Feel the Anticipation!

Day 110, 2340 grams

My last full day in the NICU. Wow. It's been a while, huh? There were lots of tears as we said goodbye to some of my nurses for the last time. But it's only goodbye as a patient! I'll still come by and visit, of course! I had some special time with auntie Val, who was the first nurse to ever take care of me. She basically kidnapped me and had mommy chasing her all over the NICU! Then at the 11:30 shift change, my nurse Mary, who was starting a second shift (what a trooper), very graciously traded me like a hockey card to auntie Jocelyn so that she could look after me on my last night. Me and J go wayyyy back.

















Earlier in the day mommy and daddy out some last minute touches on the house in preparation for my arrival. They've been talking about my room for some time now, and so it's only fair to show you some pictures that they took:

First of all here's my backup milk supply. Yep, that's a freezer full of milk. Talk about production! Oma and Opa got this handy unit especially for me. I can't wait until it's full of ice cream!
Although I have a super cool room, for my first few weeks I'll be sleeping with mom and dad in this cozy little sleeper. It features a slightly angled surface, vented side panels and a built-in night light. Very sleek.

And now... on to my pad!
Here's my change table and a bit of my bookshelf. I already have all the Curious Georges and Winnie the Poohs, a bunch of Dr. Seuss and some Disney books, too. I mostly want to chew on the corners for now.
This is where mom and dad can sit, kick their feet up and FEED ME. Notice my awesome dragon curtains. Yeah, dragons rock.
Here's my crib! Classic Pooh bed ensemble and mobile is thanks to aunt Katica. Very cute! Behind it is my totally sweet wall of circles. I love circles. The best part is that they're movable. Stuck on the wall with Velcro, you see. Here's another view:

Notice the little sliver oval? That is my baby monitor video camera. Instead of just being able to hear me, my parents can also see me on a hand-held colour screen, and at night it switches automatically to night-vision. I cannot get over the coolness of this thing! Thanks to uncle Brad in Toronto for this piece of high tech baby gear.

So that's how I'll be living for my first few years.

Now it's off to sleep in preparation for my big day tomorrow. I hope to see a lot of you at my house!


AOV

Sniper!

Day 109, 2280 grams

You know you're getting near the end of your stay when your only interesting news comes from the diaper area. But consider how things used to be, when I was keeping you up to date on my heart surgery, or how I was faring on the ventilator, or how I caught an infection. A little bathroom humour should be welcome.

That said, on to tonight's adventure. Yes folks, I'm afraid I need to regale you with yet another toilet story! Some familiar things happened: sudden explosions of poop, hitting the floor, filling several diapers. but tonight not only did I pee my pants, I also peed daddy's pants! It was beautiful: first I lured him into place by shooting poop on the floor. And then, zing! A beautiful arc right on to his pant leg. That, is talent.


AOV

What Are You Doing on Sunday?

Day 108, 2255 grams

Another successful feeding day: 6 out of 6. That puts me on target for my release on Sunday. I'm glad that the big chief in charge, Dr. Papageorgiou, is confident that I'll be going home. Mommy and daddy have been going through all sorts of discharge forms and got my vitamins from the drug store. They said goodbye to some of my nurses who have the week-end off, and so will miss my departure. And they shed a few tears saying goodbye to my special guardian angel, who saved my life a couple of months ago. I'll be back to visit you soon!

I heard that Sunday there are going to be parties, bands, a parade, and even fireworks. Wow! I feel honoured! I think every July 1st from now on should have celebrations like that!

I will call it "Andrej Day."


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Sigh... More Toilet Humour

Day 107, 2270 grams THAT'S 5 POUNDS!!!

I took another 6 feeds by mouth again today, so that is 2 days in a row. Three more and I am outta here! Not much else to report, mainly because mommy and daddy are working like crazy trying to get everything ready for my big introduction to the world.

Scarcely a day goes by that I don't amuse someone with my bodily functions, and tonight was no different. This time around it was during my official weigh-in. I have to be completely naked for this, so when I was placed on the cold scale I was already--hmm, how to put this-- "committed" to one side, and I let fly a beautiful golden arc on to the floor. Laughter ensued. I rule.


AOV

Hitting the Bottle

Day 106, 2230 grams

I know I lost a bit of weight, but they seem to think I gained a little to fast lately. So they gave me some Lasix--remember Lasix? Everyone's favorite diuretic! I had a pretty strong dose and then filled my diaper yesterday with 150 grams of pee! New record! So needless to say I shed a few grams because of that...

