Fashion statement

This new wrap is quite stylish, don't you think dahhling?

Bath time with Dad - Nov 26th

Its Dad's turn for bathing me tonight and he was pretty good at it! I was a bit scared for a minute, but he held me nice and close and talked me through it which made me feel much better. Mum has decided that will be Dad's job from now on (since Dad did such a good job and since she gets all the cuddles during meal times but I also think she's secretly a bit scared of dropping me in the water because she's not a very good swimmer herself you see....)

The plunge.

And finally the last photo in my bath day portfolio. As you can tell I was kicking my legs all about and making a splash, because I felt all strange with the water on my skin - it kind of reminded me of something but I can't quite put my finger on it. I am not particularly impressed with dad being disrespectful of my modesty. He seems to think that I have a big belly compared to my spindly legs and arms. I bet I am going to grow up very tall (oh, and by teh way, I now weigh 4lb 8oz).

The wet look

Just drying off my hair for a minute before the final plunge. Dad laughed at me with my wet hair, he said it went all curly (I wonder?!?)

Gonna wash that soap right out of my hair

Mum has done such a good job washing my face and hair, I am rather quite enjoying myself by this stage. The towel kept me all nice and snug while mum kept me nice and secure tucked under her arm. I think we should do this again tomorrow!

Don't forget behind the ears

This was all a bit strange and unexpected for me - didn't really know what to make of it, but like most things I handled it in my stride (so to speak).

Snug as a baby at bath time

Here I am all wrapped up ready for mum to wash my face and hair. All very exciting.

Preparation for my first bath - 24 Nov

This is me and my nurse, Ann, demonstrating to mum and dad how I like to be held for my bath (just imagine me with no clothes on and you get the idea).

Mother and son

I do enjoy being with mum, and she seems to like my company too.

Feeding time in the zoo.

Now that I am eating every FOUR hours mum and dad have to feed me a measured dose of mum's milk through my tube - they let gravity send it down. Sometimes I take too much from mum first and there isn't enough room to take all my 50mls at dinner time and I get a bit too full.

What are you looking at?

I know my head is way too big for my body, but check this out, I can lift it and look around. In fact, I am rarely content with just curling up on mum's chest and going to sleep - I prefer to check out what is going on around me. I am particularly interested in anything my dad has to say (at least for now I will humour him).

Stunned mullet

This is my impression of a stunned mullet.

More dirty nappies.

This is mums turn to change my nappy, and I thought it about time to play my old trick on her again. I unloaded a monster on her as soon as she had cleaned me all up - it was even heard from the other side of the neo-natal unit. I even managed to spray dad a little. I do enjoy my little games - and I love having my pants off. It gives me great freedom- I kick and wriggle about.

More tiredness

I know it looks like I am screaming in this photo, but believe me I am yawning - I rarely scream. I dont even scream when they stick those awful sharp things in my arm and take away all that red stuff from inside me (Dad reckons I do pull a funny face though, but can you blame me?). I sure do have a big yawn though for such a wee fella.

Waiting, waiting - 22 Nov

I seem to spend much of my day waiting now. After only 24 hours on 2 hourly feeds I have been placed on 3 hourly feeds and am not impressed with this whole hunger thing. I much prefer a continuously full belly. But notice I still dont have my oxygen back on - got this breathing thing sorted, now that I take a little gaviscon with my milk. I think the docs said it was reflux that was causing my heart dips. Since I started on Gaviscon I've barely been sick at all.

Feeds - Nov 22

You might notice that I still have my feed tube in my nose (despite much success in pulling it out), but things are changing on that front too. After my heart assessment the nurses have moved me on from continuous feed. In this photo I am on 2 hourly feeds, which means I am learning to become hungry and then voice my protest. At the moment I just wriggle my protest at an empty belly, but if they don't get the message soon I might have to give my vocal cords practice.

Air

Well, things are changing. Now that the doctor's can no longer blame my heart for holding me back, all systems are go. Notice the lack of oxygen tubes? Yep, I'm breathing air just like you. And it isn't affecting my oxygen saturation reading. I know I look tired in this photo, but I am always tired. Remember, I am still little (4lb 7oz now).

