New Year's Eve

Same old, same old:  still working on my feedings.  Took three of my four feedings completely via bottle last night, and two full ones today plus another where I ate 30 out of my 55.  So that's progress, but still a ways to go unfortunately.

Dad came at the normal mid-afternoon time and found me awake and already licking my chops ready to eat.  And practicing my Vincent Price impersonation.

So he fed me, and not to toot my own horn, but I did great, took not only my full 55 ml feeding, but an extra 5 as well!  So that's good.  I was even hungry for more afterward, but they didn't give me any since I'm on a strict schedule here.

(editor's note:  Ben appears to have forgotten to mention that while he did eat a full 60 ml from the bottle, he also had a major spit up - nose, mouth, everything - right afterward where at least half of that came right back out, and he had a short brady episode while doing it.  Here's the area of my pants it got onto after overflowing her spit cloth:

That's not a shadow, that's wetness.  So I wouldn't exactly call his performance "great" - and this also explains why he was hungry immediately after:  much of his feeding had already gone right back out his mouth.)

It being New Year's Eve and all, I also had to get ready to hit the town.  Not sure yet what I'm doing - trying to keep my options open - but I can guarantee whatever it will be, I'm not doing anything halfway:  it's high-class for me all the way.  So I had Dad put on my tuxedo so I'd be set for whatever parties I decided to hit.  Check out the amazing transformation:

from baby-in-the-hospital:

to man-about-town:

Ta-da!

Of course, when you look this good everyone wants their picture taken with you so Dad took a few.  Notice how he kept trying to make sure we were both in the photo:

 

Once I was all gussied up I was wide awake so Dad stayed and hung out with me awhile.  First we did some tummy time:

Then we read a couple books.  We started with the recorded book from Grammy and Grand PJ; I liked hearing their voices (editor's note:  Grandma and Grandpa K got a version of "On the Night You Were Born" with their voices recorded on a chip in the book so it reads along when you turn the pages) but found the story kind of boring.

So we switched to something with a lot more action - and great black-and-white pictures!

It's got everything:  a car driving, a cat stretching, a child smiling.  What a story!

After that we just sat for awhile.

Then I told Dad to head home so I could rest up for the big night out.  So that's it for me, have a great New Year's Eve everyone, and I'll see you in 2012!

28-30 December 2011

28 December

Well, loyal readers, I'm sorry if this blog is becoming a bit stale of late, there's just really never much major news to report.  I'm still at the hospital, still trying to get my eating patterns down so they'll let me go, and that's about it.  I've gotten better with the feedings but apparently not better enough - seem to be stuck at handling around 90-95% of my feedings, just can't seem to get that last 5 to 10 percent, which I then need to have gavaged, and I guess they won't let me go till I can do a full day's feedings on my own.  Sigh...

Anyhow, on Wednesday I was pretty sleepy most of the day.  Mom came in the afternoon to feed me (which ironically was a gavage feeding) but I did try to wake up and visit with her a little bit when she showed up.  I was so sleepy I was trying to remember who she was...

 ...then remembered and had a "Eureka" moment.

(though I was a bit confused why she wasn't feeding me herself)

After my feeding was done she held me on her chest and I got nice and cozy and fell back asleep.

She stayed and held me for awhile then put me back to sleep in my crib.

I think Mom still needs a little more practice with her new camera phone to get the exposures right ;-)

29 December

I guess Mom and Dad have been on alternating visit schedules since Rory went home, so today Dad came to see me.  Like yesterday, I was sleepy, but I was able to wake up enough for him to feed me.

...Or to be honest I should say to start to feed me, since in what is apparently my usual M.O., I got too tired to finish and gave up about 90% of the way through (took ~48 ml of a 55 ml feeding).  So Dad held me while they gavaged the rest.

I was kind of sleepy after my feeding but did perk up a little bit when Dad showed me one of the books I got for Christmas - I like the pictures, they're all black and white so lots of contrast!

However, interesting as the book was it wasn't enough to keep me awake for long so Dad put me back to bed.  He put me on my left side since the OT had left a note not to put me to sleep him on my right side since they had been doing that a lot and she wanted to make sure my head stayed rounded.  I agree, thanks OT!

30 December

I had a short apnea overnight but the doctors aren't worried - it came while I was being fed, and they think it was just that the nurse wasn't pacing me enough (and no, I don't think I should have to pace myself, isn't that what all these other people in the hospital are for?)

When Mom came to visit in the afternoon I was already awake and ready for action:

So she took me out and breastfed me.  I did pretty well, took most of my feeding that way so they only had to give a little bit via bottle.


However, in what can only be termed a very poor decision, they also chose that time to give me my vitamins, meaning that instead of dissolving them in 30-50 ml like usual, they were only mixed with about ten, which is NOT enough to hide the taste - and they taste YUCKY!  So I responded in the only logical way, but spitting them (as well as most of the rest of my feeding) back up all over Mom.  She was not so happy.


In my defense, I had least had the decency to look ashamed afterward:

So once I was back on her good side I checked out the situation and decided I had done enough damage and it was time to go back to bed.

Good night!

24-27 December 2011

You'll notice it's been a few days since my last post; you can blame my sister for that, since she's apparently been monopolizing Dad's time at home and hasn't given him a chance to post even though I've been continuing to provide material every day.  I guess that's just the way it'll be now that Rory's home (and can't imagine it'll get much easier once I join her!) :'-(

Speaking of which, unfortunately I still haven't made it home and the doctors aren't sure when I'll be able to leave.  I'm putting on weight and haven't had any bradies in a few days, but still having problems with getting through all my feedings - Mom thinks if I could just make it one entire day where I took all (or even most) of my total food via bottle they might let me go, but so far no dice.

Anyhow, that meant I spent most of Christmas Eve alone in the hospital, but Dad did come and visit.  I was sleepy and a little standoffish (I was annoyed I had to be on my own):

... but then I woke up and we had a nice little visit.  He fed me and I took my whole feeding via bottle - so that's one at least! 

The next day was CHRISTMAS!  Mom came to visit today and as a present I showed her a bunch of expressions:

Then I put my Christmas out fit on one more time.  I don't particularly like it but Mom likes to see me wear it.

Monday after Christmas Dad came back and fed me again.  I didn't take my whole feeding but he held me while the rest of my feeding was gavaged.

I woke up to say goodbye when he put me back....

...then went back to sleep.

On Tuesday Mom and Dad both came to visit, though not quite together (Dad said they were each taking turns watching Rory in the lounge while the other one visited with me).  I was pretty much asleep the whole time.

So that's it for me for the week.  Hopefully more postings in the upcoming week, and hopefully I'll be home soon.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

p.s. - Had meant to post pictures of my new digs since I moved into a single, but forgot to do so the other day.  Here you go:

(that's me in the middle, obviously)