February 27 - Graduation Day from the NICU!

all tucked in to go home in our flashy new car seat!
Dr. Clark could be a photographer. Thanks Dr. Clark!
Getting the final things taken down off the wall at Gerard's station.

last time we eat in the NICU

I'm so ready to go home mom...would you please put me in my graduation outfit?
our station marker - we had B and G until a couple of weeks ago. F is for the future!
I'm not sure I can write anything to truly express how I feel today. He's home. Finally. And I'll just have to write more tomorrow about it. Things are good. Today was a very, very good day.

We got to see Melanie, the wonderful respiratory therapist who was so kind to me when I was so sick back in January. That was nice. Thanks again Melanie, for being super wonderful to both me and Gerard. We also had the doctor (Clark) who first saw Gerard after he was born sign him out and say goodbye. I cried a little. Can you believe I cried? He told me he'd take him. He's a keeper. I'm a bigger baby than Gerard. You'd think I'd be jumping for joy instead of crying. It's just been an emotionally and physically draining experience, and he and all the other doctors and nurses helped us get to this day. I feel so grateful to all the people who helped little Gerard thrive in the NICU. Let's hope I can do the same at home for him and help him get bigger and stronger with few complications.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Of course, today wouldn't be complete without a photo of us at home, now would it? I like this picture except for the painter's blue tape that shows how I'm a bad mom - still haven't finished painting the room. Oh well. When naps get longer I'm sure I'll get to it eventually. If any of you NICU folks take a look at this, Gerard is sending over two, yes two large cakes tomorrow (one for the night shift and one for the day shift) - It is truly time to celebrate!!! For those of you that I miss - we'll keep ya'll updated on occasion. Let's hope he's not colicky (sp) and I still have time to blog every now and again.

OK, I admit it, I tortured the baby with American Idol tonight and he seemed to kind of like it when I sang along!

Feb. 26 - We'll all be home soon. Tomorrow's going to be a big day!

Weight - 6 lbs. 15 oz. - He's totally going to be a big, big boy!

This morning started less than ideally. I got bumped from behind by a giant Cadillac something or other SUV turning left at the light after dropping Michael off at school. Just great. Exactly what I needed, right? After pulling over and taking a look at the lack of damage to the car, I just burst into tears. I had too much to do today to deal with a car accident from a woman who wasn't paying attention. First time I get a hug from someone after they hit me.! I'm OK. Everything is fine... Just a little more drama to add to the mix.

After that, I madly cleaned house to prepare for Gerard's coming home! After all, we have a belated birthday celebration! He's coming home! He's really coming home. No, I didn't forget he turned 2 months old on the 24th. Just waiting for a decent photo op. Photos of late just won't do for the "2 month photo" just yet. Happy 2 months, Gerard! Thanks, Rosemary for making me feel like a bad, bad mommy. :) Guilt always works.

Since he couldn't wait (he was smelly and hungry) for my evening visit, Little G had to get fed and bathed tonight before my arrival. When I walked in, his nurse Jenn was feeding him in one of her famous "wraps" - and he looked terrific. Here's a photo where she moves her head too fast so I didn't get a good focus. Gerard loves being held - it helps the gas issue.
Thanks for taking such good care of my little boy. See...happy baby in the vertical position.
I need to figure out what I'm eating that's causing his discomfort. From what I read, it's just about everything.
As odd as it sounds, Michael and I are going to miss the safety net of the NICU. We have spent a lot of time there (we're in the 9th week) and have gotten to know some really wonderful people. Sad to say, we're experiencing some co-dependence of sorts. We've decided this is perfectly normal. I'll have my therapist confirm this tomorrow, of course.

Tomorrow's post should be interesting. We'll take going away photos and coming home photos. I'm sure it will be interesting with all the home equipment... we will simply deal with what we're dealt. Signing off for my last good night's sleep for a long time. Goodnight and wish me luck!

Feb. 25 - Boarding In - Going home soon!