On to the BIG NEWS.

The big news today is that I took the bottle on all six of my feeds! No tubes! Now we can start the countdown to my homecoming. I need to do this for four more days to prove that I am a big baby, so we may be looking at Sunday at the earliest. Then it's me, mom and dad, 24/7!

I'd like to send a big shout out to my new friend Baby Augusto in Brazil. He is going in for his PDA surgery tomorrow--you'll recall that I had the same procedure on April 21st. Please take a moment to click his link and visit his blog (in Portuguese!), and if you have the time, leave a comment for him and his parents. I'm sure they would appreciate the support. Sorte boa, meu amigo.

And remember: chicks dig scars!


AOV

Hooray for Poo!

Day 105, 2265 grams

I know I've gone on and on many times about my bowel movements, but I HAVE to tell you what went down today. Mommy and daddy came in today and I was already awake and starting to fuss. A quick look at my chart revealed that I hadn't pooped all day, and it looked like I had a big one brewing! And when the pressure starts to build, you really need to plan your next move for maximum comedy. Here's a tip for all the babies out there: Poop a little bit at first and then when they think you're done, wait for that moment just after they take out the old diaper but before they put the new one on to make your move. I accomplished this feat not once but twice! And I can safely say that I set a new distance record! The added bonus of being in the open crib is that you can get a pretty good arc going all the way to the floor. AND I managed to nail BOTH my parents.

It's all in the timing.


AOV

Lots of Action

Day 104, 2240 grams

Where to start? First of all, my apologies for not posting Saturday's blog entry on time. My wi-fi connection in my crib went down. Yeah, that's it. That's what really happened... Any way, you can read yesterday's post below. Do it now.

I'll wait.




OK you're back. So today was an interesting day. Mommy and auntie Mel had a an "80's moment," which totally gives away their age. And then they made fun of auntie Ceci's homemade mobile. Imagine Tim Burton made surgical gloves. Madness, I tell you. I thought it was pretty cool, though. Then again, I'm a baby. I think my hands are pretty cool.

Meanwhile back on the farm, Oma went church hopping today and saw that 5 different churches had set up flowers in my honour. Such attention will surely make this baby blush! It's nice to know that so many people are rooting for me over there. Thanks for all the prayers and good vibes!

And while that was going on, Baka and her Balkan posse went on a border run for a shopping spree. I got them to pick me up a few new outfits while they were down there, and I can't wait to see what they got me. Unfortunately for daddy I couldn't convince them to pick up some scotch at the duty free. They thought it was a weird request, but then I don't know what scotch is. Mommy says it's like special milk for daddy's when they do something good. So after Baka dropped all the ladies off, she made a surprise stop at the hospital. They're starting to let grandparents come in for short visits now, and I was really excited when she got to hold me for the first time. I mean, just look at the excitement:
Well, OK that looks more like I'm falling asleep, but trust me, it was exciting!

Until next time, cyber friends!


AOV

Yawn.

Day 103, 2220 grams

Sorry for the late post. I hope nobody thought something bad was happening! Don't freak out! You would think that the absence of a post would imply that it was a busy day, but it was far from it. In fact, it was pretty boring. I didn't gain much weight, but that's OK, because I've been gaining a little too much in the past two days. I want to grow, just not too fast! So mommy spent the day with me and left daddy at home to work on my house. Not just my room. It's my house now! I think he's finishing up soon, and he'll be posting some pix of my new digs in the near future.

Stay tuned!


AOV

Record Breaking Day

Day 102, 2215

OK one more milestone achieved: weight. 2200 grams is the target weight that I need to be in order to be discharged, so now I need to learn to take all my meals either on the breast or the bottle and I need to be able to do it for 5 days. Today was a good start. I took 5 out of my 6 meals per os, or "by the mouth." That's a new record for me!

And that's not the only record I broke today! My last meal was the fastest so far: 60 ml in 35 minutes, for a rate of 1.7 ml per minute.

I also set a record for sitting still and not complaining while being held by a non-parent: half an hour, long enough for me to get a hearing test. Passed it with flying colours, by the way.

Then I set a new personal best in diaper loading. Mommy stopped counting diapers at 6, in what could only be described as a veritable deluge of poop.

I almost set a record for most pee on a parent, but daddy was too fast for me. Just before my bath I was lying there naked and he wrapped me up in a blanket just as I was getting ready to hose him down. Oh well, the sudden warm & wet sensation on his arm was compensation enough.

