A few days of posts.

Sorry for the delay on posting. It's been a busy few days and while I'm up pumping I've been doing research, some email and trying to not stay up longer than exactly the time needed to pump so I try to get some rest as well. Thus below is a collection of start & stops in short increments.

Saturday was a nice day. We woke up and all had breakfast together. Mike took Lila to ballet at the YMCA while I pumped. When they got home, I got her ready for a birthday party and Mike took Bella for a walk. Lila and I headed to the party while Mike grabbed a ride with my sister and brother-in-law up to the hospital to see Ian. Great party for a friend of Lila's 3rd birthday (with a bunch of Mommies and Daddies who are friends of mine) All was great until the end. We really should have left 5 minutes before the one last time in the princess jumpy. Lila was coming out of it and fell backwards off the ridiculously designed inflatable step. She smacked her head on the concrete driveway. Melt down ensued (almost by both of us ;-).

Home for a nap... and she actually took one without too much fuss, which is a rarity. My sister headed back & left Mike at the hospital. She came back to our house to stay until Lila woke up. After which she was going to take her somewhere fun and have a sleep-over with her at her hotel.

I then headed up to the hospital. I walked in and was a bit nervous for a moment, not seeing Ian in his bed. Then looked down to see him on the lap of Mike for the first time. So sweet! And he happened to be wearing the onesie with a sailboat on it, Mike's favorite thing. I whipped out my camera and took a ton of photos. Mike needed to get back to work so we switched places and I was able to hold him for about an hour and a half. The nurse kept checking back to see if I was ready to put him back but I just wasn't. Although he was asleep almost the entire time, it still felt really good to have him in my arms.

No visitors can be in the NICU between 7-8 for shift change so I had to go by then. I went down the hall to the lactation room and pumped. My girlfriend was having a 40th birthday party at her home and she just lives a mile from the hospital so I had brought clothes to change into to stop by. Was to be my first evening out with friends in quite some time... I wasn't sure if I was ready for it but I was gonna give it a shot. By the time I was done and changed, it was 8 so I went back in to give them the milk. Of course, he was wide awake! I had to hang out for a bit just to interact with him. We had put a mobile on the crib and it's so sweet to watch him follow the movement. He seems to really dig it. All little signs that he's on his way to becoming more healthy.

I didn't stay out too late. It was nice to be out as long as I didn't get too into how I (or Ian) was doing. I had left Mike back at the hospital working on his laptop. He'd been on a roll with work so we decided he'd stay and I could just pick him up after the party. I wasn't there too long but it was nice.

I can't believe I woke up on Sunday and felt like I was losing my voice! Another day of not seeing Ian. I felt fine but I just didn't want to chance it. I again pumped myself with homeopathic and other remedies. Mike worked while I did errands and we planned to meet back at the house when Lila was to be brought back by my sister. My back was killing me and I realized I still had credit at a spa that my friends had given me a gift certificate for so I went in for a treatment. It was wonderful! Unfortunately I still had a big knot in my back when I left. It just feels like a knife is being driven into it. Must be a combo of stress and strange holding positions. When I hold Ian, I'm always a bit weary of moving when I get him in a good position because of all of his tubes and wires. Often I realize my muscles are a bit tweaked when I'm done.

Today, Monday, I spent the morning with Lila and Lona came by later morning so I could head up to the hospital. I felt much better, my throat was all clear and I did my Sinus flush before heading out. I listened to messages on the way and found out Bob, my Father-in-law, had been admitted to the hospital again! That's a long story that I won't go in to. Between Ian, Bob and Lila with her never ending cough, we are just about going crazy!

When I arrived to see Ian, he was wide awake. I held him after I cleaned up. He was off and on fussy and kept de-sating which made me nervous. The nurse gave me a little mask of oxygen to put near his face to give him a boost when he did. That did the trick. We had a very nice visit. It was his month birthday! I wanted to have Lila make him a card but I forgot. Will have to do that tomorrow.

Mike had headed home a bit early to catch Lila when she awoke from her nap. She said earlier she had a surprise for him so he wanted to be there to spend time with her then. I headed home in time to heat up left-overs for an early dinner so he could get back to work and I could take over with Lila. Am now about ready to drop from exhaustion. At least I finished the update ;-)