Weight - 6 lbs. 13 oz.

Little big boy is eating up to 70 cc's now! He's getting to be such a full-figured boy. Hard to believe how scrawny he started out. He's doubled his weight. Hooray! We decided that I am probably eating way too much fiber for him to process, and that's what is making him gassy. Rooming in last night was a fragrant experience. Hmmm... Poor G guy is affectionately called adorable nicknames like "stink bug" and "fartiest baby" - not my favorites, but pretty funny. Yes, I know it's my diet. I eat too many fruits and vegetables and it gets into my milk and voila!

Rooming in was exactly as I'd expected. Loud beeps and buzzing from the home equipment, gassy grunting from the baby, and a nervous daddy. This all mixes up for absolutely no sleep - well, maybe one hour. Welcome to the world of parenthood. Yes, yes... One panic moment, but outside of that, not a dramatic evening. Thanks again to the night shift for calming our nerves. Thanks, Jen! I even gave baby a bath unassisted with no problems. Whew. I'm ready to check out!

We're set for discharge on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to getting him home. Don't get me wrong, this NICU is one of the best in the country, and I'm lucky it's here. But there's something sweet about being able to roll over and see your baby sleeping right next to you in the crib. Lovely.

Feb. 24 - Boarding In!!!

Weight - 6 lbs. 10 oz.

Good news! We're boarding in tonight at the hospital and it looks like Gerard will be coming home on Wednesday. Got a phone call from the doctor yesterday morning saying that he passed the room air test and he's "ready to go" - which of course, set a whirlwind of action into place.
Not much time to write at the moment, but I'm pleased that we're getting closer. Michael and I are spending the night in the hospital to get a feel for working with the equipment he'll be on until he doesn't need oxygen assistance. That could take weeks, months... who knows. It makes me nervous, but I know it will all work out OK. I'll be calling the local fire dept. to make sure we know who our 911 dispatchers are.
After expressing our concerns to the staff during rounds last week, communication at the hospital has been much, much better. We probably should have said something sooner. As I've said time and time again, I feel that the baby's care has been first class - it's just the communication with us parents that could have been better. Hard to do when there are so many people involved, I realize. More later tonight. I'm sure we won't sleep all night! And we love the night shift.

February 22 - False Alarm

Weight - 6 lbs. 8 oz.
Before I begin, I'd like to say it's sure wonderful that Gerard is growing up to be such a big boy and a good eater. He's not a "fussy" baby, and everyone says what a good boy he is.
However...the boy is a lazy breather! He failed a very important "Room-Air" test. By the way - no one informed us that there was such a test and no one informed us that he failed the test two days ago when he was supposed to have passed it. We were all set to plan on a homecoming on Monday, but his nose is stuffy and he won't even breathe without his stats falling for 30 seconds unassisted today. Last night we were quite frustrated with the entire situation. Bottom line - he's not ready. After hearing nurses say that he was ready for over a week, they hadn't done the "room air" test to validate that. He probably would have been ready this weekend if they hadn't switched the head box last Saturday and let his nose completely heal before jamming the cannula back up his nose again too soon(remember my rant at that time)! I won't get into it. I ranted again at lunch with Michael as my audience today. Nothing I can do about it now. Press on.
We met with the doctor and the entire team on rounds this morning to let them know that we'd like better communication and fewer mixed signals regarding what's happening, what needs to happen, and Gerard's responses to what's happening. After all, Mom is a "worker" (that's a quote from the doctor) and needs to plan this whole thing a little better without all the false alarms. I want to spend as much time as I can with the little guy when he gets home. Besides, what daycare do you know in Ogden who will take a baby on oxygen? Obvious answer.
I'll write more when I'm in a better mood later this weekend and try to get some good photos.
Little G is very marked up from scratching his face with his sharp little nails. He looks pretty messed up right now. They're not allowed to cut his nails in the hospital. So lucky me! Another "to do" this weekend. I'll try to do it while he's sleeping (thanks to the nurse who gave me that tip).
I'm really not mad about him not coming home. I'm just frustrated with the lack of consistency of messages from the healthcare workers in the hospital.

