Growing fast... but wearing a vest!

OK, I know it's been a few days again and I apologise, but listen up... whilst you've been away I've been growing (and growing!) and I now weigh 2lb 15oz.  Nearly three pounds!  I'm so happy I can't tell you... I feel like running around this incubator and singing but that's just going to freak out the nurses on night duty.

I've been making really good progress all week.  Turns out the decision to put the long line back in last Friday was a good one.  As soon as my milk feeds were reduced and I started taking my TPN nutrition through the tube, I started to feel so much better!  I've been doing at least a couple of hours every day this week.  Just on the prongs - no C-Pap - and get this... for an hour on Wednesday I was breathing air, just air!  All by myself with no assistance, I was breathing air.  Just like you all do!  Fair enough, I didn't last long and I was pretty pooped at the end of it, but they say that every great journey begins with a single step and it does feel as though I'm finally starting properly on this journey.

Me and Mummy don't like
to say goodbye!

It's been a really good week.  I've not seen much of Dad because he's been working away but Mum's been in every day - for ages - so I really feel as though we've got to know each other this week.  It's hard you know.  All of my instincts as a tiny new born baby are to be with my Mum all day every day, but in here I have to say goodbye to her every afternoon.  I try to make sure now that my breathing is good whenever she leaves... or she just worries.

I've slowly increased my milk back up to 7.5 mil per hour, which is more than I was on before I started having my fat belly problems.  Sorry for being blunt but I'm pooing and weeing much better now too and even my jaundice is not looking too bad.  Too good to be true?  Possibly!  You know what I'm like.  Turn your back for a minute and I'll start playing up.  I did have a minor bagging earlier today but to be fair I was on the prongs and I was tired!

My first outfit... a white bloody builders vest!

We passed another tiny milestone today... they put a little vest on me!  I don't suppose many of you even know what the first thing you ever wore was but I bet you imagine it to be something really cosy and sweet... pink or blue certainly, and maybe with teddy bears or flowers on it.  Well let me tell you I'm never going to forget the first thing I wore... because it was a white builders vest!!  A builders vest!  About as far away from cute and cosy as its possible to get. And I know I'm still very small but look at the picture... this thing swamped me.  I felt like Laurel wearing Hardy's underwear!

This was all part of today's 'titifications' to see if I can maintain and control my own body temperature, so as well as dressing me in a vest they turned the heating off in my incubator!  Honestly, talk about running before you can walk!  I was bloody freezing!  I've been maintained at a steady 36.8 degrees for nearly five weeks, then they pick the day that IT SNOWS (!) to turn the heating off!  As it happens, I think I did alright but I was pleased when they turned it back up again... I could take the vest off!

Step one of our Cheese Production line...

On a completely different subject one of the nurses pointed out to Mummy that she'd broken one of the rules by filling up two baskets in the ICU freezer with Poppy milk - apparently she's only allowed one!  When dad came in on Wednesday night he had to take some of it home and keep it in the freezer until it's needed.  When he got home and opened the door of the freezer he couldn't believe his eyes!  It's full to busting with Poppy milk!  I'm very proud of my Mummy - I already knew she had many talents but now I can add 'dairy production' to the list.  I'm never going to get through all of that!  Dad thinks we should go into cheese production but I think it's going to be a very specialist market.

Almost time for a sleep now but I've just remembered that I haven't yet told you all the story of my arrival.  It's a good old yarn so I'll write a separate blog to share the whole thing with you.

In the meantime, Happy Easter from Poppy Lola Hufton Jones and thanks for staying with me.

xxx