I held it all by myself

I didn't have a very good day today. Last night, after I got settled in for the night, I did really well and when the lab checked my blood gas this morning it was really good. But, because it was good, the doctors decided to lower one of my ventilator settings. That turned out to be not-such-a-great move on their part. I spent the rest of the day going from one extreme to the other with my O2 saturation.

So around 5:30pm they put me back at the original setting. It wasn't too much of a difference, but I just wasn't ready for the lower setting. Plus, the last few days I'd gotten used to eating every 2.5 hours, all because the nurses and doctors finally realized that I like to throw "O2 tantrums" when I'm hungry. Well, because I had such a good night last night, my night nurse (who knows me well) only fed me every three hours so I could sleep. Since 3 hours worked for the night nurse, the day nurse decided she'd only feed me every three hours too.....then she was mad because my O2 saturation always decreased around 2.5 hours. My motto at this point is, "If I'm not broken, don't mess with my feedings!"

Tonight I'm doing pretty good though. Mommy talked this night nurse into the 2.5 hour feedings and so far I've been on my best behavior....which sometimes means forgetting to breathe, but I've been working hard to stay where I need to be! Anyway, I just got changed and am being fed now. While I was being changed the nurse asked mommy if I liked my binkie....well, duh....I love my binkie!!!! So, she stuck it in my mouth and I sucked and sucked. The only problem with my binkie is that it's rather large and while I have a good suck....the doctors are proud of my suck...I don't have the jaw strength to keep the binkie positioned in my mouth all the time. Most of the problem is that the ventilator tube does not allow me to fully close my lips around the binkie. So mommy lightly held it in place for me while I sucked. Mommy got caught up in watching my little hand and perfect fingers move around near the binkie and suddently she realized that I may be able to hold the binkie in place with my own hand.....after all, I am very smart and strong...don't you know?

So now I'm happily sucking on my binkie. I'm not really holding on to it, but I have just enough strength in my hand that when mommy placed my hand on the outside of the binkie....and if I don't move my hand, I do a good job of not allowing the binkie to slide out of my mouth!!!! Who's a big boy now????? I am:) YAY!

Oh yeah, remember how two days ago I reached the 2 lb weight limit???? Well, last night I supposedly lost 20 grams which put me a tad bit under 2 lbs., but I ate today with a new energy and now I'm weighing in at a whopping 2 lbs, 2ozs. That's right.....I weigh 950 grams....If I keep this up, I'll be bigger than my daddy by the end of the week!

Mommy talked to my Auntie Maggie and Uncle Rob this evening on her phone. They live in Texas, which is really far away from me. But they see pictures of me, and they sent me some awesome birthday presents. I got some sipee cups that are as big as my head and some bibs....I know there was other stuff too, but the bibs were my favorite because they said, "I love my Uncle", and, "I love my Aunt". When I get big enough to eat with my hands and mouth, instead of my nose, I'm gonna wear my bibs all the time. Mommy told me that Auntie Maggie and Uncle Rob have a puppy named Annie....she's yellow and really big, compared to me. Mommy and daddy think Annie is the best puppy dog in the whole world. Mommy told me that if Annie comes to visit, maybe I can ride around on her back.

The only other puppies mommy and daddy know really well are My Sonya's puppies. My Sonya's puppies don't get to grow up as big as Annie is, because they are only meant to be little puppies. I can't ride around on My Sonya's puppies because even though I'm little, I could still squish the puppies...and no one likes a squished puppy!

I haven't gotten to visit My Sonya or talk to her in a long time. She's been working really hard at her job, and then she got a cold. Sonya didn't want to give me her cold so she grounded herself away from the hospital. Then a few days ago, Sonya got really bad news. Some strange guy walked into her office at work to drop off some stuff and the whole office got a phone call that said the strange guy had the mumps. Thanks a lot strange guy, now my Sonya has been exposed to the mumps....I won't get to see her until I'm almost 3 pounds big!!!:( I tell you what, if I ever meet the strange guy, I'm going to kick him really hard until he hurts!!!

The worst part is that mommy and daddy can't even visit My Sonya because then they could be exposed. If that happens, I can't see them till I'm almost 4 pounds big because there is some kind of time lapse before a person can show their sick symptoms. I have faith My Sonya won't get the mumps, but I wish she could wear a costume and mask so she could still come see me. Mommy said that because I don't have my immunizations I can't be around any people with sick symptoms.

I've decided I'm just going to keep eating lots so I can get big....But I'm already strong, remember?:) When I'm big, I can have immunizations and then visit My Sonya, and everyone else who might have sick symptoms.

Okay, I have to suck on my binkie some more....good night!