Feb. 20 - Do not do this at home

Weight 6 lbs. 6 oz. Tonight I was hoping for better photos, but he was sleeping. Because he was sleeping (and don't do this at home), I put his little wildcat in the bed with him to show how he's grown! There will be nothing in his bed at home...don't worry - this is just for special effects.

Gerard had a great feeding at 6:00 on demand and didn't wake up for me while I was there...and I didn't want to wake him. He was sleeping so well. Speaking of well...Big news...the goal is Monday for his homecoming! Before that can happen there are tons of classes and we are "boarding in" tomorrow night. I can hardly wait (not). Sleeping, or rather, not sleeping in the hospital reminds me of recent flashbacks. In fact, tonight in the NICU one of the machines sounded just like the one I had when I was on mag. Beeping and beeping and beeping went on for nearly an hour before it got some attention (it wasn't our machine).
Tomorrow night we get to work with the medical equipment we'll take home to practice with it and hopefully not get any sleep so that we can sleep this weekend for the last time ever. Well, at least for four or five years, I guess!
We also watched the scary infant CPR video and take the rest of the class tomorrow. Anyone sitting for him gets to go through that class, too. It really is frightening. But not knowing proper CPR for infants is more frightening if you need to use it. I'm ready! Then there's the "discharge" class. You'd think these folks would have a checklist of sorts, but they don't. It's all willy-nilly piece-mealed out to you in bits and on demand. Not my style. They really should have given us a punch list weeks ago so we could prepare.

The inversion is so bad here that we'll miss the eclipse. That's too bad. I love lunar eclipses. So beautiful. The air is so thick with muck I can actually taste it and my lungs feel it. Not sure it's a good idea to take a sensitive baby out of the hospital in the pollution, but hey, I'm not a medical professional.

We had the car seat checked by the experts and we checked out OK on that. The seat makes it look like we live in Miami. I got the brightest one I could find - and it's aqua to boot! Remember Miami Vice? We'll certainly photograph him in that! I had to do something with some humour. I actually like it. Many of the newer car seats are black. And what's hotter in the summer than pure black? Nothing.

Feb. 19 - Lots of procedures...

Weight - 6 lbs. 5 oz.

Lots and lots of crying and upset behavior today, with understanding. He didn't get a bath tonight - only a sponge bath. We thought it might be too painful. Yet he cried and screamed with the sponge bath anyway. Poor Little G -Man.
Yesterday he needed a blood transfusion (again) because hemoglobin was low. Maybe that will perk up his color and his awake time again. Today the numbers looked better. They prepared me for the fact that he may need another transfusion within the next two months. I guess that's OK? Today I got a little queasy. When I walked in for his noon feeding, the doctor was finishing up a little procedure that happens on some baby boys...a procedure I specifically said I didn't want to be around while it was happening. I was a little mortified that there were two students observing, but hey, I'm all for education. One Weber State nursing student was very happy to share that it was her first observing this surgery! I'm sure it won't be her last. He handled it very well and didn't scream as I'd expected. When the doctor saw me, he was happy to show me and explain. Very good. It was one of those moments in time when I couldn't hear anything around me except for his little noises. I'm just glad it was me in the room and not Michael. Ouwee! Then I fed him and he ate well and went right to sleep. Sweet little boy. He was tuckered out. He didn't take much at his 2:00 feeding (only 30 ccs). He needs to eat more in the next 12 hours to prevent a setback.

Other stuff - he's getting his immunizations today. All five of them (including polio).

Possible discharge date - next Monday. No kidding! Lots to do. Lots to do to prepare.

For those of you wanting to throw me a shower. OK...I'm ready now (mentally) - call me to discuss if you're serious.