And that brings me to my last feat of the day:

Not really a record breaking feat per se, but I thought this trick was pretty cool.

G'night!


AOV

Busy Busy

Day 101, 2165 grams

So tired, indeed. The past few days have been quite the whirlwind for my parents. Along with spending time with me, they have been literally all over the city getting things ready for my homecoming. Thanks to a whole bunch of honorary uncles and aunties, or I should say cika i teta, I have tons of cool baby gear and a really sweet stroller and car seat. Those Balkans are CRAZY 'bout me! Especially my baka. Mommy and daddy have been putting in some really late hours getting my room all decorated and accessorized, not to mention all the assembly of gadgets and toys. Every day they tell me about what they just got for me and I can tel you I am one lucky boy!

Some good news today from my eye doctor: It looks like my eyes are getting better and on the road to recovery. Another check up on Tuesday.

And now for some rest. Those parents really wear me out!

AOV

Century Club

Day 100, 2095 grams

Wow. One hundred days. It's hard to believe I've been here this long!

Have you ever heard of the joke where you sneak up on a person who is asleep and put their hand into a bowl of warm water? Yeah, imagine the results when you put a whole baby who is asleep into a bowl of warm water. Mommy and daddy thought they were being funny when they did that to me tonight, but I showed them!

That bath took a lot out of me and I had trouble eating my meal afterwards. This is the big catch-22 with little guys like me. I need to eat so that I can be strong, but I need to be strong in order to have the stamina to eat. So if I do something strenuous before my meal, like fuss when I have my bath, I have trouble finishing my bottle. Poor daddy tried to feed me tonight and I kept falling asleep from exhaustion! However, little by little I'll get stronger, and I'll eventually be able to polish off my bottle in no time flat.

Now I have to be good tonight because my auntie J has four babies to look after tonight. No surprises tonight, I promise!


AOV

Party at my Crib!

Day 99, 2060 grams

So mommy comes into the unit today and thinks, "Hey, where's my baby?" But then she sees my blanket in a little crib where my big ol' clunky incubator used to be, she nearly breaks down crying out of joy!

Moving from an incubator to a crib is a HUGE step for a preemie. In fact, it's one step out the door. Being in a crib means that I can regulate my own body temperature and I don't need an oxygen enriched atmosphere. Speaking of breathing, they also discontinued my ventolin treatments, which is an inhaled medicine for my lungs. Now the only thing I'm getting other than food are vitamins.

And that's not all! My feeding schedule has been changed to every 4 hours from every 3 hours. So now I get more food (55ml) and more time to rest between feeds.

Look out world, I'm on my way!

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Hooray for Mom & Dad!

Day 98, 2050 grams. That 4 1/2 pounds!

I gotta tell you, mommy and daddy are getting to be pros at this whole parenting thing. They tag-teamed on my bath tonight, and although I complained a little more than yesterday, I have to admit it went a lot smoother. Especially since they remembered to use lotion and NOT baby oil on me, unlike the last time, when the oil made my heart and respiratory sensors on my chest go crazy! Also, mommy is developing a whole repertoire of moves when it comes to bottle feeding. She has "The Twist," "The Piston," and the "The Chin Tickle," to name but a few. You see, I tend to zone out and fall asleep on the bottle so she needs to move it once in a while to remind me of what I'm doing.

What a clever mommy!


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Happy Father's Day!

Day 97, 2015 grams!

Quick update: I'm HUGE!

Mama i tata su danas dosli da me posjete kasnije i ja sam se pitao gdje li su? Onda sam se sjetio da je mama imala baby shower i da je zato imala osmijeh od uva do uva. Onda su me uzeli i ispricali mi sta sam sve dobio i kako je moja najveca obozavateljka tetka Meli napravila super zabavu i ja joj se moram osobno zahvaliti kada izadjem. Brzo, brzo samo morate biti malo strpljivi,kada sam pod pritiskom imam tremu. Hvala svima sto su moju mamu i tatu iznenadili i obradovali, a tetki Meli najveci poljubac na svijetu....voli vas Andrej (i cika Mladena naravno)

What that basically means is that mommy and daddy were late today because they were at an awesome baby shower where they got tons of cool stuff for me. And special thanks to aunt Meli for all her hard work.

When mommy and daddy finally showed up they decided to give me a bath before my meal. I wasn't sure what to make of it. I've had baths before, but this was the first time my parents gave me one, but I think they handled it well.
And then I got a big bottle...

So now I'm all clean and ready for bed.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy! G'night!


