A pictoral update

Its been a while so I thought I'd give everyone an idea of how R is doing, at least in the growth department. At last dr's visit, he was about 7.10 lbs...I'm guessing he's likely closer to 9 lbs by now. Not bad for a kid born 5 weeks early!

A day or so old in the NICU...


About 2 and 1/2 weeks old



About 5 1/2 weeks old



About 7 weeks old


About 8 weeks old

For a little sibling comparision, here is Talia about 8 weeks old

The jawline is a little different but the hairline, nose and mouth is very similar. If you were to compare two pictures of them sleeping, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

Updated family pictures!

Here are some updated shots...the grandparents have been visiting, so we have been kinda busy lately ;) Unfortunately some shots haven't been edited too much but I thought it would be nice to see updated shots.

Some new photos (R&T)

What do you mean he is coming home?

The big bug

So the excitement with R hasn't been our only source of stress of late.

About a week ago, as I casually ran my fingers through T's hair, a gentle tousle of her blond locks, I found something.

We had just made a quick trip to the potty as we were visiting R in special care. T had been throwing a temper tantrum so it was a welcome out to get her out of R's room as she was not on her best behaviour.

Upon further inspection, I glanced something gray and blood blister looking at the back of T's head, right about the ridge we all have at the back of our heads, I believe they are called a cranial suture? Whatever, the bony part just above the hair line.

At first I thought it might be a blood blister or something as T had fallen out of bed earlier in the week and possibly hit her head on the floor. Nope, it wasn't that.

Whatever this was, it was floppy...

Since there was a nurse on duty in R's room, I quickly asked her if she could look at something. That something was the thing on the back of T's head.

She took a quick look and said, "Oh, that's a tick." very non-challantly.

A tick...my kid had been bitten by a tick. Great, I already had one kid in the hospital, I didn't need another one. Panic set in.

This tick was big so according to one nurse, it looked like it had been there a day or so. Or maybe he just attached shortly after a previous meal. S said he hadn't seen it when they were at swim lessons that morning but let's be honest, he wasn't looking for a tick.

I don't know nor do I care when it appeared, it was big. Like half the size of my pinkie fingernail big. You know that old commercial, when you are this BIG, they call you Mister?

A group of nurses gathered around to assure me it was nothing.

They recounted how all their kids had had one at some point and how growing up they and their friends had all had one bite them. Basically don't worry too much about it. Just get some sharp tweezers, go down to the skin and just pull it out. Then wash the area with alcohol and perhaps some antibiotic ointment. Mark the date on the calendar and perhaps save the bug, just in case. Treat it like any other insect bite.

Ticks can carry various diseases but from what I've read, they (the tick born diseases) are fairly rare in Kansas. They are far more common in the South East (like Georgia).

Apparently ticks are amply found in marshy areas. Kansas isn't really a marshy area but we've had a fair amount of rain so many areas are damper than usual plus we had a very long spring with cooler than normal temps, and lots of long grass (you can watch it grow some days) making for prime tick territory.

Did I mention Kansas has had issues with West Nile in the past few years? But that's an issue with mosquitoes bites. I'm sure the next thing will be the killer bees from South America!

Regardless of the nurses' assurances, I called the doctor's first thing Tuesday (Monday was a holiday) to get the low down on what we should be watching for, just in case. The Special Care nurses were concerned about one disease while our family doctor was more concerned about another.

We have no idea where to picked up her little stowaway but she had been outside and around dogs (a possible carriers of ticks) as she had been visiting friends the previous two days.

Everyone was trying to help us out by taking her for different times so I could get to the hospital and S could go to work. They didn't mind an extra kid as their kids were already at home, as the school year ends in May here.

Regardless of where she got it, she got bit. I'm guessing it must have hitched a ride in her hat given the location of the bite.

One nurse told me she had once found one on her 18 month old son, within the confines of his diaper. She got it off and all was well. When I asked how it could have gotten in there, she simply said, "They are small, they can go wherever they want. And sometimes a tick is just a tick." Apparently she's never tried to Google the term, "just a tick".

Needless to say, both T and I started to cry (for different reasons) but T bucked it up long enough for S to extract the tick. It hadn't or couldn't burrow in too far as there isn't a whole lot of skin in that area, so all the parts where extractable. Apparently you need to make sure you don't leave a body part like a leg behind during the extraction...yummy.

