Week 3

Wednesday 5th November

Mum and Dad finally got a couple of hours rest last night, which was good as I was starting to worry about them. I was feeling well today and had a lot less secretions still so was requiring less suctioning which meant I could get more sleep.

Chris Reed (Family Care officer) came round again today as Mum and Dad wanted to find out some more about the ACORNS place. He told them that they would accept me there but would have to change my IV Diamorphine to IM or Oral Diamorphine instead, Mum and Dad said this was fine so long as I stayed comfortable. I quite like the idea of not having the drip in my hand so I can eat my fingers, at the moment I end up bashing myself with the plastic bit attached to it. Anyway, Mum and Dad have arranged to go and visit the ACORNS place tomorrow morning to see if they like it, if they do them it looks like we will be moving there.

Spent the afternoon and evening dozing lots and playing with Mum and Dad. Mum kept trying to play ‘round and round the garden’ on me which was great fun as I smiled lots when she got to the ‘’tickle you under there’ bit.

All the nurses keep saying I am gorgeous which both Mum and Dad agree - I don’t mind being gorgeous, but I wish they would stop kissing me so much.

ok, so I’m not bad looking...

lunch time

tea time

Thursday 6th November

After another good night, Mum got to give me a wash in the morning. I am quite pleased as I was starting to worry I might smell a bit. After my wash I got a tummy massage with the baby lotion and this felt really nice - I wasn’t sure of the sensation at first but then decided it felt good. I got changed into a new outfit and then got all snug and warm with a blanket Grandma R had bought me.

Mum and Dad went to visit the ACORNS place before lunch and came back to tell me all about it. Apparently it is very homely and they get to stay in a flat in the building. My room is very nice and I get 24 hour care from the nurse. There is a hydrotherapy room and a multi sensory room, which although I like the sound of I’m not sure I’m big enough to use properly. Anyway arrangements have been made for us all to stay there as soon as possible so this afternoon they are changing my drip diamorphine to oral diamorphine in preparation for the move - although we are not sure exactly when my bed will become free there so it could be sometime today or tomorrow.

Friday 7th November

Today I moved house. At about 10am the doctor came to give me my discharge examination and said I was fine to leave. Then an ambulance turned up to take me to ACORNS, I had to travel in the mobile incubator so Mum and Dad could not travel with me, but they went just in front in the car. I didn’t like the journey very much at all, it was very bumpy, not helped by the fact that one of the ambulance men looked just a little older than me, I’m sure he hadn’t passed his test.

When I arrived at Acorns I was greeted by lots of loverly nurses who were very pleased to see me, especially as they don’t have many babies to look after. I have my own room and Mum and Dad have a flat to stay in, both of which are really really nice. It is a lot more relaxed at Acorns and does not have many rules at all, the nurses are great and help Mum and Dad to look after me lots. I get to have as many cuddles as I want and I heard the nurse ask Mum and Dad if I wanted an aromatherapy massage or some reflexology - I’m not sure what these are but they sound nice so am hoping they have booked me in for some of that.

I spent my first night being mothered by three nurses - as I kept trying to sleep they insisted on lots of cuddles. They kept saying things like I “smelt so yummy they could eat me” - this concerned me a little so I slept with one eye open.

Saturday 8th November

What an exhausting day today! It started with me having my first bath ever. It was a bit scary at first (and I was a bit concerned with getting naked in front of the nurses) but I soon got to quite like the warm water. Dad did nearly drop me at one point but I don’t think he’ll be doing that again since Mum got a bit cross with him.

In the afternoon I got loads and loads of visitors, meaning I had lots more cuddles. I think I was passed around everyone who works here in the morning, followed by everyone I’m related to in the afternoon, phew.

check out the newly washed hair with extra ‘fluff’

The best bit about getting all the visitors was I got loads of pressies. My Grandma R bought me a little fluffy lamb which now sits at the bottom of my cot and my cousins Alice and Maisy bought me two teddy bears which mum put at the top of my cot - am starting to feel a bit worried that there wont be any room for me.

