We made it.

We did it, we got her home, words can't describe the relief.

I got down to the hospital at about 9 (I have taken 3 weeks off work to be with the girls) and the discharge process was already well under way. This really just involved paperwork and a final check from the specialist paediatrician. Deb had the car already packed up so all that remained was to wait for Sophie to wake up and have a feed, then to say goodbye to everyone. We took her up to the Lab after that had happened to see my old work colleagues and then it was into the car and off to Medlab to see my current work colleagues, they presented us with a big box FULL of gifts which was very generous and thoughtful.

By the time we got her home she was out to it and so we just let her sleep in the capsule while we made up her bed. Grandma Bertie was at home doing Debs flowers when we got there, it really nice for her to be able to be here when we first got Sophie home, and we have also already had a visit from Grandad Harry as well.

The family bassinet, which she is going to be sleeping in was still on it way to us so we had to improvise.....

Yes that right, into the bath it was! it's as good as anything really, the right size and portable, once we got all her bedding into it you probably wouldn't even know. It's only for a day anyway because Auntie Beck and Grandma Judy are coming to visit today and will bring the Bassinet with them. We do have a cot set up in the nursery but she is going to be sleeping in our room for the first 6 months or so.

We have had endless warnings about how hard it is going to be having her at home. The nurses at the NNU said that we might feel a little bit fragile without their support at hand, but so far no worries there. There has also been a lot of quotes along the lines of "now you'll know the meaning of sleep deprivation" or "once you've got her home you'll be begging them to take her back", said partly in jest I think but still. I don't know what they were talking about. It might be a little premature (excuse the pun) because it has only been a day but really there doesn't seem to be anything more natural to us. It's like she has just been away somewhere and has come back, and things are getting back to how they were supposed to be. Maybe that has something to do with the gaping hole left in our lives by Sarah's absence, but if we can pull that positive out of it then I think she would like that. We plan to take Sophie down to Sarah at some point, today is a beautful sunny, still, warm day so it might be a good opportunity.

On a lighter note I just had to include this pic, this is her having her hearing test done, the electrode on her forehead can detect if she is hearing the sounds played into the headphones, clever. We reckon she looks like a little alien! or one of those "I'm so serious about MY music that I don't mind looking like a twat" iPod guys we used to see on the tube.

Well now that she is home and settled I guess that it is time to wrap up this blog. I am as yet undecided but if I do I will probably start another under a different heading, this was really supposed to be about her journey through her weeks of prematurity, and now she is nearly "full term" and home I think that it is time to either call it quits or start another general "Greenwood family" blog, similar to Rach's. What do you think?

T minus 1 day

It's official; Sophie and Deb are coming home tomorrow (Thursday).

Finally we get to be a family, without nurses, doctors, wards, tubes, monitors, incubators, and charts. We can be together without a 2km car or bike ride to get to each other. Sophie can be in her own bed and we can finally just be together. It seems like a small thing, but to us it is everything.

It has been a long road.

We did have a couple of last minute bumps in the road. First she failed her hearing test, only to have it repeated the next day and pass, this is apparently not unusual. She got a rash on her tummy, with had to be treated with an antibacterial cream. She also had her 6 week immunisations, after which she had to have her heart rate and oxygen saturation monitored for 24 hours, which meant going back out into the unit (she had been rooming in with Deb) for that period of time. But despite all this she managed to have about 9 feeds per day (with a target of 8 to 12) and put on 60g in 2 days, which is about the same that she put on over the whole weekend.

So, the discharge process is supposed to be all over by noon and then we hope to go and show her off at work before taking her home. Will let you know how it goes.

Just a quick note

I just had to let you know that we had a couple of exciting steps forward today. They have taken out Sophies feeding tube! This is because we are now going to trial her without any tube feeds AND she is going to be rooming in with Deb tonight. This is basically like a trial before going home, Sophie will be demand feeding and has been doing so for most of today. If she can do this OK and still put on weight (we will probably have to wait for Wednesdays weigh in to be sure) then she can come home.

Sleeping on Dad's shoulder without a feeding tube.

We really are on the home straight now, looking forward to it immensely.

To the support crew

We seem to still be on track for a mid to late next week release from jail. Sophie had 5 successful breast feeds yesterday and is on track for another 5 today, she will need to be up to 8 or 9 by go home time. We are very much in the routine of things at the moment, I suppose that given long enough you will eventually get used to anything! It is good knowing that there is an end in sight, and having a clear path to travel to achieve it is reassuring.

Bath Time again!

Hanging with Mum.

When we chose to come back to New Zealand, we chose New Plymouth to come back to because our main motivators in coming back to NZ were to have a safer and more child friendly environment in which to raise our children and because of the proximity to family and friends. The best decision we ever made.

