Hello from my home

Hi everyone,

As you've probably heard, I was actually discharged on 07-22-2006. It's been pretty hectic at home lately as I've been trying to get used to the new place. There's different rooms here. I've been going to the doctor and having visitors, and mommy and daddy have to do everything for me on their own...That's right....There's no more NICU nurses to help out!

I have a visiting nurse that comes and sees me. The first time, Deb came to see me. She used to work in the NICU as a Nurse too, but now she just does the home health visits. My regular visiting nurse will be Nurse Tai. She works sometimes in the NICU, but I never had a chance to have her as a nurse....so now I get my chance. She comes and weighs me, and listens to my heart and lungs. She told mommy today that I am gaining 1 oz. per day. I think that's a good thing.

I was discharged on the 22nd weighing 7lbs 4 ozs. but today I weigh 7lbs 15 ozs....I am getting huge!:)

Mommy and I went on a couple outings to my pediatrician and my eye doctor. Otherwise we pretty much stay at home because it's so hot outside and when I go anywhere I have to have two monitors and an oxygen tank. It's a good thing I have a stroller to carry all of that, otherwise mommy would need someone with her at all times to carry me and all my stuffs!

Daddy and mommy have a schedule down for my cares. Right now mommy is not working so she watches me during the day and evening. Daddy is working evenings and he watches me at night while mommy sleeps. I wish mommy didn't have to go back to work because it's fun hanging around the house with her. She makes me laugh sometimes.

My grandmas and grandpas come to see me every once in awhile because they love to spend time with me. Grandma and Grandpa Hewlitt just got back from Texas where they saw my cousin Cicily....I saw a picture of her and I was told that she is bigger than me. I'm catching up though:) I might get to meet Cicily sometime in October because she'll be in Kansas City....I'm going to try and talk mommy and daddy into taking me there to meet her.

The days have been kind of sad lately because mommy's friend Emily had a baby girl, my future girlfriend. Her name is Adalie and she is so very cute (mommy said so) but she is in Iowa City because she is having problems breathing. Mommy and I pray for her everyday because she has to have surgery to fix her. I wish I could go see her, but they don't like babies coming into the NICU, they just like it when babies leave because that means they are healthy. Mommy has gone to visit Adalie two times and she comes home and tells me all about Adalie....when she gets out, we're going to wear matching clothes:)

I have another future girlfriend in Grandmound. Her name is Emma and she's pretty cute too. Apparently she's growing really fast and is really healthy. I don't know if I can catch up with her growth wise, because she's growing like a tree!!! Someday when I'm older I'll be bigger than all my girlfriends and my cousin....but for now, I have to settle for being little.


I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to write anything, but it has been really busy around here. I'll try and write more often and post pictures to show everyone how I am doing. But for now, have a great week:)

Watch Out World!!!!!

That's right....Watch Out World, Here I Come:)

I'm getting discharged on 07-22-2006. My doctors all met yesterday with daddy here at the hospital and mommy on the speaker phone. My Doctor #1 said that I could go home this Saturday. He said that his fear of me not wanting to eat orally is no longer a fear. They still want to monitor me to make sure I don't need those yucky medications again, but Doc #1 says that my Pediatrician can monitor that for me. I probably didn't tell you that mommy and daddy went shopping for a Pediatrician awhile back. They bought one for me and she has come to visit me three times in the NICU. *sighs* It must be a woman thing.....the ladies can't get enough of me!

Can you believe it???? I'm finally going home....mommy has been trying not to be excited because she is scared we'd be postponed again, but I've been eating lots and lots just to make sure the doctors and nurses are happy.

Tonight I have to sleep with the monitors from the hospital connected to me, plus my "going-home" monitors. I guess all these wires attached to me brings new meaning to the phrase...."I'm wired." I mean really...I have wires coming from my armpits, my chest, my belly, and both of my feet. Not to mention the Nasal Canula tubing that's always attached to my head....It's a hard days work just trying to be careful not to get tangled!!!