The nurses gave us an empty unused formula bottle to put 'Mr. Bug' in. Mr. Bug has been residing in the cupboard until we have some distance for any symptoms to show up. Mr. Bug has ceased to be a threat as he passed sometime the middle of last week.

Ever the budding entomologist (bug expert), T was fascinated. She keeps asking about her bug. Where's my bug? I want to look at my bug. Where's my bug that was in my head? I want to show my bug Mommy and Daddy's room.

While it is nice to see she wants to be friends with something that bit her, I don't think so. No furloughs to anyone's room or visitings allowed.

Mr. Bug was still very much live for a few days after he was extricated. We never did explain to T exactly what Mr. Bug was doing and its going to stay that way. All she needs to know is that she got bit by a bug.

Truth by told, fleas and ants give me the willies more than the tick. What bothers me most is the fact it was attached to my kid.

I'm not so big on covering my child with insecticides but it does give one pause to think about it. We (as in our family) haven't ever had a big problem with mosquitoes or other spring/summer/fall pests like we did back in Ontario (and yes, there are tick problems in Ontario too so this could have easily happened there) so we've never worried too much about covering ourselves with DEET.

Since we live in Kansas, the sun is a far greater danger as it is sunny an average of 300 days a year here and shade is a commodity. She's always got a hat on and sunscreen but we might just have to find something additional for those days she's out in the wilds of Kansas.

In writing this, I think I have guaranteed that we will never have out of state visitors and again...they will be too terrified of getting skin cancer or contracting a disease because they got bit by a bug!

And...we're home.

We got home today around 12:30pm. It was the nicest time I've had in months.

I got a call yesterday afternoon stating that R was being moved to Family Care. This meant that one of us had to be at the hospital 24/7 until he was released. Despite him having to pass a carseat test and us having to take an infant CPR course, he was going to be moving as soon as we could get those two things done. Did I mention they are overstuffed in the NICU and Special Care?

Being moved to Family Care is used to get the parents/caregivers prepared for life after the baby goes home.

You'd think I'd be prepared seeing as I already have had one kid right? Well, you have to keep in mind that some parents have their children very early gestationally, like 24+ weeks so their little ones have been in the NICU for a few months. Some might be going home on monitors or medications that require a far amount of forethought and practice than just feeding, diapering and cuddling

Thankfully for now, that does not include us. We just need to focus on feeding, diapering and cuddling.

There was some talk of a heart monitor but the doctor read over the charts and felt that while some nurses considered R's pauses apnea or a Brady, in her medical view, they weren't. It was the same with how one nurse kept saying R was nowhere near ready to go home 3 days ago but then the next nurse said that they felt he was.

Everyone has an opinion but when R started drinking nearly 2oz at a seating (and has decided he now likes on demand eating rather than feeding tube), there has been no stopping him.

He has been home less than 7 hours and he is supposed to have eaten 12 mL per hour...so 84 mLs minimum. He has guzzled back nearly 60z (about 180mLs) with some additional time nursing...yeah, I think he's hitting a growth spurt or is just celebrating in a newborn kind of way.

I'm sure you all want to know how big sister T is handling things...Well, she's not so into sharing HER stroller with R. She rode (something she has just starting doing again since she was informed that R would be using her stroller) from the car upstairs to pick up our stuff from the Family Care room and escort R down to the car. S had to carry her to the car, where she cried like a banshee for about 10 minutes.

She threw a temper tantrum before, during and after we were released from the hospital. She threw a fit when we got home and when I was attempting to feed R his 4pm feeding. Anything to get Mom's attention away from the baby.

But that being said, she is trying to be just like Mom and feed her baby Bart with a small makeshift bottle. Bart is also using one of T's old baby blankets that are not quite big enough to wrap R, despite his demure size.

As of last night, he was above his birth weight, so we will see how he grows in the next few days as we are due for our first trip to the GP's office Monday.

Both S and I are still struggling with the idea that he is home and that he is here. While the last two weeks have felt like a lifetime, it has only been two weeks.

Two weeks is a fortnight. I think that sounds more appropriate as it has been a bit of a battle at times for dear old Mom to hold down the fort at home, at the hospital and keep a hold of those pesky post partum hormones. Despite getting some sleep, what sleep I've gotten has been far from restful.