AOV

Feed Me!

Day 96, 1985 grams

Much better weight! It probably had a lot to do with how much I'm eating these days. I am supposed to get 40 ml of food, but usually I get a little extra from mommy before I take the bottle. Today I took a total of FOUR bottles! Right now my only job is to keep on eating so that I grow big enough to leave and it looks as though I'm on the right track. I've gotten so big lately that most of my preemie clothes don't fit any more. I'm massive!

I've also learned the fine art of crying to get what I want. Hungry? I cry. Wet? Cry. Need a hug? Cry cry cry. I don't know why I didn't think of this before. It works, you should try it!

Now I have to be a good boy for my auntie Jocelyn because she gives me late night baths and I LOVE bath-time! Hopefully I'll celebrate Father's Day and mommy's shower by hitting that 2 kilo mark. Fingers crossed!


AOV

Super Happy Amazing Baby Day!

Day 95, 1940 grams (I think that scale is off!)

Oh yeah, it was that good! Six meals out of a possible eight I took by the mouth, whether by bottle or boob. That's a new record for me! The funniest was my last feed when mommy and daddy came back from their own supper. I was wide awake and ready for action! I attacked mommy like a wild animal and then after I was still hungry so I took down an entire bottle as well. Almost double of what I usually eat! And I did all of this without needing any additional oxygen. Then after that I settled down for a nice kangaroo session with daddy for almost 2 hours. The first time we kangarooed it didn't go so well, but this time he was much more relaxed and calm. Maybe because he was exhausted from painting my room! Get back to work, slacker dad!

Well, I'm beat. All in all a busy day of baby stuff. I look forward to more tomorrow!


AOV

Who Is That Handsome Guy?

Day 94, 1945 grams

Me! That's who! After a couple of hours on room air mommy figured it was time to try taking off my cannula. She asked the doctor, who agreed, and so they took off the dreaded tubes and started pumping in O2 into my incubator instead. I only need 23% in there--keep in mind that room air is only 21%! And so now my face is once again free from any impedance to my lethal cuteness. Behold!
Today I successfully nailed down 2 and half bottles and three somewhat successful breast feeding sessions. In spite of all this I still managed to lose 20 grams, but I'm not concerned. That 2 kilo milestone is just around the corner!

In other news, my buddy Blake had his first 24 hours at home with his parents. I can't wait until I can finally play with him. Maybe we can race!

Back to sleep!


AOV

Top o' the World, Ma!

Day 93, 1965 grams

Oooo that 2 kilo mark is just around the corner!

What a great day I had today! I took a whole feed on the breast and then later on the bottle. The fentanyl has completely worn off and I don't have to wear the goofy shades any more. I was totally wide awake and interactive with every body and I managed to load no fewer than 5 diapers. So I'm more or less back to my old self although my eyes are still very red. Everyone thinks it's because of the surgery, but little do they know that I sneaked out and partied all night!

Speaking of parties, it looks like mommy is finally going to have a baby shower! It's about time she got an afternoon off. The date has been set for June 24th and I'm sure there will be more details to follow.

I wonder if I'm invited...


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Alone in the Dark

Day 92, 1915 grams

Today was a very dark day. I couldn't see a thing! I'm still wearing my crazy shades and I have big blankies over my incubator, so today was devoted to chilling in the dark and resting up. After all the Fentanyl they gave me yesterday I was still pretty groggy for most of the day, and Daddy suggested that the best thing to do would be to listen to Pink Floyd under these circumstances. But now I'm awake and wondering when I get to see the world (such as it is for me) again.

The big news is that my friend Blake is going home tomorrow. I really envy him right now. I know that my parents can't be with me all the time, and I miss them very much when they're not around. I'm sure they would be here all the time if they could, but I'm sure they would go crazy and the hospital would kick them out! So we're counting the days and grams until I get out of here. The rule is that in order to leave the hospital I need to be at least 2200 grams (about 5 pounds), have no apnea fits and I have to be able to feed on a bottle. So as soon as I'm out of the darkness I'll be resuming my training schedule!

We're closer every day.


AOV

I Am Mighty!

Day 91, 1900 grams

Yes, yes, I am one powerful baby. I had my laser surgery today, and in preparation they gave me Fentanyl to knock me out. Well, half way through the procedure I start coming around, so auntie Mel gives me another dose. A double dose! I am so powerful that I can shake off a painkiller that is more powerful than morphine. Grrrr!