Tonight I weigh 7 lbs. 3 ozs....The nurses say I'm about the size of a newborn....heck, I'm even bigger than some full term newborns. I get my picture taken tomorrow morning before I leave. Yeah, I know mommy and daddy have already taken millions of pictures...but this one is different...it's professional. The nurses keep calling it a "Newborn Picture". That really doesn't make sense to me because I'm over three months old....I think I deserve a little more respect from my ladies....because they're gonna miss me when I'm gone!!!!!:) But of course, I'm going to miss all of them more! It's been a very difficult and long road and all my nurses and doctors have worked their butts off to make going home possible!

Every day of the rest of my life I'm going to say a prayer for all of my nurses and doctors....and for all of you as well. Without your prayers and thoughtful words and gestures I wouldn't be where I am today (really tomorrow). Your prayers have paid off and I intend to make sure you know how just how much mommy, daddy, and I appreciate each and every one of you. Maybe someday soon I'll be able to thank you in person..........with a great big Zander Hug:)

Thank you!:)

I'm a Genius!

I bet nobody knew that I was so smart. Let me tell you why I am such a Genius:)

You know how I've been throwing fits everytime the nurses or mommy tries to give me my medications? Well...Today I had Nurse Tony. Nurse Tony is a big-wig nurse who is in charge of all the other nurses. I'm not really sure why I had her, but I think it's because they ran out of NICU nurses to work with all the other babies. Now that I'm sorta healthy, I get pediatric nurses and sometimes big-wig nurses:)

Okay, so Nurse Tony was trying to give me my medication this morning while Kristi, the Developmental Specialist observed. Nurse Tony and Kristi both watched as I proceeded to throw my fit and fight with them so I didn't have to take my medications. They finally got the last of the medications down me and then Nurse Tony went straight to my Doctor #1 and said, "If you want him to have those meds, you'll have to find someone else to do it....I'm not putting him through that again!" And if that wasn't enough, Kristi told my Doctor #1 that she fully agreed with Nurse Tony and did not recommend giving me anymore of the awful stuff. My Doctor #1 listened intently while Nurse Tony and Kristi told him that my fit was not a fit just because the medication tasted so awful....it was the kind of fit a baby (like me) has when they are being hurt in some way. So my Doctor #1 put on his thinking cap and thought for awhile. Meanwhile Nurse Tony and Kristi wore their thinking caps too and thought right along with my Doctor #1. Finally my Doctor #1 started talking about Ozmosality (remember I don't know how to spell), and suggested that Pharmacy be called and questioned about the Ozmosality of the medications I was taking. He predicted that the Sodium Chloride (the one I hate the most) was probably really high, like in the 1000s. Well, he was only a fifth right.....Sodium Chloride has an ozmosality of 5000+. My Doctor #1's theory is that because of that information, plus my reaction to the medications....and the fact that my fit continues after the medications have already been administered....he deducted that the medications are causing me to have Esophagitis!!!! In Zander english - my medications are burning my esophagus and causing it to be inflamed!!! Bad medications....bad, bad medications!

So guess what???? I don't have to take the medications anymore:) WOO HOO!!!! HOORAY FOR ME:)

But wait, there's more! Because the medications hurt me, and I don't like them....I've been not eating very well in the past few days. Sometimes I don't eat enough and other times I just flat out refuse my bottle. Well, I only refuse when it's someone other than daddy feeding me. Daddy is my hero...because he never made me take the medications!!! I still eat like a little piggy for daddy:)

Okay, so my Doctor #1 told my mommy and me that because of the negative oral experience of the medications, I may not like to eat anymore from the bottle....so I may need to be taught all over again that eating is a POSITIVE thing. He told mommy not to be too upset if I have to have another nose hose put in to help me get all the calories I need.

Mommy told my Doctor #1 that she was okay with having to backtrack a little bit, but she and daddy both refuse to take me home with a tummy tube....apparently, I can't go home with a nose hose...and babies who need help with feedings at home have a tummy tube put in....AIN'T GOING TO HAPPEN WHILE MOMMY AND DADDY ARE ALIVE!!!! (way to go mommy and daddy:) Thanks for lookin out for me.)