S commented that at least I didn't have to go through those rough last few weeks of pregnancy. They were a challenge with T's pregnancy and I was hopeful that they would be better with R's pregnancy. There are many things I didn't get done before he got here and likely will never get done in preparation for his arrival.

One of those things was to get a belly shot. While I'm not a huge fan of seeing pictures of myself, especially during those chubbier days, it was something I kinda like having as a keepsake from T's pregnancy. I took shots the night before her delivery but this time, I was a little too tied up with wet pants and worry to tell S to get a shot of my quickly deflating belly.

Right up until the minute before the big gush, I just kept saying, I've got a month left, I've only got one more month left and so much left to do....

A couple of nights ago, T was showing me her snapshots on her digital camera. There buried among the blurred shots of her feet and bedsheets (she likes to take her camera to bed with her) was a lone shot side shot of my pregnant belly with R, while I was sitting on the couch. Its just the top of my leg and a profile shot of my abdomen about maybe 7 months along, but its something.

Now all I have to do is separate her from her camera to get a copy before she deletes it...

Please welcome the newest Canuck Kitten in Kansas!

Remember that storm we had a few weeks ago?

The one were we narrowly missed the tornado?

Yeah, well that particular day I decided to pack a just in case we have a tornado bag, a hospital bag for my scheduled (note I said scheduled) delivery and a bag for T in case the new addition decided to come early. He won't come early, right? If you plan things well enough, they happen just like you expect? Right? RIGHT?

Hell, no.

It was one week ago today, after spending a leisurely afternoon of ordering a few post pregnancy things that I would need after the new addition arrived on June 18th, that I trudged upstairs to start dinner.

T followed and all seemed normal. Ha ha, normal, not for long...

Around about 5:30pm, the pregnant one (me) headed for the umpteenth bathroom visit of the day. After doing what I went there for, I headed back to the kitchen.

Gush. Hmmm, that's not right. Headed back to the bathroom thinking that I must have more business to do. But my bladder wasn't the problem I would soon discover.

T thought Mommy had peed her pants. Charming.

No, that wasn't pee. I proceeded to try to stay calm so as not to upset the apple cart that is T's world. I never went into labour with T so I am completely in the dark as to what happens next except that it might not be good.

What to do first? Try calling Backup. Backup not answering her cell phone...that never happens. Try Backup again, nope, no answer.

Try Backup's husband cell (something of note he never answers his phone). Get Backup's husband on phone, describe situation. Please send Backup to cover for me with T as I'm in labour and S isn't home.

S is on the other side of town picking up something to help put in the new dining room hardwood floor. About a 1/2 hour away with evening traffic.

Did I mention we had *planned* to put in hardwood floors in the dining room before the new addition arrived? We had a month left after all...the best laid plans...

Phone handed to Backup. Are you okay? Backup asks. Yes, but I think I'm in labour and my water just broke. Backup tells me she is sending her mom to wait until S gets home.

Next, call S. Get the hell home now, my water broke. S asks if I'm sure...ahhh, well everywhere I go I'm leaving a dripping and/or gushing trail of liquid so yes, I think it broke.

Call the OB's office, told get to hospital. T goes with Backup's Mom and heads to the zoo for an evening of merriment. It is Backup's daughter end of the year preschool party. T is thrilled because she gets to see Backup's daughter, forget that Mommy is in labour.

Ignorance is truly bliss for her.

S gets home. We are both exhausted and terrified. We head to the hospital were by the time I get to the L&D floor, my pants resembled T's during our first days of potty training. Maternity jeans soaked to the knees.

After being asked I don't know how many times how much I weighed (seriously I don't look at the scale at the OB's offic e for a reason), they guesstimate about how much for the epidural. The on call OB from my OB's office is already doing a section and we are next up.

We are informed of all the possible complications by just about everyone. They all smile and say its going to be okay. Yeah, sure it is. I'm only 35 weeks and one day long. Just about how far along my mom was with me when I was born. I think I turned out okay...just spent 2+ weeks in the hospital...

We are wheeled into the OR for my 4 weeks too soon section. The drug guy does his job and within minutes (9pm to be exact) the new arrival is here. He is hoisted over the drape, someone shouts "LOOK MOM!" He was screaming at least.

Its a sea of masked faces. The neonatal team waiting for him has more staff that the delivery team looking after me.