How could we possibly be where we are today without the extraordinary level of support and help we have received from others. So here we go, and please note in no particular order of importance.

The staff of the hospital. Although we have been let down by them in a most spectacular way in the past, it is likely that this was the failing of an individual. The neonatal unit nurses have been our lifeline, so knowledgeable, helpful, caring and professional, always there for us to ask questions and never failing in their sterling unremitting level of care. The Doctors although largely absent, nameless and unknown to us should get a mention too.

Angie, I know I have mentioned you before but without you where would we be? I don't care to think about it, so thanks again.

Harry and Bertie, how could you ask for better Grandparents? Harry who has been like a surrogate Father to me when my own father could not be there, always there for help and advice, always able to fix it whatever might be broken and who could deny his amazing efforts in transforming our home? Bertie always there for Deb, her friend and mentor as well as Mother, she has selflessly helped keep us sane during this hard time and enabled Deb to concentrate on Sophie by taking over Debs flowers for her while she can't.

Mum, what can I say? Our very own Matriarch. Always the first person there for me to turn to in times of strife, always there to pick up the pieces and be a shoulder to cry on. For coming to us, for being there, for being you, thankyou.

The Hara crew, Maria, Jo, Beck and families. For coming despite the distance and inconvenience, for making us part of the family. You make our family what it is, keep on doing what you do guys, we are proud to be part of you.

Family further afield. Rach, Pete, Lorisa and families, advice and support from round the globe! We know that you would be here more if you could, and you will in time.

The Staff and Management at Taranaki Medlab, special mentions to Joy and John. They have made my life so much less stressful and difficult by being the most reasonable, flexible and understanding employers that a person could hope for.

Everyone who has given us gifts. Everyone we know has been incredibly generous, it is staggering the amount of gifts we have recieved. We hope to return the generosity someday to all of you, but it will take some doing.

To all our friends and visitors, we appreciate the support you have shown us just by coming to see us, or being someone to talk to.

And finally everyone who I have forgotten to mention, I have a memory like a sieve and so am bound to have forgotten someone who deserves a personal mention.

Thankyou!

I feel like the recipient of a TV or Movie award, only with a much better prize!

The end is in sight.

We finally got a tentative go home date! Wednesday or Thursday next week!

She would have been 36 weeks gestation on Tuesday and is 5 weeks old today.

Stoked, but it is going to take some work to get there, and as always it all depends entirely upon Sophie. She now no longer has the apnoea monitor on, this actually happened a few days ago but i forgot to tell you. As stated earlier though it all comes down to the feeding and whether she can get off tube feeds. Today we have tried doing two breast feeds in a row and then a tube feed, this hasn't been totally successful but she is still getting more breast feeds than she was, so progress nonetheless. The plan is to cut her down to 1 or 2 tube feeds a day over the weekend and then maybe stop them all together in the first half of next week. If this all happens according to plan then we can go home mid to late next week. We are looking forward to getting back to normal, such as it will be. Not having the hospital in our everyday lives will be a dream come true at the moment.

Deb has been shown how to measure out and administer her medications, not really medications as they are only a multi vitamin and iron supplements but they still have to be given as prescribed. This basically involves measuring out the correct volume or liquid and either putting it in her tube milk or dripping it into her mouth (for later when she doesn't have the tube).

Deb has moved into a better room now too, closer to the main ward and lounge, bigger and with windows to the outside world (which the old room didn't have). The only draw back being that there is no en suite bathroom which the other room did have.

There was a wee boy came in the other day, don't know exactly how old but only a newborn. He has pneumonia and the poor wee chap does not stop crying from dawn to dusk, he quite literally cries 24 hours a day without respite. Can you even imaging how distressing this must be for the parents, yet alone for him? He went into the isolation room because he had been in the community for a little bit, and this room can be closed off from the rest of the ward but you can still hear him, and it breaks your heart every time. His parents are both under 20, both smoke like trains and the Mum smoked during her pregnancy. I don't know if there is a link there, but it makes you wonder. This has also reminded us that no matter how bad things seem, there is always someone worse off than you.

Some thoughts on changing and dressing a baby.

First, and probably most important of all: HAVE THE NEW NAPPY READY BEFORE YOU START, I cannot emphasize this enough. As sure as the sun rises every morning and sets every evening so the baby will wee or poo or both the second you have that nappy off. Also have ready all the other things you will need, wipes, clothes, a cloth nappy to lie her on etc etc.

Second: Don't waste any time, their patience will only last so long.

Make sure all clothes are folded well up babys body before removing nappy, they WILL drape into the poo when you least expect it.

Don't ask how the poo got there, baby poo has magical powers and can teleport to anywhere on the babies body it feels the need to go.

Baby skin creases are deeper than you thought.