Then my Doctor #1 gave me the best compliment ever..... He said that for the past 15 years they've treated babies just like me who have reacted to the medications in a similiar way, but it was never caught and no one ever knew the real reason why us babies would just stop taking oral feedings once the medications were givin orally. So now, thanks to SUPER SMART ZANDER, they know that the medications can cause burning and inflamation to the esophagus and they will think twice before administering those particular medications orally. He then said that he feels confident that once I forget about the negative experience of the oral medications, I will more than likely start eating from my bottle more vigorously, with no more problems. He doesn't know how many days it might take me to be back to eating really good, but he knows that I need to be monitored for awhile to ensure that I don't need the medications anymore....see I started taking them because they helped my lungs. Now that I'm older, my Doctor #1 is hoping that my lungs don't need the medication....if my lungs don't need the medication then all we need to worry about is me eating enough to gain weight....

Um...hello Doctor #1....I weigh 6 lbs. 12.8 ozs.....I'm pretty sure I'm eating enough:)

Imagine that....someone so little as me having huge a genius brain:):):):)

Okay, so I had a really bad day because of all of this. I ate almost nothing and slept UNrestfully all day....mommy came to the hospital right after work and held me in her arms for almost 2 hours. While I was in mommy's arms I actually started to sleep soundly, and then about 30 minutes after she put me back to bed I woke up, wide awake and gave mommy and Nurse Darcy all the right signs to say, "Hey, I'm hungry....FEED ME!" Mommy laughed because Nurse Darcy couldn't get the bottle warmed up quick enough to make me happy, but finally I got my bottle and I ate ALL OF IT!!!!! And it was the good stuff:)

Right before I ate, mommy and Nurse Darcy realized that some of my grunts and groans were not from throwing a fit, but rather from trying to have a BM. Nurse Darcy is good at helping me a long a little bit by using the rectal thermometer. Ever since they changed my formula on Thursday, I've been having a difficult time pushing my BMs out because they are not as loose as before. It's hard when there's hard stuff in your bottom that you have to work at pushing out...that sometimes makes my tummy hurt too. I'll have to buy Nurse Darcy a beer someday for helping a little guy out:)

I'm off to take a quick nap before daddy comes to visit after work. I spend my mornings and evenings with mommy and I spend my afternoons and nights with daddy....who could ask for more! Have a great night.

Oh yeah, just so you know...I'm wearing a Dale Earnhardt Jr. onesi today....because my Usual Nurse Sandy said he's the best. I'll be sure to post of picture of me with Dale Jr. soon!

Eewww, Gross!

I seriously doubt I will be going home anytime in the near future. The way things are going between my medications and me tells me that I'm probably here for at least another week if not longer. The medication is so yucky that I hold my breath. When I do that I don't breathe and my heart rate drops drastically because I forget to keep it pumping. So that seemed to be the main problem at the beginning of the weekend. But now, I'm doing it during feedings too.....and sometimes I need a little rubbing on my chest to get my heart to pump again. Because of that I'm going to be here for awhile longer.

I'm not very happy at all about being in the hospital for longer. Don't get me wrong....I love my Nurse girls, but these hospital beds are nothing to write home about. Besides, all of my neighbors are very sick and they like to cry a lot, which then keeps me awake.....I'd rather be at home and only have to listen to mommy and daddy snore....at least they don't snore when they're awake. Apparently, most babies cry when they are awake. I tried the whole crying thing, but I'd rather just moan and grunt....moaning and grunting still me enough attention. I could cry if I wanted to, but why change something that works:)

There is some good news, now that I am part of the EXTENDED STAY PROGRAM a specialist is going to look at my hernia tomorrow and maybe fix it while I'm still in the hospital. If I don't get it fixed while I'm here now, I'll have to go to Iowa City in a couple months and be admitted into the hospital there. I'd rather have it done now so I can be done with hospitals for a little while. If the specialist comes tomorrow and says he can fix me then it'll happen quite soon, which I think is a good thing because I know all these doctors and Nurses who would take care of me afterwards....it pays to know people:)

