Awake and happy...

Mummy and Daddy visited twice today. They didn't cuddle me as I've been having a bit of jip breathing. Only because the doctors reduced my pressure and I'm finding it a bit of a challenge; so they thought it best to let me rest as much as possible. They still did my cares (I wee weed all over Daddy) and played with me for a while.

My weight and milk have both stayed the same today as has everything else really. They're going to put a note on my incubator to say that my clothes need to be taken home by Daddy and Mummy to be washed... a few of my friends clothes have been put in the general wash, which means that a different baby might end up wearing them... I hope I don't end up in a pink girlie suit, urgh! Mummy's friends Allison and Ian have bought me three little sleep suits, they're all blue, two say 'pirate' and one says 'captain', clearly I'm supposed to be a naughty pirate twice as much as a good captain; I think I can manage that! They've got velcro on so that they're easy to put on and take off - they're coming to see me next weekend so I'll make sure that I'm wearing one... Mummy better get washing them then!

Here's me looking delightful... I've got the nurses wrapped around my little finger, I just flutter my big eyes at them and get a big smile back...

Contented baby...

That's what I am most of the time. I just get angry when I'm being squidged around. I pulled my food tube out three times today... then got another one, so the protest didn't get me very far... This is what I look like without it though - even cuter eh!

My oxygen level got down to 22% at it's lowest today, which is great; the doctors also decided to lower the pressure that they give it to me at from 7.5 down to 6.5 - fab! My milk has gone up to 9.9ml's per hour and my weight is up to 1190g's, which is 2lbs 10oz's on the dot.

I've been sleeping a lot, but still had time to have a cuddle with Mummy... Tomorrow I hope to cuddle Daddy, who didn't see me today because he was busy meeting someone about our house and getting the work finished... I've bagsee'd my room and have told Mummy that I'd like animals on my walls like the ones on my babygrow.

Tiny-too...

...that's the name of my new friend. That's because I'm tiny and he's tiny too, get it?! In fact it makes a change to make friends with someone smaller than me.

Mummy dressed me today. She had to unplug my coloured wires and take off my shiny red foot thing; everyone thinks that I look very handsome and when Grandma Felicity and Grandad Martin came to visit they say that I've changed quite a lot, that I've got bigger which is great!

They've put me in mega nappies at the moment. They're far too big, they didn't have any of the smaller ones left. Daddy and Mummy have to buy them for me now - Pampers Micro... not all shops sell them so Mummy says that she's going to 'surf' to find me some - what's surfing, when it's at home? My bum has got bigger, but not enough to fit into the mega nappies, I'm still small at 1170g's today, up 20g's from yesterday... and I'm on 9.7ml's of fortified milk now, I'll be a billy blooter soon!

Mummy cuddled me today, I wasn't out for long as she'd changed my nappy and played with me a little so I was quite tired beforehand. I soon let them know when I'm not happy as I beep a lot. There's no beeping when I'm asleep though; I love sleeping as I can concentrate on growing... and can dream about coming home.

A wiggle and a giggle...

Mummy tells me all about my family and she's always saying hello to me from my friends. I've a new friend today... Holly. Holly lives around the corner, she left a present for me, how kind. Thank you Holly, I'll look a real groover in my little bodies and WOW, what a hat. It'll be a bit big for me at the moment but hopefully by next summer my head will be that big, which should give you an idea of just how small I am right now.

I'm up another few grams... 30 to be precise... 1150g's now which is just over 2lbs 9oz's, I'm catching up with my friend Harriet who's just a few incubators away. I met her in the hot room, she got a bit hotter than me and left a bit earlier, but we're together again now... She's very pretty, but is a bit poorly at the moment so I don't want to be too near as I don't want to catch anything, she's got the lurgie!

No cuddle today so I'm a bit miffed, so that's all I shall say about that. BUT, Mummy was extra nice this afternoon, she massaged my legs and feet so I laid there like a good boy just watching her. Daddy did my cares this morning. I love looking around, I love seeing Mummy and Daddy, especially when they're together; I just move my head from side to side and they tell me how much they love me; I've got their heart strings well and truly plucked!

Piccies through the days...

I might be on 9ml's of Mummy's milk, but twice a day I have a cocktail of drugs, this tops up my tummy and makes me sleepy. There's caffeine, sodium, potassium, vitamin and diuretic and they've started me on an iron liquid too - wowzers, what a mixture. Mummy gave me my drugs today and it's possible that I'll have some when I go home.

I've been a good boy today. I haven't been out or about, but hopefully I'll have a cuddle tomorrow. Mummy and Daddy will come in the morning, Mummy will go swimming and then she'll come back to spend the afternoon with me, she might even read me a story; I like the one about the chimp who's lost his Mummy, a butterfly helps him find her.

