Transitions ...

With all the hullabaloo about Baby Sister (who still remains at the "hostable") Jack inherently gets that things are changing -- yet the proverbial hammer has yet to drop. My parents arrived last week to help up with the baby's arrival but to Jack, it's like a normal visit. He does see my attractive wife and I rushing off to the hostable to drop off pumped breast milk and catch the next scheduled feeding. I think he appreciates things are about to change but they haven't and he's acting out in some ways.

Still, having my folks here is great; Jack loves his Nanni and Pa. Here's a picture of them eating breakfast.

Hangin with Baby Sister

We got Jack back into the Intensive Care Nursery today again to visit Baby Sister who's very close, we're told, to coming home -- maybe even next week. This weekend, Baby got a hearing screening, my attractive wife got a lactation consult, we both attended Infant CPR class, and a hospital discharge class.



Jack was pretty excited again to see Baby Sister. When we arrived, our ICN Nurse was feeding her as she's now on an ad hoc feeding schedule since she ripped out her feeding tube. After the feeding, the nurse gave Jack a small diaper and bottle for his Bebe Bear, which he brought along. Jack pretended to feed it. Jack patted Baby Sister's head and said, "Nice."

Jack Meets Baby Sister!

The hospital where Jack's sister remains in the Intensive Care Nursery (ICN) finally lifted the ban on visitors under 16 years of age (based on concerns with the swine flu). On Sunday, we took Jack to visit and meet Stephanie. For the most part, she remained asleep but Jack was excited to meet her nonetheless.

Picture of Baby Sister

I went to the NICU to visit Jack's baby sister and much to my surprise she opened her eyes! The attending nurse snapped a picture with their electronic camera and gave me a hard copy to take home. When Jack saw the picture he was very excited. We snapped this picture of him holding the picture of his baby sister.

Sister!

Say it like Darth Vader in Episode VI: "Sister!

Last Monday, Jack's attractive mom gave birth by C Section to his new baby sister, Stephanie! She arrived six weeks early so, for now, Mommy and Baby Sister are still at the hospital for a while. Also, Jack is banned from the hospital because he is sick with an eye and ear infection.


For now, Baby Sister is somewhat abstract. I've shown Jack pictures but I get the sense he's waiting for her to arrive home before he accepts her. When I told him her name, he said, "Sesame." There's a nickname there somewhere.

Trifecta

Well, it's been a helluva week. The attractive wife is still on bed rest at the hospital. The baby is doing fine although my wife is going stir crazy. During her first 48 hours in the hospital, she was hooked up to several IVs: magnesium (for the contractions), two types of antibiotics (to prevent potential infection) and a glucose (for hydration). The magnesium in particular had terrible side-effects: dry mouth, a burning sensation at the IV site, and general levels of crappiness. After 48 hours, the doctors were pleased that her contractions were under control and took her off the magnesium. Almost immediately, she began to feel better.

By mid-week, she was on oral antibiotics and anti-contraction medication. Yesterday, the took the hydration IV away (although she maintains a saline lock on her arm in case another IV is needed). Also, our doctor weighed in that the baby was ready to come out, via cesarean section, on Monday (which corresponds to 34 weeks gestation). As of the last ultrasound, the baby is breech (feet down) so the safest route is a C Section.

Jack has been a trouper throughout. At first, we were making daily visits to the hospital but by mid-week, concerns about the spread of Swine Flu put the hospital on lock down: no more than two visitors at a time and no visitors under the age of 16. So for the last few days, he's been asking why he couldn't go see mommy. I keep telling him she has to rest to prepare for the arrival of baby sister or (lamely) that the hospital is closed.

Jack adjusting TV channels for Mommy before being banished from the hospital

To make matters worse, Jack came down with another viral infection late in the week. Today he stared a bad cough and a mild fever. I took him to the after hours clinic and the doctor who saw him said his lungs sounded fine but that he likely would get worse before he got better. Damn.

Hostabul

As is our life couldn't get more exciting, my attractive wife's water broke at 2AM this morning. We rushed to the hospital thinking our new baby girl was going to arrive seven weeks early. The hospital staff got her contractions under control and she spent the day under aggressive treatment and close observation. For now, things are okay but it's likely she'll remain on bed rest at the hospital for the foreseeable future. Ideally, for the next seven weeks. And no, I haven't fully processed that reality yet.

Jack's bedside manner is tops.

I got back from the hospital around 9AM and later in the morning, took Jack over to see his mother. Jack can't say the word, "hospital" -- it comes out like "hostabul". He's familiar with the concept because of our neighbor Dave's recent motorcycle accident a few weeks ago where we visited him.

Jack is concerned and a little confused. He knows Mommy is in the hostabul because of baby sister and sees that she's doing okay but still wants Mommy home. I'm lucky because my mother-in-law, whom Jack calls, "Nana" is here to help -- at least for the weekend.

When it rains in pours.