I should get going....I've been really tired all day and not eating very well. Mommy and daddy thought I might be sick, but Doctor #4 thinks that maybe I'm just pooped out because of all the medication problems. My Nurse Sandy (a different Sandy from usual) made mommy taste my medications....mommy agrees with me that they are gross!!! If it were up to mommy and daddy I wouldn't have to take them....but they have no control...I think that's what scares them the most - the fact that I AM THE ONE IN CONTROL!!!:) Get used to it mommy and daddy:)

I forgot something, Ooops!!!!

So it turns out that i am not going home saturday, i know mommy and daddy are real sad but i made a little mistake. You see when your a premature baby theres a lot of stuff to remember like breathing and eating and keeping your little heart going. well guess which one i forgot today? Yep the biggest one of them all i almost let my little heart stop beating, it used to happen alot but these days it's one of those things im supposed to remember all the time!! This morning i was getting my medicine and thinking about how yucky it tastes and sure enough i forgot to keep my heart going at full speed. So im stuck here for a couple more days, sorry every body but im going to come home real soon i promise.

It's Official

Today, during family rounds the clinical team discussed my SuperHuman Powers with mommy and daddy. Daddy was at the hospital with me before the family rounds, but mommy participated over the phone so she could hear what was being planned too. Everyone talked about my milk and medicine, but no one mentioned discharge. When they were finally done talking about the monitor training that mommy and daddy have to do tomorrow....mommy asked the REAL question of the day....WHEN DO I GET TO GO HOME????????????????? My Doctor #3 said possibly as early as this weekend. Mommy can be pushy sometimes....as most everyone in the NICU knows already, so she kept on asking for a more specific time. Finally, my Doctor #3 said I could go home on Saturday. WOO HOO!!!!! I get to see the real world!:)

Then this evening when mommy came to see me after work, my Doctor #3 was still here and she said to mommy, "I can't believe I said he could go home...I don't want him to go home....we'll miss him." Mommy explained that when I go home I will only live 7 minutes away from the hospital and I can come and visit as often as possible.

I'm sitting in my crib thinking...."Well duh! Of course I'm coming back to visit...where else will I get my attention?" I mean really....these girls are my girls!!! Don't get me wrong, my Man Doctors are pretty cool and nice, but the nurses and the nurse practitioners (otherwise known as NICU Jedi) and Doctor #3...well, they make me blush, and smile, and wiggle...What in the world will I do with out them???? I was hoping I could take them all to the Prom with me when I'm in high school, but no...they're just going to forget about me:( To tell you the truth, I'm kinda scared to go home with out my nurses. I trust mommy and daddy because they know what they are doing, but I think they're kind of scared too. So yes, I will come back and visit often. And it will only be as a visitor, not as a patient.....my goal is to stay away from hospital rooms from now on because the neighbors are always loud....you know, with their constant beeping and dinging. *grins innocently* I was never like that. :)

Oh yeah, I now weigh 6 lbs. 11.4 ozs! I certainly won't make it to 7 lbs before I leave but I'm sure going to give it my best shot!:)

I still can't believe that I get to go home. I don't really know where that is, or how we'll get there....but I get to be with mommy and daddy always from now on....Geez, I hope they don't annoy me too much!!!!

Can you hear me now?