Mummy's been calculating how much I weigh in grams and pounds. I'm 1120g's which is 2lbs 80z's - mega! She's been looking on the internet (whatever that is) at clothes for me but there's not a lot that are small enough.

Mummy and Daddy are going to take me home to their little house, so they've been chatting about where my bed is going to go in their sitting room. They'll get me a cot/bed, a changing thing for to lye on which has got drawers and things and a chair for her to sit on when she's feeding me (which she's a bit scared about as she thinks it'll hurt).

I can't wait to go home. There's not a specific time frame or a date that I can look forward to, but I'm sure it'll be around my due date which is 19th August; odd considering I'm already here.

Come on over to my place...

This is my home now... this is what Room 4 looks like. Rows of incubators and cots all in a line with nurses over the other side of the room walking up and down, switching off beepers, adjusting oxygen requirements, administering drugs and doing cares. There's much more daylight in here and it seems calmer. Mummy and Daddy like it, they can come and go a little easier (although I don't like it when they go) and they can do my cares when they like and it's generally more relaxing for all of us.

I've been uppy and downy today; my oxygen requirement has been steady, it's just me that's been all over the place; but I've controlled myself well, which is progress itself. I've put on the 20g's that I lost yesterday, however it's possible that I've lost it again - poops not oops!

They did an eye test this morning. The night nurse put some stingy drops in my eyes to dilate my pupils, this lets in lots of light and I have to keep them shut as the light hurts too. The ophthalmologist says that they're as they should be for now and they'll do another test in 2 weeks...

I'm busy when I'm asleep... getting better...

I didn't do much today (so it would appear from appearance only), the usual wake up, get nappy changed, go back to sleep again, whilst being continually fed... not bad really. However, it always seems to be that the sounder asleep I am, this is when I'm rudely awakened, turned over and cleaned. I have to be honest that recently I've begun to pong a bit... I guess that being 8 weeks old now I should have a bath!

I said that I was looking forward to being cuddled, and cuddled I was by Daddy and Mummy. I was wrapped up all cosy and warm in my soft sheet and blue blanket, because I'm a boy! Kissy kissy...

I'm still on 9ml's of milk per hour. I'm not sure if this will go up or just stay the same for a little while. I've gone down 20g's, which is fine... I probably had an extra big wee wee; going to the loo can be the difference of losing or gaining weight.

Because of my chronic lung disease I'm a bit uppy downy on the amount of oxygen that I require. When Mummy and Daddy arrived I was on 46%, when they left I was down to 36%, that whole touchy feely thing works quite well to calm me down - not that I'm agitated, I just wriggle a lot. Daddy was in control of my oxygen and when I beeped because the saturation in my blood was high, he turned it down for me.

Once they've disturbed me, they play with me a bit by holding my hand, touching my toes, looking at me, stroking my head and my back. They give me this plastic thing and stick it in my mouth, this is nice I chomp on it and suck it; then I fall asleep. Sometimes the plastic thing's not around, so my hand will have to do...

What a stink, cover my nose...

I think I need a bath... I've got a bigger nappy now, not because of the size of my bottom, because of what comes out if it! It's like a duvet and it fits me better around the waist too...

They're thinking about not feeding me as much; I'm on 9ml's/hr at the moment. My tummy is getting rather big as it's full most of the time with yummy milk; but it's growing at a high rate and my body's growing a little slower.

The weight curve on my chart goes up quite steeply over the last few days and my body needs to catch up. I'm up to 1080g's now, which is 2.4lb's.

I've been lovely today, Daddy and Mummy tell me. I've been calm (went down from needing 46% oxygen to 36%, although they've put the flow of pressure up to 7.5). They turned me over from being on my front and I opened my eyes and looked at them. They're just shapes and a blur at the moment.


I'm hoping for a cuddle tomorrow, Daddy and Mummy will have to ask the nurses. There's not as much room in Room 4 as in the hot room, but they'll manage it I'm sure - how could they resist me, I'm scrumptious!

Cry baby cry...

I was clearly unhappy about something...

Promoted by default...

Mummy and Daddy were changing my nappy and I had another 'free' moment... but this one ended in needing several alcohol wipes and a new incubator... I guess you know what that means!

I cuddled Daddy and Mummy today, due to being homeless for a while. My friends were allowed out to play as well... Champ crept up on me at one point - it shocked me a little.

Kraut kept me company for a bit - he's a softee.

I've lost 10g's... but I think we all know why, lots of changing nappies going on. This makes me 1001g's, which is still over a kilo and is 2.2lbs. I'm growing slowly but surely!

I've come down on my oxygen requirement and they've lowered the pressure of the oxygen going through my nose tube; this is good news as its progress.

Oh yes, I nearly forgot... I'm in Room 4 now!!! I thought I'd save almost the best bit 'til last. When Daddy and Mummy left, I was quite settled and there wasn't even a mention of being promoted. You see, there was another baby who joined the hot room poorlier than me... so as I was the best one in there, it was me who had to go. I am happy about it, but it's not by graduating, it's by necessity. Daddy and Mummy haven't seen me in my new home yet, Mummy will tomorrow. There's windows in my room and there's sky and sunshine - not that I know what these are...!

