Another good night

Good morning everyone!

I had a pretty good night last night. Jean was my nurse and Katie is the student that has been following Jean for a long time now. Katie graduates in about a week so daddy and I thought it would be okay for her to help out with me. There are some days here where nursing students shadow the nurses. Not nearly as many students as we would see at the U of I, but still...mommy and daddy get a little paranoid sometimes because my life is very important to them and they feel selfish in that they want someone who already knows what they are doing to take care of me.....rather than someone who is learning how to do a procedure for the first time. The good thing about St. Lukes is that most of the students just observe....the nursing students like to observe me because I'm so little. They agree with mommy that I am a tiny little bundle of perfection!

Katie has done a wonderful job the last three nights. Daddy calls her the preemie-whisperer because I behave like a little gentleman around her.

I had my third bowel movement early this morning. Mommy still gets excited when she sees that I am dirty. Katie told her that her excitement will wear off very soon. Mommy doesn't think so!

I slept through almost the whole entire night. The doctor took my tanning lamp (bilirubin) away again yesterday morning but I was kinda missing the light last night, so Jean turned on my bedside light and I slept very soundly. Mommy says I like the light because it makes me look like I am in the spotlight all the time.

My blood gases were all really good last night, which means my lungs are getting stronger. I sucked my thumb last night too. I needed a little help getting it into my mouth as my eyes are still fused shut so I don't really have any eye-hand coordination. But once it was in, I sucked it like a mad man!!!

Jean and Katie had to take my IV out of my hand. It's been there for almost a week now and it just got too old to use anymore. I only need it when I get blood transfusions, so I can go a few days without an IV site. I think I have some kind of an IV site, or catheter going into my belly button. The nurses put medicine in there sometimes too. Eventually they will give me a PIC line for my blood transfusions. The doctors say this is a good thing, but mommy won't be allowed in the room when they put it in because she doesn't like to see me poked. Daddy already has to keep her from looking when the nurses poke my little foot for a blood sugar. Mommy says my feet are too perfect for words.

Don't worry, I am not diabetic. In order to make sure I'm getting all the essential nutrients I need the nurses give me some kind of sugar water stuff. Once my tummy gets big enough to eat more of mommy's milk I won't need the sugar water, but right now I'm kinda little. Because I have to have the sugar water, the nurses have to make sure my blood sugar stays within the normal parameters. So far I've done really good keeping it where it needs to be.

I had a really good Easter! Both sets of my grandparents came to visit and I got some presents. I got two blankets and two stuff animals. I can't have the blankets with me yet and there is no room in my little room for the stuffed animals, but eventually I will get to keep them with me. Mommy says the blankets are Zander-sized because they are so little. Doesn't she know that I'm gonna grow up big and strong??????

Mommy told me she has to clean the room later on and try to organize. She and daddy told everyone not to buy gifts for me because there is not a lot of room at the hospital and I don't really need anything right now. But still, some people sneak stuff in. Grandma Hewlitt is the worst!!! She tells mommy everyday to remind people not to bring stuff and then she sneaks me in stuff. Mommy told me that some of the stuff will have to be sent home and I can play with it when I get big enough to go home. I don't mind waiting to play with my stuff because I'm too busy right now working on getting my eyes to open. The nurses say that maybe by the end of this week I'll be able to see mommy and daddy. Mommy told me I need to give her enough warning so she can take a shower and make herself look pretty. Daddy says she's pretty enough.

So far I'm told I have mommy's nose and daddy's mouth. Everyone who sees me agrees that I have daddy's arms and legs and will more than likely be tall and skinny like him. Mommy thinks I have Daddy's eyes and forehead too. Emily, a good family friend, told mommy I must be a shake-n-bake baby because I look like both my parents. I think Emily has a funny way of saying things!!!

Emily is pregnant too. She blames mommy for being pregnant because after mommy got pregnant with me, she told all her friends to watch out because there was pregnancy in the water. Emily didn't believe her, until it was too late. Emily has been a mommy for a long time so she knows what she's doing. Apparently Emily called mommy the other day and told her that I already have a girlfriend because Emily's doctor says she's gonna have a little girl. I think I'm kind of young to date so I'm going to keep my options open!

Time to rest again.
Have a great day!!!!