time. She told me she thought that I did really well, although she was a bit surprised how messy I am. I fill up with more than I can swallow and it ends up that a lot of it drips down the side of my mouth. After she gave me the bottle I figured that we were done with the tube feeding. I pulled out my NG tube and handed it to my nurse. She kept it out for a while, but put one back in at 3am. I guess I am not quite ready for just bottles. It was worth a shot though, I hate this tube! They didn't weigh me today. Hopefully tomorrow night when Mom's in for my bath I will have put a lot of weight on. Everyone keeps telling me how chubby my cheeks are. Incidentally they also mentioned that I am less pale, although you wouldn't know it from these photos.

Day 43

I got to see my Dad last night. He is finally feeling better and came in with Mom to give me a bath. He couldn't believe how much I have grown. I am 3 pounds and 13 ounces now. We're still working on getting me off the feeding tube but I am taking more food by bottle every day now. I have to be feeding on demand and without the feeding tube before I can go home. I still have a few weeks to get the hang of it, hopefully I don't get tired out.

Day 42

Well today was the day for the dreaded eye test and it was every bit as bad as they told me it would be. They gave me eye drops and then an hour later the obstetrician showed up. He had some funny apparatus on his head that he used to look in my eyes. They warned Mom not to stick around and watch. When Mom left the nurse put these horrible metal things in my eyes to keep them open. Mom (and everyone in the NICU) could hear me screaming. When it was all over Mom talked to the obstetrician who said my eyes look great. They have to repeat the horrible test in two weeks but he is optimistic that everything will be fine.
I bottled three full feeds which makes Mom happy. The doctors won't send me home until I am feeding without my feeding tube. I am still here for at least a couple weeks though so no rush yet. Mom says Dad is starting to feel better and can hopefully come in soon for a visit. He misses me like crazy! I miss him too.

Day 41

Happy Easter! I had fun with the nurses last night making an Easter card for Mom and Dad. Mom came in and found it in my cot in the morning. It's hard to believe that I am 40 days old and my feet are still so tiny. I wish I could have spent Easter at home with Mom and Dad but I had a good day. Mom gave me a bath and spent the day with me. I was able to take my whole 33 cc feed by bottle without getting too tired. Hopefully they will take the feeding tube out of my nose soon. I pulled it out myself three times the other day but they kept putting it back in.

Day 40

I had a good day today. Mom spent most of the day with me and we cuddled for quite a while. The nurses say that I am happier now that I am in my cot. They swaddle me in blankets and I am snug and warm and fuss less. They weighted me again tonight and I put on 67 grams in the last two nights. I am almost 3 pounds and 11 ounces. Mom was saying she was starting to notice how much bigger I am. Dad is really going to be surprised when he is feeling better and come visit me.
The nurse discovered today that I am a little bit tongue tide. They are going to have the doctor look at it but hopefully they won't need to snip it. It doesn't seem to be effecting my feeding. The nurse fed me 20 cc's by bottle tonight and although it went slowly it went well.

Go Sens Go!

Day 39

Well look at me...laying here in this spiffy new cot. I'm going places, baby! Today I left the waterbed behind. Of course, now they expect me to regulate my body temperature all by my self, so I've got some work to do. Mom came in and bathed me today. I also got to breast feed twice and even got to chomp on a bottle for a feed as well. Stick anything near my mouth and I'll start sucking on it! Dad is still sick, so I haven't seen him in a few days...but I know he loves me lots and I hope to see him soon.

Day 38

Mom and I had a good day together today. She spent most of the day with me and I didn't have any trouble with my breathing. They moved me out of my King size bed and into a single. I actually kind of like it. It's more snug and less room to move around than my big bed. After Mom left for dinner they tried turning the bed temperature down a bit. When she got back to bath me I was too cold. That's three times she's come to bath me and I have been too cold. She is going to come and bath me during the day tomorrow instead. Hopefully she's done some laundry because at the rate I am peeing on my sheets I'll need some clean ones soon.

Day 37

Mom and I had a good day today. She spent a lot of time here and my heart rate was stable the whole time. We tried breast feeding again and it went well. I put on 25 grams so I am up almost a complete pound from my birth weight. When Mom called back at night the nurse told her that my heart rate had dropped with my last two feeds. They probably shouldn't have told her because she called back at 3am and 7am. The nurses are trying to explain to her that it's normal and just happening because I am full. It's not considered spells because my breathing is okay and I don't need to be stirred for things to return to normal. For now no caffeine or oxygen required. Mom's going to talk to the doctors just to be sure.
I am really starting to enjoy this soother!

Day 36

I gave Mom another scare today. She came in for my lunch and my heart rate dropped and I started changing colours again while she was holding me. She put me back in bed and I was fine. She stayed for rounds and talked to the doctors who agreed to do a CBC to check my blood cell counts. The blood tests came back fine. I am making my own red blood cells so no transfusion is required and my white cell count does not indicate infection.
The evening nurse gave me a bath and I was wide awake and really enjoyed it. I had a good night and put on another 20 grams. Hopefully tomorrow Mom and I will have a better day together.

Day 35

Well today was a real day of ups and downs. On a positive note I put on 37 grams and am now over 3 pounds 6 ounces. I also had a bone test done that came back fine. I had some not so good moments throughout the day too. Mom and I had an appointment with the lactation consultant and that didn't go well at all. They woke me up and that made me mad. I decided not to try breast feeding and instead I just kicked and cried. It was also time for some blood tests and they didn't take enough blood the first time so they had to take some more. They gave me sucrose for the pain but it still hurt. Hopefully they won't need anymore blood for a while.
Mom came in to bath me in the evening but my temperature was too low so she didn't bath me. She decided to hold me for my feed instead. While she was holding me I stopped breathing and turned colours on her. She put me back in my bed and I had no problems breathing after that. Mom called during the night several times and my nurse told her I was doing fine. All and all a pretty stressful day. I still need to get an eye test this week which I've heard is not fun either.

Day 34

No new pictures today. Mom and Dad are sick again! Mom came in for a quick afternoon visit during my lunch time but she did not stay long. The nurses took good care of me though. I managed to pack on another 25 grams, bringing me just shy of 1500.