Finally out of that incubator - Nov 21st

Well, here I am and I'm in a cot!!! Its so much better this way because I can see and hear my mum and dad better.
I'll have to get used to all these blankets and I had to wriggle out of my hat - it was making me hot.

The specialist was quite happy with my heart and didn't think it was slowing down my progress. They said they would only operate if I:
* started losing weight - well I don't think that will be a problem, I'll make sure of that!!
* go back onto ventillation (come on now, I was only ventillated for 2 days!!)
* have crashing heart failure (well I really hope I don't develop that cause it sounds a bit scary!!)

Getting ready for my heart assessment

They put these 'nasal prongs' up my nose last night to get me ready for my trip to see the heart specialist in Newcastle.
I wasn't very impressed with the nurse (and I told her as much) but she still insisted on shoving those tubes up my nose!
They tell me that if the specialist is happy with my heart I can come out of this incubator and go into a cot, so that will be a new experience...

Little facial expressions

Sometimes its hard for mum to catch these little facial expressions I pull, but she loves it when she does.

Some of the nurses say these are not real smiles, but mum doesn't believe a word of it!

Taking it easy

It is nice to just lie here and listen to mum and dad chat to me.

Sound Asleep

Sleeping is one of my favourite things to do (apart from cuddles of course!). The nurses rotate me every few hours so I don't get too much of a flat head from lying in the same position all day - but to be honest there's a bit more work to be done on the prevention of flat- headedness...

Tall, but balding....

I think my hair should grow a bit more - it doesn't seem to start until right back here?

At least the rest of me seems to be growing pretty well, I think I'm going to be quite tall by the looks of this photo.

Heart of Gold - Nov 21

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I had my heart assessment today and the doctor said that there is no need for an operation, just yet. The valve appears to be closing (still leaking slightly) and if in 18 months time it still isn't closed fully they may try closing it by operating. This means that I can begin moving back on to two -hourly feeds, then three and four. I do need a little gaviscon each day though to help my digestion (I have been spitting up milk a bit) but the nurses keep assuring me that is normal for someone so young as myself.

Oh, and by the way, I would love to hear people's comments on my photos - they can be done anonymously without signing up to the blogger (but please include your name in the message so we know who it is from).

4lb 4oz - 19th Nov

Well what can I say? Still growing, still enjoying cuddles and still keen to get to know mum and dad better. The only change is that the doctor couldn't hear my heart mumur this morning, so maybe the valve has closed all by itself - which means I might not need an operation. Still early days though, as the nurses told me that the valve can close and re-open a number of times before it makes its mind up. Having said that I am feeling much stronger today and am not having any dips in pulse or oxygen when I have cuddles.

Not too close Dad!

Dad seems to be taking lots of photos of me. This one is to let you all see what I look like up nice and close. Still cute, aren't I?

At long last!!!

Finally, my greatest wish has come true. After all those days of hinting to mum that this is what I want mum has finally understood me - she musn't be that bright my mum, but I love her anyway. The nurses made a big fuss over how well I was doing on mum's boob for the first time, but I had taken myself through the exercise many times before in my mind so was ready for the big day.

4lbs - 16th Nov

Today is a special day, I am one month old and I am now 4 lbs. My extra weight now means that having a cuddle doesn't wear me out so much and it means I get longer out of my box.

Holding hands.

Each day I wake up around midday and 6pm in anticipation of when Mum and Dad come in to change my nappy. I look forward to the little cuddle we have afterwards and then I like to hold hands and pull on anything I can get my hands on. After an hour of such intense effort and concentration, though, I am off asleep again until next nappy change.

Dreaming of boobies!

Well it has been 10 days since I was allowed to breastfeed - I have been using a little pacifier to practice sucking (I am still abit noisy at it) but it just isn't the same as latching on to my mum. Thankfully I only have to wait another 4 days and then mum and I can get bonding good and proper.

Who needs sleeves?

