Mellow Day

Today was a perfect day, and I don't mean that in the Lou Reed sense -- we just had a nice mellow time. I guess I'm figuring out a routine: wake up, pump, eat breakfast and walk up the hill, pump, do one or two errands, get to hospital, pump, hold baby, pump, Husband arrives and holds baby, and then we go home and I pump or I pump and... well, the evenings are still getting worked out. But at least I feel like there's a rhythm to the day.

Today I got to the hospital nice and early to find that P has gone up to 20 ccs per feed (30 ccs is an ounce), is tolerating it well, and has gained 30 grams. I don't know how much that is in American. She's also peeing enough that we no longer need to weigh her diapers -- her "output is adequate." Would I prefer that her output be described as stellar? Of course. I'm an east-coast overachiever. But hey, it's the preemie ward -- there's plenty of time to catch up.

Not to jinx things, but she has gone an entire day and night with no bradys (her breathing has been steady). Of course that doesn't mean she won't have one again -- many preemies have several "good" days and then fall back a bit -- but it's encouraging. I have no doubt she's making steady progress, but it's nice to have tangible proof. There's nothing we can do to hurry it along, of course. Her "dumb preemie brain" will move along at its own pace.

Anyway, after an active and alert day yesterday, she was totally sacked out today. She was fed in my arms and then spent the next 2 hours fast asleep, which is why my post tonight is less than lively. It's very soothing but I feel weirdly comatose.

Guess who her nurse was tonight? Penelope! A grown up Penelope. Who said indeed, she was a little embarrassed to have such an unusual name as a little girl, but now she likes it. And who didn't want to be Penny (her mom is Penny). I was just glad to finally meet her after hearing about her from everyone else.

Anyway, buh. I'm tired. And today was good. Which is great. And that's all she wrote.