My Nurse Sara and the best nursing student in the whole world, Addy are shown here sticking things in my ear. Nurse Sara told me that it was for a hearing test, but I don't think I heard anything. Addy looks like she's about to either cry or burst out laughing....and come to think of it, we all were about ready to! The machine wouldn't work so Nurse Sara tried it over and over and over again....and then the machine kept saying I couldn't hear anything! Well listen here, I know I can hear my Grandma Orr when she talks to me and she talks to me on both sides of my head. And I can hear mommy when she sings to me....I may not want to listen, but I still hear....just kiddin:) Mommy's not that bad of a singer, but it's better if she only sings in the shower! I hear my daddy all the time when he says our favorite secret word....I'm not even going to say it here, but that's only because I have no idea how to spell it. So, me and mommy told Nurse Sara to buy a new machine that knows what it's talkin' about. Nurse Sara said there's a new machine on order....but I'll be gone before it is delivered. *sighs* I think Nurse Sara is just making excuses because she wants me to come back and visit. Doesn't she know that I will visit anyways?????

Hangin out in my car seat

Here's me and my Nurse Sara. She's making sure I fit in my car seat. Nurse Sara made me sit in that seat for 30 whole minutes. I've decided that I'm only letting mommy and daddy take short trips, or else they have to get me a magazine or something to look at. It would have been pretty boring if mommy and Nurse Sara were not there to keep me pre-occupied. I stayed awake for part of the "test" but then I figured it might be more fun if I just fell asleep. Apparently I passed the "test" because mommy didn't run out and buy a different car seat. She told me after the "test" that my car seat fits into a stroller too....I wonder how many smiles I'll have to give mommy to talk her into taking me for a walk someday. *thinks* I should one will do just fine!:)

My bike's parked out front

Mommys and daddys lock your baby girls up....do you wanna ride??? My bike's parked out front because I'm ready to blow this popsicle stand!! I weigh 6 lbs 10.7 ozs. I would have weighed more, but Nurse Darcy assisted me a little bit in dropping a load in my diaper. To tell you the truth, it was mostly all over her and the bed, not my diaper. Poor Nurse Darcy, she's not really my nurse tonight, but she offered to weigh me and help mommy get a bathtub ready for me. HUGE MISTAKE on Nurse Darcy's part.

My real night nurse, Nurse Shellie, ran down to labor and delivery because guess what???? My old Nurse Andrea gave birth to her baby tonight:) I don't know if it's a boy or a girl, but I thought maybe I'd sneak on down there in my doctor's outfit and see if they let me in to see her.

Do you want to hear the best news of all??????????????????????????? I just wanted to make sure you really did! Auntie Sue and Uncle Reid gave birth to Cicily Bea on Monday, July 10th. Actually, the way mommy described "giving birth" I'm pretty sure Auntie Sue did all the work giving birth....Uncle Reid didn't have to push or anything! Mommy talked to the happy family today and they are doing GREAT!!! Cicily Bea already weighs more than me...and she's taller too....but I bet I have more muscles :)

Grandma Domo and Grandpa Bob are very happy too. Now they have a grandbaby Zander and a grandbaby Cicily....what more could they ask for????? They're going to go visit Cicily real soon and I hope they take lots of pictures because Cicily is my very first Cousin. Hmmm....I wonder if she looks like me?

Okay, really quick before I take off to drink some milk....I am going to get out really soon. I have to eat all my food through my mouth for 48 hours before I can go home. So far I've gone 28 hours...WOO HOO only 20 more hours to go. Which is really not true, because the doctors then make me stay over night again to make sure the my "home" monitor works good on me. So for that third night I have to sleep with TWO monitors on me...mine and the hospitals....how do they expect a little guy to relax????????? I hope they understand that only a SUPER ZANDER could live up to their expectations....good thing that's me!

Anyway, have a great rest of the week:):)

What's up doc?

So the title says it all, what is up Doc? I'm a big fat guy now and still I'm stuck here in the old NICU, not that I mind cause it sure is nice getting all the attention from the nurses but Mommy said that when I can eat all of my feedings on my own without the help from a nurse and the old nose hose I can go home. Well I'm not really sure what or where home is but that's where mommy and daddy go when they leave here (and sometimes they go someplace they call work, that place doesn't sound nearly as nice so I'll try to avoid it for a few years.) and I really really want to be with mommy and daddy all the time. I'm trying real hard to eat all of my milk for the Nurses but its tough when you're small and just have little belly. I know I'm getting fat now cause all the nurses tell me how cute my chubby little legs are etc. Well if I'm such a fat guy why on earth do I need to eat even more? So seriously I'm becoming quite a medical professional now I've been a resident in the NICU for over 3 months. I even have my very own doctor uniform that mommy got for me so take me on your rounds next time and we can discuss all the other tiny little babies and I can finally ask what's up Doc?

