Mother's Day

Very early this morning, just as the night shift was going off and the day shift was starting, I watched as each of the incubators was carefully adorned with a little gift and a card for the Mummy's to find when they came to visit.  A tiny teddy bear inside a cute mug with 'I love you Mummy' written on it... sweet.  And to go with each gift, a small card personalised with a photo of the little 'born too soon' baby...!

Ahhh!  But don't open the card!!

Now, if you've travelled this far on my blog you'll know that my dad (who occasionally helps with my blog posts) has been fairly selective with the photos he's used, and apart from that first one of me in plastic bag, I'd say that for him he's been reasonably discrete.  There are many words you can use to describe a tubed up premature baby in a blindfold but let's be honest 'photogenic' isn't one of them.

I saw the photo they were planning to use and was once again thwarted by my inability to communicate.  If I could have said something it would have been something along the lines of, 'You are joking?  You're really going to pop that photo of me inside that cutesy little card?  It'll frighten the life out of my mother... and if poor Charlie opens it he won't sleep for a week!'  However, as we now know, I can't engage the vocal cords due to the presence of a large clear plastic tube in my throat, so the picture went into the card and all I could do was wait.

As it turned out, Dad visited first on his own.  Poor Charlie's now gone down with the same bug Mummy had so the parents are on shifts again.

Since my strange turn for the worse on Friday things have been improving steadily.  I had a small problem yesterday when they found some green stuff in my tummy.  That was actually what they called it - no medical term, just green stuff.  I was taken off my milk and had to have the cannula reinserted so that I could go back to being fed through a tube.  I was not happy.  The one thing I've been good at in here has been drinking my mum's milk so this was a poor show.  The good news is that since then I've been moved slowly back onto milk again and the cannular can now come out.  Nobody seems to know what it was... but it's gone and I'm happy.

I'm still under the Billyrubin light.  Apparently I'm only supposed to use it for 16 days after I was born - 21 at the very most - so I have to come off it tomorrow.  If I'm still struggling with jaundice I might have to have 'liver drugs', whatever they are!

I'm making this sound bad but really I'm in good shape.  My breathing has been fine and the levels of oxygen going through the C-PAP are coming down.  I was at 42% today.  This is good.  I'm not sure if I've mentioned Bradycardias yet.  This when our heart beat suddenly slows down and guess what - it happens quite a lot in premature babies.  Normally, we pick it back up again and there's not much harm done but if they happen a lot it's a bit of a worry.  I only mention it because I've hardly had any Bradys (rhymes with Paddies not Ladies!) so that's a good sign too.  Don't want you to think it's all bad!

Back to today... Dad came in first and sat with me for a bit.  We had a chat about my brothers and sister, and then dad gave me a gravity feed (I hate to say this but he getting quite good!)  He looked a bit sad when he had to go, then I remembered he's back at work tomorrow so I won't see him till Friday!  I've seen him every day of my life so far so this is a blow, but I did my best to be strong for him.  We high fived and did some knuckles and generally did a good job of holding it together.

Mum arrived a bit later for her MOTHERS DAY VISIT and it was cool.  She found her present and looked really pleased.  Then she opened the card and looked less pleased.  I knew it!  This one won't be going on the mantlepiece!

Mum looked great.  Even though I missed her when she wasn't feeling too good, I think a few days away did her good.  She thanked me for the Fat Face pyjama's and daffodils I'd bought her for Mother's Day.  I know that I'd be much better off if I was still inside her womb but today for a little while I was glad I decided to pop out early.  Being here, on the outside for Mother's Day was a bit of a treat!

Jemima Puddleduck keeps a close eye
on my oxygen monitor!

Before I sign off tonight I have to say thank you once again to everyone who's following my progress and wishing me well.  Mummy and Daddy have been overwhelmed with the number of messages they've had and they are really, really grateful.  I know they've said it before but knowing that so many people are thinking of us makes such a huge difference.

Hugs and kisses.

Poppy Lola xxx