So about the surgery. Everything went well. The doc says that he didn't have to laser as much as he thought from my right eye, so I won't lose as much vision there as my left eye. Time will tell just how much of my vision is gone, but the main thing to remember is that my forward vision, the vision used for driving, recognizing faces and playing video games, should be OK. I'll have my first follow up this weekend, and by my 44th week we should know how much vision I have. Fingers crossed! Mommy still says I'll be playing piano no matter what, and she can't wait for me to join her "other kids" for recitals! Here is a picture of me after the surgery. I'm wearing preemie sunglasses while my eyes heal. For the next couple of days I'll be sensitive to light, so I need to stay in the dark as much as I can. No flash photography, please!


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False Start

Day 90, 1890 grams

No eye surgery today after all. I was prepped, drugged and ready to go when the doctor discovered that the laser machine didn't work. So now we wait until we can get a replacement. By the time most of you read this, I will hopefully at least know when the surgery will happen. Let's just hope I don't go blind between before then.


AOV

UPDATE

Eye surgery at 1pm today.

Wish me luck!


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99 Bottles of Breast Milk on the Wall...

Day 89, 1805 grams. Darn.

Today I took down TWO bottles. Oh yeah. I own those bottles, man. Mommy and daddy were shown some excellent bottle technique by my nurse, so hopefully they paid attention and took some notes. I know the breast is the best, but the fact is, I can't leave here until I master both techniques, and I was a little too shagged out today to take the boob.

I had another eye test today and it's confirmed: I need surgery. Oh well. The doctors say it's ROP, but I'm sure it's because I'm always typing on my preemie laptop in the dark all the time. Still, I'm still hoping that I develop super powers from the lasers. There's an outside chance.

I'm happy that so many fans are pulling for me out there. A lot of people have told my parents that they read my blog every day and that it is very inspirational and helpful to other NICU parents. I mentioned before that my blog is international, but did you know that it is read in over 30 countries--from Chile to Russia, from Scotland to the Philippines. Yay!

Thanks for all the positive feedback and thanks for reading!

Squeaky Clean

Day 88, 1840 grams... THAT'S 4 POUNDS!

Now it looks as though the infection was actually a contamination, which means that whatever showed up in the blood test wasn't from my blood. In fact, it was simply a bacteria that exists on everyone's skin, so it must have into the blood sample from the needle. Bacteria on my skin. Neat. My first pets!

Mommy and daddy had to go shopping for more baby supplies today--diapers, wipes, etc.--and they got me a new toy. Only problem is that I don't know what the heck to do with it. I'd rather just chew on my hands. Or the boob. Maybe in a couple of months, guys. Daddy is really anxious to introduce me to something called "Star Wars," but mommy just rolls her eyes.

Now that I'm over 1800 grams I get to have big baby baths! Instead of getting a wipe down, I get to take a dip in the baby jacuzzi. Which is essentially a large plastic bowl. No bubbles. Well, sometimes there are bubbles, but you don't want to know how I make them. I am so clean!

G'Night!


AOV

Eye Caramba!

Day 87, 1800 grams

So not entirely sure if it was just low hemoglobin or an infection, but regardless, I'm feeling much better. I'm still under close watch though. We're all hoping that I don't need antibiotics. Antibiotics are like your secret weapon: if you use your secret weapon too many times, it's not much of a secret anymore, is it?

The major news today is regarding my eyes. I had another test today and it looks like things aren't improving. Two eye doctors confirmed this, and they're going to give me another 48 hours to see if anything improves, but it's likely that I'll have to have eye surgery now. The surgery, I'm told, is much like laser eye surgery that adults get, but one of the drawbacks is that the process will destroy my peripheral vision. Please bear this in mind if you are planning on throwing me any frisbees or footballs in the future! I know this is not the best news, but it's better than being blind. We take what we can get here.

I'll take these sunken eyes and learn to see.

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A-ha!

Day 86, 1780 grams

It's likely anemia. They noticed that my hemoglobin count was slowly declining over the last couple of days and so they decided to give me a transfusion. So far it's helping: my oxygen needs are getting back to normal, and my colour is is getting to be a nicer shade of pink. I'll get another transfusion overnight and hopefully that will do the trick.

