Our Second Family Reunion

Last week we had a big second-family get-together...with our NICU family! I used to spend about 40 hours a week in the company of these wonderful people, so I really missed them and was looking forward to getting together since the day The Kid was discharged from the hospital.

The Kid with Becky, his primary night nurse. She is so gentle and kind--The Kid loves her!

The Kid with Linda, another night nurse. She was The Kid's nurse a lot during his first few weeks of life, but then a sweet little 23-weeker was born and Linda became her primary, so we didn't have her any more after that. But I think that The Kid was one of her favorites, because she would always come visit him. She loves taking pictures--she's the one who took the Flat Stanley pictures and the dollar bill picture. She also took pictures on his one-month, two-month, and three-month birthdays. And she was kind enough to get The Kid a gift (a wrist rattle) the day before his discharge. We miss her!Our NICU buddies! It's always fun getting together with them.
Us with Annie--the OT who works miracles. She and I became very close when The Kid had so, so many issues with learning how to eat. When we were discharged, she told me to call every so often with updates. A few weeks ago, I called to tell her that The Kid was nursing like a champ. At the reunion, she said that she was SO HAPPY to get that message, and she wanted to know my secret. Apparently pretty much no one who doesn't learn how to nurse in the NICU learns how to nurse at home. She was very impressed.

We also saw Charlene, Darrin, and Catherine, but don't have pictures with them. They were also our favorites, who we got to know well, and we miss them!

It was a cold, rainy day for a reunion, and The Kid was rather cranky (a combination of being tired, cold, and overwhelmed by lots of things going on around him really doesn't make for a happy baby) but it was entirely worth it. Another year is just too long to wait before I get to see these nurses and everyone again. I think I'll take The Kid back for a visit on his birthday. :)

The Run-Around

Well, The Kid and I spent a nice morning hanging out at the airport. And then we came home. The Granddad (my dad) is a pilot and we get to fly for free if we go standby. Which, coincidentally, means that sometimes we don't get to fly at all. I guess everyone wanted to go to Minneapolis today. The flights were all more than full, so there was no space for The Kid and me. Sad. So sad.

So, after a few hours of waiting, we decided to get our checked bag and head back home. But wait...my checked bag made it to Minneapolis without me. Stink. I thought there were protocols in place to keep that from happening...? I guess my huge bag slipped through the cracks.

There may be hope that we can catch a flight tomorrow, so I haven't yet filled out the paperwork that is necessary should I want to some day retrieve my luggage in the great state of Utah. But I can't do it over the phone. I'll have to go back to the airport. And then I'll have to go back when my suitcase gets there. Oh, boy. What a run-around.

But at least The Kid was a good sport. He's a good almost traveler.
Just deck him out in toys and he'll be happy.

And all I got when I got home was more run-around. But...this is the kind I like.

Meggie Dog sure knows how to make you feel good about coming home.

Firsts

The Kid has experienced a lot of firsts in the past week.

He went in public (other than church and the doctor's office) for the first time when we had to bring Meggie Dog to the vet.
Afterward, he went to WalMart to help me with some errands for the first time.As you can see, it tired him out.


He also slept in his crib for the first time.
He did very well. He never woke up in his bassinet, and he hasn't waken up in his crib.

We wanted to get him used to his crib while he still had his heart/apnea monitor, you know, for our own peace of mind. But, the worrying mommy that I am, I was concerned about him getting cold--but I was more concerned about him sleeping with a blanket (you know...all that safety stuff). But with the monitor, he can't wear zippered jammies because the cord would have to come out the top, which poses a strangulation hazard. Sheesh. All these hazards. So, what did my wonderful hubby do? He cut a small hole in the bottom of what we call "potato sack jammers" to put the cord through. Yup. And it works great.

Isn't he the cutest little sack'o'potatos you ever did see?

Next First: Plane ride!

Airline Travel with an Infant

The Kid and I are planning to fly to the Northwoods to see my family for Memorial Day. The Boy is staying home to work. We will miss him. A lot. :(

I have never flown with a baby before. What things do I need to know? It'll be just The Kid and me.

I was thinking that since he is such an easy-going baby and so small that it wouldn't be worth it to lug his car seat with through the terminal. I talked with the airline, and they said that the attendants will be as accommodating as possible in terms of letting me be by an open seat where I could put the car seat. Is it worth it to bring the car seat?

Someone told me that I should have The Kid suck on something for take-off and landing, to keep the pressure in his ears from hurting him.

I have two toys that I plan to bring which are small that always seem to entertain The Kid.

What else should I know? What do I absolutely need to have with me on the plane and what will I think that I need that I should actually not bring? Any other tips?

Thanks, everyone!

Waking Up

The Kid and I go walking (almost) every morning with my friend and her adorable twin babies. We always try to meet at 10, but The Kid needs me to wake him up if we want to meet them in time. I am entertained by it every morning. Here is how it goes.




I pick him up and put him on the changing table. Then it starts...


...the startle...


...the "where am I?"...


...the stretch...


...the yawn...


...the face rub...


...the "what's going on???"...


...the "maybe I'm a little hungry..."...


...the "THERE'S MY MOMMY! I LOVE HER!"...


It's a great morning. And it's surprisingly similar to when The Boy is awakened from his slumbers. Like father, like son. I love them.

Life just isn't fair.

It just isn't right that a baby could be big enough to be teething but not big enough to hold his own toys. He tries, but sometimes it just doesn't work out. Poor kid.

What Came First...The Chicken or The Egg?

Or let's ask this...what came first, the infection or the dilation?

No one really knows why The Kid was 13 weeks early. There are three things that we know:
1) I dilated to 4 cm without contractions.
2) My placenta had two infections--group B strep and staph aureus.
3) The Kid showed very slight signs of infection when born. If he had been born any later, the infection would have gotten to him and it would have been very bad news indeed.

When women go into labor because of an infection, labor generally starts with contractions.

When a woman dilates without symptoms, because of an incompetent cervix, she will generally deliver her baby around 23 or 24 weeks gestation. The Kid was born at 27 weeks.

If my cervix was only slightly incompetent and opened early, it could have allowed an infection to get in. Or I could have somehow gotten infected, which caused my cervix to open early (my body would have recognized the risk of being infected and tried to get rid of the infection by getting rid of the pregnancy).

So, what happens next time? Who knows. If the infection came first, we could expect that everything would be fine next time and I would have a healthy pregnancy and full-term baby. If the dilation came first...oh boy. Two medical professionals who I trust very much said that they see more harm than good from cerclages (when they put a stitch in your cervix to keep it from opening prematurely, and then remove it when the baby is safe to be born).

All that I can expect, either way, is to be watched very closely by my doctor.

And the next question...what if I have another micro preemie? Can I expect that it will always be like that, and having more biological children is too risky? Should we move on to adoption as a way to expand our family? Who knows.

There are so many unknowns. I guess I'll just try not to think about it for now. It will still be quite a while before we have another baby. And when it is time, I'll still have a lot to focus on when it comes to getting pregnant again. That, in itself, is quite a challenge.

I don't want to count my eggs before they hatch. I have hatched one...and he counts for a lot.