For those of you friends wanting to visit, sorry but that will have to wait a little while longer. I'm so sorry. We have been instructed to control the environment even more at home because of RSV season and bad flus going around. If you have a runny nose or cough, you have to wait a full week before even asking to visit after symptoms are gone. That includes being around people who are sneezing, runny and coughing around you. The viruses can last up to 78 hours on your clothing and in your hair. We don't want to go back to the ICU. More soon. But yes, you can bring food over any time. Any time at all! And we won't make you scrub in for that.

Upcoming: CPR class on Thursday night at 6pm for anyone wanting to learn baby CPR that might be interested in sitting for the little guy while I get a quick nap nap or shower - call me if you're interested. They host the classes every week at the NicU waiting room. He's coming home on oxygen. That's it. No way around it now, as uncomfortable as I am. Chronic lung disease. He may be on oxygen for weeks, according to the doctor...even months. No way for us to know at this time. At least I know now when he looks like he needs a transfusion. His coloring turns white (like me). Unfortunately, I think he'll get another dose of lasix this week. As you can see, his eyes are puffy again.

Feb. 16 - Rootin' Tootin' @ 6 lbs.

Gerard Weight - 6 lbs. 2 0z.
Gotta love this weight progression!

I'm assuming that I don't need to explain the title of tonight's post. Little G, rootin' tootin' smelly man was in rare form tonight. Let's just say he definitely takes after his daddy... Lots and lots of tootin' which can only mean one thing - a big blowout is in the near future. Tonight I got a little upset. When I got out of the shower, Michael informed me that Little G's nurse called to let us know that he's back on the cannula as ordered by the NP. I'm starting to feel a little jerked around...so I'll be chatting with the doctor in the morning. I thought we decided not to do this to him again until the head box helped to clear up the snorty-nose. This particular NP hasn't even been in the room in over 6 weeks, so she's not familiar with the on-again/off-again cannula and head box business. If they take him off the cannula again, it won't be going back on for a while...which is going to be a setback. Plus, he loves to pull out anything on his face. He's good at it. Luckily, he's taking all feedings (up to 50 ccs) and doing great with me as well - so no gavaging for a couple of days.
This is more good news. So I asked his sweet nurse to keep an eye on him tonight for me. With three sets of twins in his NICU room tonight, it's going to be busy and noisy. Life has been busy today. Our friend Casey helped Michael to move furniture for Gerard from Salt Lake to Ogden. Then several hours of putting it all together. So for now, our master bedroom is nursery and our bedroom. A little crowded, but necessary for now. Big thanks to Stephanie, Kelley and Casey for helping to wrap up this major, major project. Now I have to finish sorting through boxes from when we moved in, get them out of the spare bedroom, paint and move G-man's furniture into his room. In the middle of the furniture installation we took a break to watch little Jack play hockey. Jack is going to be Gerard's new friend. Michael can't wait to have Gerard playing sports. Hmmmmmm... I think that's OK, as long as he can take ballroom dancing classes, too. And ballet. :) Michael's back in town, obviously. I missed him last week. He was so surprised to see how much snuggly pants has grown and filled out. He thinks Gerard looks like me...except for his dark hair. Believe it or not, I was a fair-haired baby. For Valentine's Day, I got this photo restored for him. He almost cried.

February 14 - Happy Valentine's Day!

Gerard Weight - 5 lbs. 12 oz.
Today little Gerard was sleeping when I arrived, then wide awake. He does not like the feeding tube, but they had to feed him last night late dinner because he was pooped out from my visit. Not the first time I wear someone out! (no comments from the peanut gallery, please) -
Uneventful day for him overall. That's good!