Daddy is good at feeding me

My daddy knows what I like and how I like it. He feeds me my milk and he makes sure I drink it all down. He also plays with me when he feeds me, which makes eating fun, fun, fun.

My doctor stopped mommy and daddy in the hallway to tell them that I am gaining weight above the growth curve these days. That's not a bad thing in the doctor's eyes though...they plan to send me home on the same formula mixture they feed me here...it's like a really thick milkshake and I really like it!

I currently weigh 6lbs. 6.3 ozs., but that's as of Saturday night. I haven't been weighed tonight yet. Tonight I get weighed and measured so I'll let you know if I am any taller than I was last week:)

My Wagon Ride

Mommy says that because the computer is so slow, we have to download one picture at a time. So hold onto your hats everyone....you're going to get a lot of pictures tonight!

This is me in the wagon on the 4th of July. Mommy pulled the wagon, Daddy pushed my oxygen tank, and My Sonya took pictures. It was awesome!!! I got to ride in the wagon all around the NICU and see all the nurses. It was my own parade, but I forgot to throw candy....which would have been easy to do because I have tons of candy in my room for the nurses:)

Technical difficulties

Hi everyone, I'm sorry you haven't seen any new pictures of me, but I've been having some technical difficulties lately. My sight does not want to download any of my pictures lately, but rest assured I am working hard to fix the problem.

Onto some awesome news....I'm 6 lbs!!!!! Actually, I was 6 lbs. yesterday, today I am a whopping 6 lbs. 2.6 ozs....that's what happens when you're on a high protein, high lipid diet....you grow:)

In other news, mommy got to meet one set of triplets this evening. Wouldn't you know it, they are all girls!!! Their last name is FOX and whoa....are they FOXY!!!:) Nurse Sandy, who is working with the girls says I can have three girlfriends right now. They are all really tiny still...so I look like a real stud to them at my whopping weight! I don't think Sandy realizes that I already have a lot of girl friends. Our friends Jason and Tammy had a little girl who is doing well and is already home with her mommy, daddy, and two older brothers. She went to a parade yesterday and got to see lots of cool stuff. She's more worldly than I am...and I'm older!!! Now how is that fair???

My Auntie Sue was due yesterday to deliver my little cousin, but she's still hiding inside of Auntie Sue. Doesn't she know that it's pretty awesome outside? Okay, I only know about the outside of mommy - inside of the NICU, but really soon I'll be joining the land of the day walkers!

That's right, I'm going to blow this popsicle stand in about a week to 10 days. The doctors are tired of all the nurses standing around drooling over me, so they're kicking me out! I guess the deal is that I have to eat all my feedings through a bottle and nipple....right now I eat about 75% of them through a bottle, but that last 25% is kicking my bottom! Once I get to 100%, I have to maintain it for 48 hours and then I am out the door....see ya later alligator:) Now don't get too excited, I'll have to take my nasal canula and a couple oxygen tanks home with me, and I will have to wear a monitor around me so I ding-a-ling all night for mommy and daddy when I do get home....they're going to be oh-so-happy with me!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot the best parts. On the 4th of July, since I didn't get to watch any parades or see any bright lights in the sky....daddy called them fireworks I think.....I got to have my own little parade. My Sonya came to visit me yesterday and I held her....My Sonya is good to hold and I enjoyed myself thoroughly, I gave her a smile as a thank you. Then after that I was snuggled up in my 4th of July outfit and placed gingerly into a Radio Flyer Wagon....that's right ladies and gentlemen....Zander had a parade of his own around the NICU. Once I can figure out this mean computer I'll post some more pictures of yours truly. So mommy pulled me in the wagon, daddy pushed my O2 tank behind us and My Sonya took pictures....we had a grand old time touring the different pods....I had to stop every once in awhile to flirt with the nurses....God Forbid they should forget about me when I'm gone:(