S has his back to me, I can't see or hear a thing. The pitocin starts so my head gets super stuffy and my voice disappears. I managed to ask S what's going on, he tells me they are trying get him to breathe but he is having a little trouble.

About ten minutes later (although it felt like much much longer) the neonatal team transports him to the NICU. S goes with him. I've got a whole bunch of folks looking after me and I ain't going anywhere but the recovery room.

I strike up a conversation with the respiratory tech to my left. She asks where I'm from as my accent soons like a northern one. I tell her I'm from Canada. It turns out her mom is Canadian and some of her siblings have Cdn citizenship. Her Cdn relatives come from Manitoba thru Alberta. Somehow this is reassuring. Don't ask me why, I don't know but it was.

When I got to recovery, I had to ask the nurse in recovery to turn on the TV, it was just too quiet. No HGTV, DIY Network or MSNBC but there was the History Channel available and unfortunately so was Fox News.

After waiting what felt like hours in the recovery room, they wheel me into the NICU complete with IV to see R. He was hooked up to a nose canula, nearly as big as a 1/3 of his face. He was struggling a bit to breathe but they tell me that this is normal. He had an IV and monitoring wires galore but when you see some of the others in the NICU, he looked like a champ.

S went home for the night as neither of us could have gotten any sleep with his snoring. I love him but he snores, loud. I got about 3.5 hours of sleep and was informed that I would be expected to make an effort to get up around 10am (about 12 hours post surgery). It went surprisingly well and by midday Thursday, S wheeled me downstairs to see R, who at the time was still unnamed.

R remained unnamed until about Friday I think. I had a list of names prepared. I tried out a few names but S wasn't going for any of them, except what became R's first name. I think I also had R's second name on there but it wasn't a big contender at the time. I asked S to go home Thursday night and come up with his own list. He did and finally the kid had a name.

T stayed with Backup and her family. Honestly, I think she would have preferred to stay longer. By Saturday night, they evicted me from the hospital. Leaving R behind was one of the most painful experiences I have ever had. The last few months have been rocky ones and this time has been rather hard.

R is doing better. He gets stronger daily. I have a suspicion that he will be at the hospital a while longer as he needs to better control his body temp and eat on his own. My off hours are spent trying to get my chaotic house in order and pump breast milk to take to the hospital. S goes to work in the am, then comes home to tackle T and finish the dining room floor, which looks gorgeous.

R shocked both the nurse and I today when he drank about 1.5 ounces in one shot and refused to let go of the nipple. Up until now he has barely been able to keep his eyes open during a feed so he has been getting his meals through a feeding tube. He just has to figure out how to breathe, eat and swallow at the same time and not fall asleep. He is often alert in the am but not during the regimented feeding time. He does practice sucking on the soother so that's a great start.

The body temperature thing and feeding on his own are his two main stumbling blocks but seeing as technically he is just 36 weeks and one day old today, I think he is doing pretty good. He has no trouble peeing in his diaper, on the nurses and dear old Mom, so we know that part works well too.

Below are some pictures. He has had his IV removed now that he is getting enough food either thru the tube or eventually via bottle or breast. He is down to a cardiac and breathing monitor. He has had a few Bradys (they are breathing spells where his heart drops too low) but the last couple he has recovered on his own.

If he were to head home today, he would have to come home with a heart monitor (its about the size of a portable DVD player). He would have to wear one of these until he is Brady free for 7 days.

Since we aren't close to heading home, the clock starts from today as he had one this morning. The fact that he recovers on his own is a very good sign and they should go away as he gets stronger. These things are totally normal for a child of his gestation.

Perspective is everything right now althought that is much easier said than done.

It still amazes me how babies look like little old men. Wrinkly and bald with no teeth to speak of but on the positive side, they smell much much better.

I will try to get up more shots when I get a minute to take more. For now, you can see what he looks like. I do apologize for not getting these up sooner but I've been a tad occupied!

Mom holding R in the NICU

R in the snuggly in the NICU

R's custom name tag

R catching some much needed zzz's

R in his snuggly

T checking out the new sibling



The temper tantrum after checking out new sibling.

Oh would you put that thing away Mom?

You may need to turn up the volume really loud. Right before I took this little video, T asked if she could sing the baby a song. She was told it had to be a quiet one. R is about to get his dinner via feeding tube but she says something worth recording for posterity as it will be used against her when she is older.