Doin' the Dew.

Sorry, no pictures on this post. We have moved into our new digs and are still internet-less. I wandered a few blocks away and am borrowing a nearby university network for the moment.

Here's a quick update though.

Phoebe has been gaining weight steadily and is doing better every day. The apnea monitor is a pest, but one we will have to live with for a month or two. She is on caffeine because of the apnea (it stimulates her enough to remember to breathe), so she is a lively baby for a few hours a day. When she was at the hospital, she got the caffeine dose at 8 p.m. Was that some sort of practical joke? The first night she was home was really rough; I slept for 1.5 hours. The craziest part is that I loved it; maybe I'm still in the honeymoon phase of graduating from the hospital. Since then, I've been slowly moving the dose up in the afternoon so night-time isn't as much of a party.

We are moved into our new condo and we love it! The planets aligned for us to get this place. We applied to buy it through a first-time homebuyer program back in June and didn't hear anything for months. In late August, we got a call that we'd "won the lottery" and were one step closer to owning a 2-bedroom condo. We went for a tour of the building in September and the developer saw my pregnant belly and signed us up for a 3-bedroom condo! We've been so blessed every step of the way (although there have been many delays too!). Even now that we're all moved in, we can hardly believe that we live in such an awesome place. The location is perfect, the size is perfect, and the price is right.

Bruce is adjusting to the move and the baby okay. Not great, but just okay. He still goes to the same preschool (although now it's a much farther drive), but now we go to a different church congregation so he doesn't see all his buddies on Sundays. And we haven't really had any playdates since Phoebe has come home (sorry guys, no germs allowed). Life isn't all bad for Bruce; Grandma and Grandpa Mars came to visit this weekend and brought a train table and more tracks and other goodies for his room. Whenever we get internet, I'll put up photos of our new place.

Now that it's been six weeks, I'm all clear to run again. I went for the first time on Saturday. While my parents hung out with the kids, Scott and I ran - no, jogged - for 20 minutes. I told Scott beforehand that we'd be going slow. He laughed at me the whole time and even ran backwards a few times as I redefined what "slow" meant. I shook my fist at Scott and swore I'd be beating him within a few months while I slogged along. Anyway, it's a start. I'm coming back.

almost there

Woke up in our new condo and drove to the hospital to pick up Phoebe. Just need to pick up her prescriptions, learn how to use the home monitor, and load her into the car.

Not tomorrow.

Quick update: Phoebe had a feeding-related spell the eve before her scheduled homecoming. Two more days.

When does this end?!

Oh Baby

Three days spell-free. Two to go...

One Month "Old"

Since I hadn't uploaded pictures all week, I'm catching up. Here's Miss Phoebe looking all drunk after a feeding. In the background, you can see the "CONTACT PRECAUTIONS" sign she has on her crib. During and after her little virus incident this week, she got that sort of Scarlet Letter to warn everyone else to stay away. The nurses had to gown up and sanitize often when handling her. We, as her parents, don't have to gown up, but we have used so much Purell in the past few weeks that our hands are grossly chapped.
This is Phoebe sucking down a bottle. She wore that cute pink outfit for about ten minutes before spitting up on it. I'm so glad I'll have my very own washer and dryer next week.
Phoebe still does lots of this. She wakes up every four hours to eat, then tuckers out again. What a life!

it's worth saying

Phoebe must have had the 24 hr flu, because she is doing much better today: tolerating PO feedings and no more bloating/vomiting.

And we are scheduled to close on our condo before Thanksgiving. That means three bedrooms, a washer and dryer, a parking space in Cambridge, and a greatly reduced commute.

We've been blessed. Thanks to all of you for your support, prayers, dinners dropped off, laundry loads washed, and time spent with Bruce. Our life is great because of you and your compassion for us. We can only hope to be as meaningful to you as you are to us.

Time Out

One Step Forward, Three Steps Back

What a week! Every day there is some new disaster. Phoebe has continued to have reflux problems where she spits up, chokes on it, and then drops her heart rate and oxygen saturation. Phoebe has been chowing on breastmilk mixed with formula powder for some extra calories, but I've had my suspicions that the formula was causing the reflux. So on Monday, I convinced the doctor to try feeding her straight breastmilk. It worked - sort of. She stopped having the reflux problems, but stopped gaining weight. Back to the formula mix...

And then on Tuesday, Scott came down with a GI virus. It was a quick one, but for about 12 hours he was either on the couch or in the bathroom.

Wednesday was my turn to get ill. I had a headache, which should have been a red flag since I rarely get headaches, but it wasn't until Wednesday night that I got a fever, chills, and fatigue. When Scott came home, I was laying on the couch wearing my fUggs to stay warm with the house in complete disarray, dinner unmade, and Bruce parked in front of the TV. He freaked out and called a friend to take me to the doctor. I went to the urgent care center and sat around for a few hours - I even fell asleep in the exam room for an hour before the doctor came in - before getting a diagnosis of mastitis and a prescription for antibiotics.

Today I went to visit Phoebe in the morning. I fed her and afterward, she spit up and "spelled." It was her first spell in a few days, but it was considered a feeding spell and not a sleeping spell so it only put us back two days. No prob, right?

This afternoon the doctor called. She said Phoebe has been throwing up all afternoon. They ran a few tests and have ruled out a few things, but it's probably a virus. They gave her an IV and won't feed her tonight so her little belly can rest.

UPDATE (Friday): She's off the IV and back to her normal eating routine. For the past 8 hours since she's been eating, she's been doing fine. Tired, but not ralphing her guts out. Yea! We're trying to go one day without a crisis!

Five more days?

Today was my baby shower. Instead of oogling over a big pregnant belly, I passed around pictures of Preemie Phoebe. Every time someone else walked into the party, she would ask, "Is she home yet? When is she coming home?" By the third or fourth time, everyone in the room rolled their eyes with me when I would say, "I don't know..." At least five more days. Phoebe is gaining weight; she's up to 5 lb 2 oz. She forgets to breathe every once in awhile, but has had more problems with reflux in the last few days. She will eat and then spit up, choke on it, and then her heart rate and oxygen saturation drop. She's been in the hospital for 22 days now. Enough already!
The baby shower was nice. A bunch of friends got me a much-needed double stroller. I also got a bunch of diapers, cute little clothes, blankets, and hair bows. I think I've got everything I need now. I just need the baby.

Something is Missing

We were scheduled to bring her home on Tuesday. We took the car seat in for the "car seat test" where she is strapped in for 1.5 hours on monitors to make sure she can still breathe in there. With her homecoming upon us, I spent today "nesting." I took Bruce to the library, stocked up on diapers and wipes, put gas in the car, disinfected every corner of the house, and set up the crib. I called the hospital around dinnertime to check on Phoebe and see when she was being fed next so I could plan a visit. "Bad news," the nurse said. "She had another sleep apnea spell. It'll be another five days." Five more days to nest.

Happy Halloween

Bruce went trick-or-treating on Halloween with some friends. He dressed up as Mr. Incredible this year. This is the first year that he's really cared about his costume. He's had this one planned out for months, and he's worn it just about every day since we received it in the mail a few weeks ago (thank you eBay!). While trick-or-treating, some nice old lady told Bruce, "You are so cute." Bruce said, "I am not cute. I am handsome. You should see Phoebe - she's cute."

Thanks, Jodi, for the picture.

Tube-Free

Phoebe ripped out her feeding tube again. And this time it's not going back. She's gained 1-1.5 oz each day this week and is waking much better and eating much more. I talked to the doctor tonight and she is expected to come home within the next few days. Yea!