Mummy was amazed...

... at the amount of poop that I produced today. I must have been sitting in one for ages as when she changed my nappy, when my nappy was off (I checked first to see that I was 'free')... I did another one all over my blanked! That blanket was never my favourite, I got the one with sheep on it which I like a lot more - well done me 10 out of 10 for originality!

My requirement of oxygen has steadily gone down today and when Mummy and Daddy left this evening I was needing about 25% ish give or take... That's better eh. I'm 1011g's today - gone up 3g's... fab! I'm still on 8ml's/hour of Mummy's milk. She asked when I might be able to taste it - only when I've mastered the art of breathing and swallowing at the same time. She also asked a nurse if when I smile that I'm really smiling... Apparently it's because I've got wind that I smile... I thought it was because I'm advanced, in a premature kind of way!

Take a look at the then and now piccies, just a reminder of how far I've come...

Then... 1st May 2007

Now...

My first outfit...

Aren't I the proper baby... Mummy was with me for about a nano-second when she clocked my groovy new outfit... It's nothing but a babygrow, however it's still a bit on the big side, so I hope I'll grow into it sometime soon. I weigh 1008g's today, so I'm still over a kilo, but that's possibly a bit of false weight where I'm holding on to a bit of water. I may lose weight tonight, but I may stay static, which would be good. I'm up to 8ml's/hour of Mummy's milk.

I made a card for Mummy's birthday which kept me up a bit last night. I had to do a bit of stomping again and left a footprint behind for her, which she loves. I got another card for her which gave her an insight into all of the types of tantrums I can have, she must be well educated for when I come home! Daddy did my cares this evening and then settled me... I even gave him a little smile...

Daddy's taken Mummy out for a nice dinner tonight; she feels a bit odd when she leaves me to have a nice time, but I'd rather her do this than worry about me all of the time. I'm still very poorly but I'm stable and enjoying life, so my main aim is to persevere and get better in a 'steady eddie' sort of way. We'll see...

I'm not a pin cushion...

...or am I? They had to stick another needle in me today. I've got a cannula again, for the drug they want to administer and for a transfusion long-line. The reason being that I put on 113g's overnight, which isn't so good as it's false weight. I'm retaining fluid again, just a little, but enough for them to want to give me some more ferusamide to help me wee wee it out. My oxygen requirement has gone up and it could be due to fluid on my lungs. They did an x-ray of them and they're a bit squidgy at the moment. However they gave me the drug and I wee weed and my oxygen requirement came down.

I'm also a bit anaemic, my haemoglobin level is a low, so they've given me a blood transfusion. This should help with my oxygen requirement too. In fact when Mummy and Daddy got to me today I was on about 40% requirement, when Mummy left I was in the high 20's. So it has already come down. There's no way I want to go back on CPAP, so I'll do what I'm told...

We'll see how I get on. It's likely that I'll lose a bit of weight, which will be fluid weight; as today I'm over a kilo, which isn't quite right. Stay tuned and I'll let you know!

Daddy's home early...

The car crashed at the race so Daddy came home early. How pleased was I; over the moon! There I was about to get my last nights sleep in before the big day and he turned up with Mummy! I'd done a Happy Daddy's Day card for him... it's got my footprints on it - it took me ages walking around to eventually get two together, I realised that I had to jump to do them at the same time - doh! I'd also hidden a card in his briefcase for when he got up this morning, what a number 1 son!

I had lots of visitors today, Grandma Felicity, Uncle Alistiar and Great Aunty Val came to see me at various points. I didn't get a snapshot of Uncle Al and you've seen Grandma Felicity before, so here's my Great Aunt Val - she put her hand on me and made me all calm - I ended up breathing air when she was with me!

This is my 'private' drawer. It's got creams in it, there's nappies, my blood pressure band, some gauze and various other bits - Mummy's arranged it all nicely.

Check out the nappy though... I'm pleased to say that I have only worn a nappy like this one twice now - I have to say that I think once was enough as a mistake - but I can't dress myself yet so someone must have thought it a funny joke to put me in a 'girls' nappy. What a cheek!

Well, the nitty gritty of the day is that I've put on a whopping great 37g's, yep, that now makes me 937g's - officially over 2lbs and knocking on the door of 1kg. I'm not on the steroid any more, which should make it a bit easier to put on weight. I'm on 5 drugs though - sodium and potassium which I'm little deficient in, a little bit of diuretic to get rid of any excess fluids, caffeine to keep me alert enough to not stop breathing and some vitamins as a little boost. They're all minute doses so they're not going to have any harming effects either now or later in life. Well I'll catch up with you tomorrow, sleep tight.