I'm going to take a nap now before daddy comes to me from work....he's working evenings again so I can see him more often. I'm going to talk to him about this picture thing.....I'm told that I'm getting too cute for words and every one knows I'm quite the show-off:):):)

Good night and God Bless!!!!!!! Way to go Tammy and Jason....Come on Auntie Sue and Uncle Reid.....and would you pop already Emily:)

I CONQUERED THE BOTTLE!!!!!

Okay, I didn't really conquer it....but I conquered half of it:) The doctors didn't think I would do a good job, and because of their lack of willingness to try, mommy has been a bit stressed out this week. But have no fear, baby Zander is here! I sucked really good through three days worth of feedings, and I tried to be awake for all of them...sometimes I had to snooze a little bit. Anyways, mommy talked to the doctor on the phone today and my Doctor #3 decided that she would allow me to attempt one oral feeding in a day. So one oral feeding every 24 hours, the rest by nose hose.

So today at 3:30pm, because I was wide awake...my Nurse Melissa sat me down and stuck this bottle thing in my mouth. Did you know that if you suck on that nipple thingy stuff comes out????? It's not like my binkie...my binkie doesn't leak, but this nipple thing...whoa....it gave me milk:):):) Needless to say I sucked on that nipple until I fell asleep. It turns out that I only sucked 20 CCs out of my 38 CC meal, but everyone was VERY impressed with me because they thought that I might not be ready.

It just goes to show you that MOMMY KNOWS BEST!!! She actually got the doctors a little upset with her because she wouldn't take "no" for an answer. They said I might not swallow and then I would choke and never want to eat again....um hello! We're talking about me here, since when do I not like food????? Mommy just kept asking and asking. She told them that she understood the risks, but really felt that I was ready to have one try. Mommy and I make a good team when it comes to arguing. She comes up with the argument and voices it to the doctors, and then I do exactly what she tells them I would do....just to prove her right:)

To tell you the truth, I did more awesome than mommy could have imagined. Mommy would have been overjoyed if I was able to swallow 1 CC, but I went above and beyond!!!! Milk tastes so much better when it goes through your mouth....not your nose!


In other news.....
Mommy, daddy, Grandpa Bob, Grandpa Orr, and Gwen, Matthew, and Nicholas all helped cut down the other half of our broken tree today. I hear it was really hard work trying to miss the neighbors' garages and the power lines, but I know that got a good chunk of that tree down! Grandma Domo refused to come today because she was fearful that there would be lots of injuries....she was right.

Daddy burned himself on the chainsaw and then cut himself in the back of his leg...(don't ask me how). Grandpa Bob and mommy were holding a rope attached to a huge branch and they went flying through the air...(I wish I could have seen that) and now Grandpa Bob's shoulder is more messed up and mommy's fingers are all raw and blistered.

After we got most of the tree down mommy and Gwen snuck Matthew and Nicholas into the hospital to see me. Mommy got into trouble (hehe), but Matthew and Nicholas did really good being quiet and not fighting. I was proud of them, so I tried to look as cute as ever for them. Mommy took a picture of them right before they had to leave. Mommy knows she broke the rules, but Matthew and Nicholas have been working hard to break in some of my toys at home, and they helped a lot with the tree today. They also helped a lot when mommy and daddy moved into our house, so we owed them:)

Mommy, daddy, and Gwen all watched me eat my first bottle!!!!!

Grandma Orr came and held me twice today. She couldn't help with the tree so she took babysitting duty....not that we really had to ask...she looks for any excuse to be with me:) Our friend Janelle came to visit me today too. She didn't get to hold me because Grandma Orr was holding me, and then she had to leave so she didn't get a chance....I was sad. I told mommy to ask Janelle to come back sometime soon so she can get her baby fix.