Uncle Steve (who likes to think he’s my favourite uncle) decided to give me a cuddle and updated me on current affairs and the football results. I let him ramble on for a while as I didn’t have the heart to tell him I couldn’t give a baby’s bottle about Arsenal.

At the end of the day I was totally exhausted but I didn’t I want to fall asleep in case I missed anything. Then Mum started watching Pop Idol, so I thought it was a good time to turn in, I could only stand Ant and Dec for so long.

me and my mum

Sunday 9th November

I had more visitors today, including Mum and Dad’s friends Annette, Colin, James and Hannah. Hannah is only a few weeks older than me but was about twice my size. I’m hoping Mum and Dad don’t expect me to grow that fast, because I’m not sure I can really manage it on the amount I of milk I’m fed.

Annette and Family bought me a lovely St Christopher, which is meant to be good luck for journeys - hope I’m not going anywhere just yet because I am quite comfy here for now. I also got a lovely Winnie the Pooh teddy bear which mum says I have in pictures all over my bedroom at home. One day I’m hoping they might get to take me home for a visit?

In the evening I got more visits from Aunty Claire and Katie and Uncle Tony. Uncle Tony kept making funny faces at me - I think there may be something wrong with him, but I got a nice cuddle with Aunty Claire and Aunty Katie - they are very nice.

Monday 10th November

Today was a good day for me. I got my first visit at ACORNS from Grandma and Granddad C and we enjoyed lots of cuddles. Aunty Claire came over again too - I’m a bit worried she has nothing better to do but I don’t really mind as she keeps giving me lots of cuddles and compliments, so she’s more than welcome.

Big news today was I found my finger and it boy does it taste great! Mum and Dad are pleased as this is supposed to help my suction and apparently the noise I make while having a relaxing finger suck is quite something.

I had another bath today and found this one far less scary. Dad didn’t nearly drop me this time which helped and now I feel all clean and ready for my many cuddles with all the nurses.

me relaxing, pondering important matters...

Mum and Dad are really pleased with me as they say I am doing really well with my secretions and feeding. Personally I think they need to relax a little and not worry so much. Grown ups eh, I think they should take up finger sucking too.

Tuesday 11th November

I started the day very sleepy indeed. I had spent most the night awake as the nurses taking care of me who were far too entertaining to sleep, so by the time Mum and Dad got up I was exhausted and spent the morning completely sparko. Mum says she loves it when I sleep with an ‘o’ shaped mouth as it looks like a ‘Cheerio’ (her favourite breakfast cereal if I remember rightly from being in her tummy)

Anyway, in the afternoon after my physio and lunch we went out for our first walk. Mum and Dad thought it would be amusing to put me in a snowsuit that was three sizes too big.

nothing personal dad

Apparently it looked really silly but I didn’t care as I got the last laugh when I was snug as a bug while they froze to death in the cold autumn weather. I didn’t think too much of the outside world and so decided to sleep through the whole journey.

Once we got back from the walk, I apparently did some hand painting although I don’t remember this either, as I slept while my hands were covered in blue paint and used to make octopuses prints in an under the sea scene - Mum thought it was excellent when dad showed her so I think I will take the credit for it anyway.

Finally I got weighed today and was found to be 40g heavier than my birth weight which I was quite chuffed with. This also means they have recalculated my feeds and I should now be on 38ml every two hours, so they are increasing my dose over the next few days to help me gain more weight. Good job too because I am getting really hungry now between feeds and sucking my finger (although nice) produces very little milk.

Oh and before I forget - Mum and Dad did a very silly thing this evening. While cooking dinner up in there flat I decided to be all awake, so instead of watching the dinner they were playing with me. Meanwhile the bacon in the pan was slowly burning away and although Dad managed to salvage it for the pasta sauce, it set off the Fire Alarm for the whole building. The Fire Brigade turned up 5 minutes later and Mum and Dad were very sheepish. It all ended well though, as all the kids in ACORNS got to try on the helmets and had their pictures taken and the nurses really seemed to enjoy having them around too, hummm.... think I may have some competition.
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