Today I was traumatized. Not just a little. I went to BabiesRUs. Oh yeah - we are officially registered after I almost had a meltdown from product overload! I even had to call my secretary to tell her I didn't know what the hell I was doing! Could someone please direct me for a change! She cracked up and couldn't believe what I was saying. In fact, she almost fell out. (that comment is for Jim). Why didn't the Sippy Cups book warn me about this? I think Stephanie should have at least given a "new mom" the heads-up on this madness of marketing baby products. I had to leave and pump and eat...and return to buy stuff. Can you believe this crazy world we live in? How many varieties of this stuff do we really need in life? I only needed one, just one organic infant crib mattress. Anyway, you can see my ridiculously long, long list of "stuff" that I registered for on our registry and for those of you who keep asking...ask no more! You've got a shopping list. Yes, indeedy. Get shopping - enjoy! And don't forget...do I have to remind you again about the more manageable list at Babinski? tee hee Seriously, I don't care what clothes he wears until he's a teenager.
Then I'm sure I'll have an opinion about it.

Feb. 13 - Sleepy, not weepy, lots of peepee

Cool...my cell phone took these photos tonight. Some say he's looking like me. (I think so, too).

Gerard Weight - 5 lbs. 12 oz.
Gerard's weight is down because he had a diaper that put out as much as an entire day's worth yesterday when I visited him - in that one diaper! Just pee. Imagine that! He was given a dieuretic to reduce all the puffiness I had written about before. Guess there's something they can do for puffiness.

Learned today that he will NOT be going home on oxygen. Thank goodness! They will wait for his lungs to develop appropriately. This is of great relief to both Michael and I. Nurses say one thing one day and another the next. I won't get into it. But...there is a nurse who should not be our nurse (because her daughter is a colleague) - and she hasn't said anything. She's not a friend sort of colleague. I may have to say something to someone about the, um, ya know...HIPPA law!!!!!! It's so uncool. That I should have to bring their attention to this matter would be bothersome. If I get her again (because it makes me uncomfortable) I will say something. She's said inappropriate things to me before. Today she crossed the line telling me that my baby was going to be going home in the next few days. - As if! She's not the doctor and that sends conflicting messages.

On a nice note, I got to go out to dinner with friend last night and friends tonight. Maybe Michael should stay out of town more often. (Just kidding Michael daddy). You can take me out Saturday or Sunday to make up for Valentine's Day. Oh yeah, we don't really celebrate Valentine's Day now that we're parents!!!!!! Right? Actually, I have a very special surprise for Michael that I'll blog tomorrow.

http://pishposhbaby.com/st0754.html


Today I wasn't as weepy, but I was horribly sleepy. Every time I sat down, I fell asleep, thus the title for today's entry. I didn't even really wake up today until this afternoon, so I ended up working late. It all worked out. Miss you Michael!

Feb. 11 - Gerard Weight 5 lbs. 14 oz.

I imagine he'll be at 6 lbs. this week.
One of my favorite nurses, Lisa, was on duty tonight. She shared with me that she's expecting. Congratulations Lisa!!! Lisa was nice enough to help me with Gerard's bath, which is probably the scariest thing I have to do with him. He loves his bath...I think I've said that before. And he handles it like a champ.
Tonight he fed for 25 minutes with me (thank God no rejection today)!
Again I'm tired...but my doctor made me feel better about it. He said that anyone going through the one of five whammys I went through would be fatigued. He thinks I may be anemic. I lost over 30% of my blood count as of Jan. 1 - so my stores just may be too low to function well. He also thinks I can ditch the BP medication (I think that's a part of it as well). So, I'm weaning off that slowly over the next month. I won't ramble about my health anymore tonight. Just reading it wears me down.
I also got to see my therapist today, which makes me feel a little bit saner overall. I needed that!
And...great news for me. My friend Ruby is going with me to a movie and dinner tomorrow evening, which should pick up my spirits overall. We're going to see a chick-flick. I'll review it later.
The sun is shining today and the snow is melting. Hooray!

Feb. 10 - Weekend update

Feeding through the feeding tube

Gerard's gigantic nametag on his bed.

Weight 5 lb. 10 oz.
This weekend Gerard started regular feedings from a bottle when I'm not around. He's getting up to 50 cc's (@1.5 oz.) at each feeding, which seems like a lot to me for someone so small! As you can see, his weight is up and he's doing well in that department. He's back on the headbox, which he prefers. He sounds really congested, and today he had puffy eyes and he had a rash on his face and neck. The doctor will be taking a look at that. I feel so sorry for him having a rash being so little.

