Nearly there... nearly there!!

Hello from…  Coventry!!

Come on... shake on it!

Yes, I’m still here!  There have been a few occasions over the last week when I’ve been all packed and ready to move to Warwick but it somehow always goes a bit pear shaped at the last minute (a bit like me really!)  I’m in the SCUBA (Special Care) ward – right by the door.  I couldn’t be any closer to not being in here, but Warwick is full to busting so there’s nowhere for me to go.  It’s beginning to look like I’ll be going home from Coventry which is not really a bad thing.  Everyone here has been so fantastic it would be nice in a way to do all of my time in the same unit.

I’m so not in HDU any more!  It was all a very quick transition.  One minute Jess was taking the oxygen prongs out, the next I’m in SCUBA in a cot!   Yes, you heard that right – a COT! I’m wearing clothes and I have blankets and everything!   It’s a bit odd not having a roof (and a bit noisy sometimes too) but I love it!  The best bit is when Mummy and Daddy are here and they can just walk in and lift me out.  I still have the one monitor wrapped around my foot – this one checks on my blood oxygen levels – but apart from that I’m free to roam.  I feel like a real baby.

Blanket, clothes and everything!!

The threat of taking me to Leicester for a biopsy worked a treat.  Since the plans were made I’ve been making a pretty good job of everything I need to be doing.  I don’t want to bore you but the quick list goes like this…

Breathing – nearly cracked it.  Occasional de-sat, normally when I’m drinking from a bottle but not been bagged for ages.  I did have a cheeky blood transfusion just before I moved out of HDU – just to give me a bit of a boost on the billyrubin front.

Eating – Mostly taking milk from the bottle every three hours with the occasion blip when I’m tired and they have to use my feeding tube.  Not being sick.  No big belly.

Weight – 1990g (hoping to be 2012g for the Jubilee!)  This is somewhere just over 4lb for the oldies out there!

Ears/Eyes/Brain/etc. – No-one’s saying anything bad so I’m assuming it’s all looking OK.  Obviously on the brain front Dad has done all the jokes about whether they’ve managed to find one or not – he’s so not funny!

Communication skills – these are improving no end.  I’ve now discovered that if I’m not 100% happy with a situation I can scrunch up my face and make a whimpering sound and I can muster immediate attention.  I’m going to use this technique a lot.

Sisters!

What else…? Oh yes, Millie’s been in to visit me in SCUBA and I sat in her lap.  We did it very secretly when no-one was looking (we’re not sure if it was legal or not) but we seemed to get away with it.  It was so neat meeting my sister properly.  We had a little chat and Mille told me all about my Mum and Dad – the stuff that only kids talk about so I can’t tell you the detail here.  It was a very helpful insight though!

Another milestone... I've had a bath.  A proper bath!  I've seen some of the babies in here just put in a bucket of warm water and given a quick scrub, but I had a real bath.  Mummy was a bit nervous, and I pulled a few funny faces, but it was great.  We washed my hair and Mummy said that it went all soft and fluffy.  I smell a bit more fragrant now too!

My Private Room... (fast asleep!)

Dad's been trying to get in to see me at the end of the day when he finishes work but because he has to drive up from London he doesn't get here until 8 o'clock which is when the shifts hand over and Mummys and Daddys have to leave the ward (for confidentiality reasons!)  Poor Dad normally has to sit in the parents room for half an hour before he's allowed in.  Yesterday Mum knew that he was going to arrive at about eight so she called the hospital from home and the nurses suggested a nice surprise for him.  When he arrived they told him he could wheel me into a private room so that we could have some Poppy/Daddy time on our own!!  This was super cool.  It was a lovely warm evening so the window was open and I could feel the breeze on my face.  Dad picked me up and walked around the room chatting to me and (don't tell him I said...) singing to me!!  He's a rubbish singer but it was still neat.  After about 15 minutes I fell fast asleep and when I woke up I was back on the ward and Daddy had gone home. 



Nearly ready to go home!

Home is where I'm going soon.  I'm going to meet all of my family that I've heard so much about... I'm probably going to meet most of you (my readers!) too.  I'm pretty sure now that if I can manage to take a bottle on every feed I'll be on my way.  It might even be this weekend!

It's day 83 today.  I thought I was going to be in here for over 100 (and so did the doctors I think) so if I can get home anytime soon I'm doing well.

One final treat to leave you with tonight.  I'm still not sure if these videos work on my Diary but this is one my Daddy took when I was particularly hungry... it make him chuckle a lot!

Thanks everyone... I couldn't have done this without you all.  Nearly there... nearly there!


Lots of love and hugs!

Poppy Lola xxx