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.