Mum and Dad keep trying to put my arm in my sleeves, but how on earth am I supposed to scratch my chin, or pull my feed tube out? I prefer to do it my own way

Keeping an eye on things.

Now that I am four weeks old I am much more interested in all the goings on around me, especially listening to my mummy's voice. The best time of the day is when I get to have a cuddle.
Even though the special care unit is now full of new babies (11 in all) I am still the smallest (and mum says the cutest!). I keep an eye on all the new arrivals and make sure they don't make too much noise - there is enough noise in here with all the monitors beeping and I just don't understand the reason for all the crying, I rarely see the need.

still growing - 4 weeks old

I'm four weeks old today and now weigh 3lb 13oz. It's quite different out here than in my mummy's warm tummy, but thankfully this incubator is pretty toasty (it's set at around 30C).

The nurses tried me on intermittent feeds but the three hourly volume of milk was too much for my little belly - they figured this out after I began leaking milk from my nose and mouth after a feed - so for now I am still on continuous feeds and waiting to get a little bit bigger before trying 2 hourly feeds again.

Me and my Dad - Nov 9th

I went for an 'Echo' scan yesterday to check on my heartbeat (the doctors say I have a 'murmur'). It looks like I will have to go for a trip up to Newcastle for the cardiac specialists to check me over and decide whether I need an operation to close a couple of valves in my heart - they were supposed to close when I was born but I have been so distracted with other things (like growing!) that I guess I forgot...Sorry Mum and Dad...
I still have 2 weeks before I have to go, so maybe it will close over by itself and then I won't have to have that operation.

Exhausted

Soooooo tiiiiired!!

More gorgeousness - Nov 8th

Am I not the most beautiful baby in the world??

I feel so happy and safe in Daddy's big hand.

My first cuddle with Dad - Day 23

This is my first hold with Dad and I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. I'm not sure who was more scared, me or Dad?!

I do enjoy listening to my Dad mumbling, but when I tried the 'insert boob here' face it didn't work. I guess Mum and Dad aren't the same - I still have a lot to figure out.

What's going on?

What was that, I thought I heard something?

Oh Dad, do you have to sneak up behind me like that?!

Nappy time with Dad

Oh its such a hard life having everything done for you, it gets a little hum drum after a while.
To spice things up a bit, I left a little surprise in there for you Dad (well sort of little, it could be called a landmine!). You don't look that surprised - you should have seen Mum's face when I pooed on her hand, it was such a ripper reaction I did it again a few days later. And then a few days after that I weed all over the humidicrib wall (ha ha ha). I get away with these naughty things at the moment, but I don't think I'll push my luck for too much longer.

3 weeks old today

So I'm 3 weeks old today and now weigh 3lb 2oz - not bad huh? Mum and Dad have nicknamed me the boofer but I think that's a bit mean since Dad was 11lb himself!

They've wrapped me up for this cuddle and its nice to feel all safe and sound, but I do prefer to feel my bare skin on mummy's. They tell me I'm not allowed to drink any of her milk at the moment because of some tablets she had to take and that is so unfair - I was just starting to get the hang of it! Mum thinks its pretty unfair too, she grumbles when she has to throw her milk down the sink.

Day 19

Mum and Dad think this glum look is hilarious but of course I'm going to be a little glum - THERE'S NOTHING TO DO IN HERE!!

I wonder if I will still have these chubba cheeks when I get my teeth in?

And I wonder if I will always have this receding (or is it slowly advancing?) hairline?!

A starfish - Day 19

This is my impression of a starfish!

Ah, fresh air - 19 days old

Well I'm feeling a bit more like myself now, that trip down from Edinbugh did knock it out of me for a few days. They have had to put me back into oxygen even though I was breathing in air in Edinburgh but the nurses say that is very common after a trip in the ambulance.

Dad is in the middle of changing my nappy in these photos and even though I love the feeling of fresh air on my bottom, I just wish Dad wouldn't take photos of me with no pants on (the indignity - but at least he chose photos that had a strategically placed foot or leg!)