Last night I got to help give him a bath after feeding him, and he slept through his entire bath. That was so much fun to watch...he even slept through washing his hair. It's interesting how different nurses like doing his cares in different ways. I try to learn what I can - and it's getting easier now that he's gaining weight. He's still fragile, but at least he's heavier in my arms and doesn't feel like air.
As for me, I'm still rather exhausted and I'm certain it's the medication I'm taking. I actually napped in between feeding and pumping today - and got absolutely nothing productive done. Frustrating, but at least I got to sleep and remember being in REM sleep for a little while. It's been a while since I recall dreaming.

Michael's off in IL at Scott AFB this week. So...any of you out there who want to bug me - this is the week! I really don't want to get depressed even more because I'm alone feeling sorry for myself. I used to look forward to these times of respite, but now I find I need his company. (Don't tell him I said that) - haha. Before you wonder why now...it's because he had to come home early during Christmas because of my health crisis. He's got to make up the time to Uncle Sam. So... consider me the "needy woman" this week. Actually, I'm planning on clearing out the spare bedroom and preparing for the little guy to come home. Did you actually think I had time to get a nursery together with all the ---- going on?

Don't worry - next weekend we're getting furniture, and a car seat, and an infant carrier, and a stroller, etc. etc. etc.

Did you say more bath video coverage? These are certainly rated "G" -

Feb. 6 - Sneezy boy

Weight - 5 lbs. 5 oz.

Chubby, Sneezy Boy! Wish you could see the little double-chin he's getting when his chin is tucked in - it's adorable.
For those of you wondering, the weight thing is just something I'm tracking. Because he's doing it so well, I'm a proud mamma! He doesn't have to be a certain weight in order to go home. He has to do three things on his own...eat (without a feeding tube or assistance), breathe (with oxygen if needed - but I won't accept that at this point), and continue to "progress" and grow (whatever the doctor thinks is normal) with a regular temperature, belly growth, proper diaper output, etc. The weight just gives you, the viewer, an idea of how he's growing. Got it? I'm glad you do! Taking a baby home on oxygen is not my kind of fun. I watch parents coming and going with full term babies with oxygen, and the beeper on that thing is like a screeching banchee. Scares me and scares all the other babies in the NICU and wakes them up. They all end up crying when the "home" alarm goes off in the room. Very annoying. Especially if you have a headache (which I don't today, thank goodness).

Today at lunch, Gerard sneezed quite a bit. I hope he's not catching a cold. It could be his response to the canula in his nose again. As you will see in today's photos he's out of the head box and back on the canula (oxygen in the nose).
Not sure of the proper spelling of canula, but you get the idea. He sneezes twice in the video below. He sneezed (like I do) four times after his feeding (20 minutes). We'll try again later... Reminds me of the notes they have posted everywhere all over the place. Here's the quote, "Wash hands frequently. Avoid contact with anyone exhibiting any cold symptoms (try that in this town). Consider having your child receive the RSV vaccine if she qualifies." Yeah...right.

Lucky for me, sweet Rosemary took me to the hospital (in her new Honda Pilot) since our car was in the shop. Thank goodness nothing horribly wrong, just some minor maintenance. Thanks Rosemary! Don't forget to check in on Sky, her new baby (puppy). Put a cape on him and he's Super Puppy!


Today I'm really tired again, so this post must be brief. I need a nap before heading back to the hospital. We have an exciting "NICU Family night meeting." Tonight it's all about car seats. I can hardly wait. I've been there so long this is a repeat performance. I wonder if they will still let me eat some pizza. The pizza at the hospital totally rocks. Really. Although I'm so tired I'm not really in the mood for eating. That's the other thing they constantly harp on - "be sure to eat and get plenty of sleep." Yeah. Right! If I could pump in my sleep and not worry about my baby in the NICU in my sleep, I would! Even if I weren't tired, would somebody please confirm that they would be tired of this schedule, too!