Whoever thought that pants for babies was a good idea was an idiot.

Keep cool when they start to gizzle, you CAN finish before the first cry, if you stay calm. If they do cry before you finish, resist the temptation to hand over to Mum.

Babies arms and legs have similar range of movement to your own, yes you can bend it at the elbow and it won't break. Try to get your head around the fact that they are facing you though, and so the movements are mirrored. This can take some getting used to; it is a long time since you dressed anyone except yourself.

Baby thumbs don't like to go where the rest of the hand is going, especially when it is going though a sleeve.

Just grab the foot and hold it still, as soon as you touch it with the booty they WILL kick so no point in mucking around eh.

Learn that male domes will only click into their female counterparts, no matter how hard you push.

If you think you can wrap those arms up enough to make them immobile, you are wrong, but try anyway.

When it is over, and you pick them up and look lovingly into their eyes and whisper that you love them, try not to be disappointed when you hear the rumble from down under. And yes, is was a poo not just a fart; you WILL have to start again.

I hope you enjoyed my observations, I know this is nothing new to a lot of you parents out there.

Constantly moving goal posts.

As predicted the little champ made the 2.5 kilo mark (2.54 to be exact) and was consequently taken off her fortifier, and up to 59ml per feed.

Baby steps for a baby girl.

The waking for every feed thing has been put on hold and at the moment they are trying to get her to breastfeed every second time, so every 6 hours. Honestly the management of her breastfeeding seems to change with the day of the week, it is really hard for me to even keep up with what is going on. I think that what will eventually happen is a progressive change to demand feeding, sometimes waiting to see if she will wake up and cue for feeds by herself and at other times just giving her a tube feed (if she doesn't wake up) with the final goal of her being exclusively demand breastfed. Once that has happened and she continues to gain weight at an appropriate rate she can come home, oh Hallelujah and happy days, I am looking forward to that day so much I try not to even think about it.

Here is the video as promised on facebook:

This is what she does when she can find a break in her busy schedule of sleeping, weeing, pooing, sucking, hiccoughing, grizzling, sneezing and the odd bath.

For those of you not on facebook, here are the pics I put on today again.

Isn't she just adorlable? Well I think so anyway.

Finally I want just just give a big thanks to everyone who has left feedback and advice. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave your comments and your thoughts and experiences are of great interest and very helpful. At the very least it lets me know people are tuning in and taking an interest, which makes this whole exercise worthwhile. Keep up the good work. Oh and I have had three people recommend La Leche League so i will encourage Deb to give them a call once we are home, but I suppose at the end of the day it will be up to her. They might think it a bit odd if a guy gave them a call!

Till next time.....

Blue, Brown, Green or Hazel?

Weight = 2460g as of Wednesday, 40 away from the 2.5Kg needed for her to be taken off the fortifier.

Feeds = having 3 - 4 goes on the breast per day and not getting tube top ups, up to 55ml per feed.

Baby steps for a baby girl.

So the plan at the moment is for her to get off the fortifier first, this will almost defiantly happen tomorrow because she will be over the 2.5 Kilo mark at tomorrows weigh in. This will unfortunately mean a check in her rate of weight gain but is a necessary step towards getting her home. Then they will start trying to wake her for every feed and see how she goes with that, this seems like a big leap to expect her to make as at the moment she only managing up to 4 feeds a day from the breast and so will be almost doubling that at a stroke, I guess we wills see though. Also those that have read the article that Rach so kindly linked us to in her last comment will know that breast feeding works much better when it is demand driven. I don't know whether they intend to keep her strictly to the 3 hour schedule she is on now when they start waking her or not, I certainly will be quizzing them about it. It might be that as she will be getting tube top ups at every feed all of the well referenced evidence referred to in the article might be irrelevant to her situation. For those of you who missed the article, click HERE it is well worth the read.

One other thing of note is that she has been started on Iron supplements, not because she is known to be iron deficient but rather as a just is case, something they do for all the premmies apparently.

We bathed her tonight, not a daily occurrence (on advice from the Nurses) which she really seems to love. It seems to be a great way to wake her up too, not that that was the main objective but a welcome side effect nonetheless. She just LOVES bathtime already, she seems really relaxed and alert, kicks around the place and is a generally an all round gorgeous, active, engaging, sweet little girl. It makes me very happy to see it, a glimpse I hope of what she might be like all the time when she is older, I can certainly envisage a time when we have to pull the plug on the bath to get her out of it! A tactic that had to be used on me once upon a time.

I can't wait to see what colour her eyes are going to be. She will be beautiful either way of course and we can make a fairly good guess that they will be brown but the genes for blue are in her pedigree so who knows. It is quite a strange thing that the eye colour should take so long to come through. I suppose I will just have to wait.

More pictures to come.