I was feeling so much better that I celebrated by breaking my diaper loading streak. Counting the one I was wearing, I soiled 6 diapers in quick succession. That's 2 better than my previous record. It's just my way of telling my problems to all go away so that I can go home soon. Or in other words:



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Feeling a Little Weird

Day 85, 1740 grams

A bit of a weird day today. It started out fine, but after lunch I started needing more and more oxygen, until at one point I was up to 50%. Mommy noticed that I wasn't exactly myself as well. She used the word "lethargic," which I think means "cute when I sleep," but I can't be sure. I am cute when I sleep, though. Well then, my oxygen saturation was all over the place, and people were starting to get a little concerned. They did some blood tests on me, most of which came back normal. We're still waiting for the results of another test, since it takes 24 to 48 hours to process. Mommy is worried that I may have picked up another infection, or that I might have a cold. Either way, this is cause for concern. Then later on this evening after I ate I was back to my old self. Mommy took me out of the incubator to hold me and we hung out for about 3 hours until my next feeding. I was awake and alert the whole time, and my oxygen level went back to where it usually is set. So what gives? I don't get it. I'll rest for a bit and see how I feel tomorrow. Hopefully there is nothing serious to worry about.

Send me some good vibes!


AOV

Totally P.O.'ed

Day 84, 1745 grams

Yes, I got really P.O.ed tonight. But it's not what you think! Here in the NICU racket P.O. stands for "per os" which means "by mouth." So if a baby gets their "full P.O.," it means that they have taken their entire feed by the mouth, and not that dumb ol' tube. So tonight marked the first time that I got my entire feeding by bottle! I tried the bottle before, but I wasn't really into it. But tonight for some reason, I took to it like a champ. Oh, and my meals are now up to 36 ml, by the way.

All in all today had a little bit of everything. Breast feeding, kangarooing, eye exam (sadly, no change), a major diaper fill. Mommy sang to me a lot today and talked about her other kids. I was about to get all jealous until she explained that her other kids are her piano students, so that's ok. I don't have to share my toys with them. I think she misses them very much! I can't wait to meet them in the fall when she goes back to teaching.

Well, I'm beat. I had a very full day of baby stuff, so I'm off to bed. G'night!


AOV

Fun With Garbage

Woo Hoo!

Day 83, 1715 grams

My official weight is taken in the morning, so by the time this photo was taken (8pm) I was up to 1745 grams. Let's hope I keep it up!

I gave mommy a bit of a scare today when I spat up a bit and stopped breathing, but it wasn't anything to be worried about. As many of you know, I sometimes spaz out after eat, so it no biggie. Mommy was so exhausted afterward that she accidentally threw the camera in the garbage! Silly mommy! Luckily when she and daddy came back to the hospital in the evening they were able to find it, but only after convincing poor auntie Eileen to root through several trash cans first. I'm sure they're sorry for putting her through that! In the end, some one else had found the camera and left it in the parent's room, safe and sound. In a way it was too bad, because I love the mental image of my parents diving through a dumpster. I would have loved to get a picture of that. Of course, I wouldn't have been able to since the camera would have been in there.

Silly mommy!


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Hug Your Child Today

Day 82, 1700 grams

Today mommy and daddy went to baby Logan's funeral. It was a beautiful ceremony, but of course very sad. Blake's mommy and daddy went as well, and afterward all the parents hugged and had a good cry. It makes me happy our parents love us so much, but it's great that they are there to support, comfort and console each other whenever they need. Our lives--NICU babies and parents--are so different from the "real world" babies and parents that only others that are going through this, or have gone through this, can really understand. Logan and I had a special bond because, like me, he lost his twin not long after birth. And like me, he was a fighter who went through more in his short life that most people couldn't endure in a lifetime. He gives me courage to continue on, and I know that he is somewhere special right now with his sister Megan and my brother, likely causing a lot of trouble! So all I ask of you today is that if you have a child of your own, give them a hug and let them know how special they are. Life is beautiful they say, no matter how brief it may have been.

All my love,


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In memory of my friend.

Needles!

Day 81, 1650 grams

Today was vaccination day for me. I also had a blood test, too (all aces!) so I was feeling a little like a pin cushion. That along with two sessions on the boob and all my other general maintenance made for a very tiring day! Still, managed to gain a bit of weight, and I'm breathing well. My only issue is with the tube feeding. When I was smaller it wasn't a problem because I hadn't developed my gag reflex yet, but now every time they stick that thing down there it makes me want to barf. Sometimes it's not a problem and that is usually when I'm too tired to make a fuss. Today was one of those days!

Had a great time with mommy and daddy at the end of the day. I was wide awake and interactive, and although I didn't get to breast feed, daddy held me as I got the dreaded tube. That made a little more bearable!

So not much to report. I'll see you tomorrow!


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