January 5. Happy Mardi Gras

Happy Mardi Gras
Gerard Weight - 4 lbs. 15 oz.

My sister Angela at the Mardi Gras Ball!


The little guy slipped today. Not sure what's going on, but he was fine at 2:00 when I finally got to the hospital today. He took a bottle at 11:00 and that wore him out, so his feeding with me was "sleepy" and he didn't work very hard. He did so much work earlier, he was just too tired, I guess. Kind of like me. I'm really, really tired today and a little weepy. I think it's the new meds that are supposed to help me with milk production. I'll give it a few days, but if I can't get past it I might just have to ditch the medication. I simply can't function this way. It feels like PDD is kicking my ---. And I can't have that.

Since it's Mardi Gras, Happy Mardi Gras everybody. No hoo-ha this year. No one here in my world remembered...and I've brought King Cake to the office every year. It's kind of got me down today along with all the other stuff that's got me down. I used to get cakes and Zapp's potato chips and run around and toss them to everyone. Unfortunately, this year there was no time, and it's not celebrated here, so no one was into it. Funny, every year since I've been having parties, whoever got the baby out of the cake actually "had" a baby the following year. Guess who got the baby last year in the cake? Yep...me! And...keeping with tradition...I had a baby. We laughed it off last year. Guess there's a little gris-gris connected with me and those cakes. Lookout whoever gets the baby next year.

Since I missed out on all the fun this year, I have lovely photos of my beautiful sister, Angela in her ball gown at the Krewe of Athena in Prattville. Isn't she pretty?

Also pretty...the snow. As much as I've been hating it lately, it's gorgeous in photos when we have sun.

And yes...I voted today. It took 30 minutes. No joke. Only two little old ladies checking people in.

Michael's at the hospital and will take photos of the baby for you to see tomorrow or the next day. Sorry for my mellow mood. I'm just too tired today.

My first baby, Sophie, has got the right idea taking a nap (in Michael's spot on our bed) in the sun on the quilt that Mon-Mon Blanc made years and years ago. The quilt is as heavy as any down comforter. It's pretty amazing and it has wonderful energy.

Feb. 3 - The G Man is 5 lbs.!!!!

Feb. 3 - Weight today
- 5 lbs. 1 oz.
Yes, last night we celebrated the 5 lb. milestone. Go little guy! For the past few days Gerard has been having more "awake" time. Last night he stayed awake before, during and after feeding. That might not sound like much, but before that, we had to waken him to change, bath, feed, etc. Now he signals it's time to eat! It's time to visit! It's time to fuss! It's time to stare at your funny adult faces - especially that silly Bucs baseball cap that daddy loves to wear. In total, he's awake for 1 hour and 15-30 minutes. That's a lot of time... Before, it was 15 minutes and he was sacked out. We're enjoying his little funny faces and I know it's crazy, but I like it when he fusses at the nurses (ha ha). Sometimes he likes his hands in the head box, sometimes he doesn't. Sometimes he doesn't mind having his diaper changes, sometimes he does. You get the picture. When he hears our voices he immediately gets quiet and looks around. So I guess he can hear OK. Better than me.

So much snow today that we didn't know if we'd get out to see him. Our friends Casey and Heather were so kind and generous to offer to take us in their four wheel drive truck in the whiteout conditions. We easily got 12" again today...another forecast that was WRONG by all counts. I sure hope it lets up. The doctor really wants me there twice a day for feedings. Especially now that he might be getting a bottle! A bottle! That is a big, big, big accomplishment. We'll know more tomorrow about that, but the nurses are amused that he's awake and saying "feed me" when they check on him earlier than scheduled.

Friday I experienced my very first "snow day" and used that time to go to the hospital twice. Got to bathe him Friday night and it was such fun. Enough of my rambling...here are some photos and video from Friday, yesterday and today.