Yo yo yo, tell me whatcha know about rap music!

Well we think she looks like she doing hand gestures from the 'hood anyway - can you see it? or are we just bonkers.

What can I tell you about the last week...it's been ups & downs - mainly not related to The Little Kat's condition but the state of mind of mum & dad. Yes we've been a bit stressed out by conflicting opinions & ideas about the best way to go about things in relation to breast feeding. You'd think that with all the professional training these people have there'd be some consistency in how they approach these situations, NOT! Four days and four different sets of 'instructions' as to how often and for how long the little mite should be 'put to the breast' (I still love the terminology). We ultimately had it out, in a calm and mature manner of course, and came to the conclusion that the baba herself should be the one giving the 'instruction'.

Soooooo, she's putting on weight nicely, last night coming in at 4lb 7oz (2.02kg). In the picture above she has 'nasal prongs' delivering the teeniest tiniest trickle of oxygen to help her along but she does have entire days of not needing it switched on at all, in fact today she's had the 'prongs' removed. I, for one, am not counting any chickens...

Katya would like to thank everyone for the most generous and lovely gifts and all the wonderful cards - especially the one and only Great Grandma Nan Hamilton, she's looking forward to coming to visit all you southern types when she busts outta there.

a picture is worth a thousand words






nightnight

Dear oh dear...


getting on for a week since that last post, many apa-lo-gees. On the right you see me baby girl hot of the press this evening. She ain't 'alf growing :-o

It's been an interesting few days for me building up over the weekend (with some faultless driving if I do say so myself), to my driving test yesterday morning then suddenly having my brain pop out of gear shortly into the test and absently mindedly neglecting to put it back into gear until sometime yesterday evening. You may or may not know to know I failed. Never mind - it was my first ever test, which is not something a lot of English 31 year old males can claim, and I'm not that suprised given the turmoil of recent times - there's always next time. I'm still confident that I'm a far better driver than half the twerps out there.

Any-cow...la petite bebe is doing fine, like I said she's putting on weight nicely. Still vaguely dependent on oxygen from time to time. Still struggling with acid indigestion. On the whole she's greatly improved over the the last week, getting stronger all the time and throwing herself into feeding from the source when she gets the chance although she's somewhat lacking in stamina.

Struggling to upload pictures tonight - this bloody internet is crap.

So small!

As you can see she really is the little Kat - that's my hand she's holding - but she's growing fast, now weighing in at 3 pounds 11 (1.67Kg) she's gaining around 5 ounces (150g) a week.

She's getting good at the old sucking lark. I am reliably informed that she had a jolly good feed direct from the source this morning - a jolly happy good thing.

That's why she decided to wear the 'I love mummy' babygrow...

I have to say I agree with the sentiment whole-heartedly.


Also today she's had a 'full blood work-up' which has not turned up anything dodgy as yet - more good news.

Nothing more to report - short and to the point tonight.

And relax...

I'll make this a quick one.

Yes it still took me two hours to get home instead of the usual one but you'll be pleased to hear that The Little Kat has been much better behaved today. She has finally been started on antacid medicine to help combat the reflux (doctor speak for heartburn) that everyone has been saying is the problem as it's common in preemies (see I'm getting to know the lingo). She only had a couple of desaturations during the day and they weren't as profound as they have been. Is this a result of the medication? Who knows and who cares! Cross everything and keep sending the positive energies.

The nurse who was just going off duty when I got there this evening (I won't mention names - it's not fair) suggested she have a nussle 'at the breast' this evening and Lo And Behold she had a damn good suck - milk was produced - milk was not dribbled! Proper feeding! Not much I admit but some, she got tired pretty quickly but it's still a breakthrough. HipHipHurray!

Thought I'd cheer you all up.

No pics again today, I'll do my best for tomorrow.

Thank you - and goodnight ;-)

Work Shmerk.


Yes, I started back to work yesterday and wadda you know...the trains go to pieces. Yesterday it was a lorry crashing into a bridge just in front of my train on the way home. This evening it was 'too hot' for the train tracks so there were lots of delays and we stop-started all the way home. It makes me wonder how they manage to run trains in sub-tropical places like India without the tracks buckling or points welding - maybe they don't.

OK, rant over (or is it?), the result of the train crisis is that I've been late home and hence spent longer away from the little Kat than I would like, what a master of understatement I am, making me a tad stressed. Obviously the heat doesn't help but at least it's not humid.

The real cause of the stress is the fact that my baby girl is having a few more 'blood oxygen desaturations' in the last couple of days than she has been doing. This means that the oxygen isn't getting from the air into her bloodstream as efficiently as it should/could be. It's common in pre-term babies for them to have these short drops in blood oxygen levels but it's the fact that the frequency has increased is what is causing us to freak out a bit. Now it's pretty sure that there's absolutely nothing wrong with her - she's not going blue or such like - but there's no ready explanation for the change at present. The doctor examined her this evening and could find nothing wrong with her at all. Oh, and another thing, the stupid machines that they use to monitor the oxygen level - they're crap! Well, obviously they're good; they do a job that needs to be done. It's just that sometimes the alarm sounds because she's wiggled her foot (where the sensor is) and sometimes because she bloomin' fartin' - you get the picture.

To sum up, and I feel I should before the language deteriorates and I start SHOUTING, it's not bad news - just a hot and bovered Dad letting off some steam.

Finally, to finish on a lighter note at weigh in on Monday The Little Kat clocked a 110 gram increase bringing her in over her birth weight for the first time :-)

Sorry no photos - just not enough hours in the day...




I just couldn't do it - it looked so bare. An oldy but goody - day two, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

In out, in out...

It's been an eventful few days, the little kat is, in fact, back in an incubator but before you all start freaking out she's fine. The reason she's back in the tank is because she needs to be on a slope so she can keep her food down and - surprisingly - you can't tilt a water bed!

Thanks to Grandad Neville for taking the smashing photo you see above, it's a stunner.

So, despite what at first appeared to be a set back in her progress but actually wasn't she was just trying to progress too quickly, the little Kat continues to go from strength to strength. She's coping much better with the three hourly feeds now she's back on a bit of a slope and is still relatively free of wires - she's even taken to wearing dresses!

The past couple of days have also seen the commencement of 'putting her to the breast', (to borrow the nurses' terminology as I can't think of a less clinical way of saying it), and she has managed to get a mouthful of milk on one occasion although she didn't really know what to do with it and dribbled it everywhere. Other instinctive things that full term babies do as a matter of course such as grabbing hold of things are also developing nicely.

A couple of things I need to say here:

Firstly sorry to uncle Sam and auntie Jana for not mentioning your whirlwind visit before, thank you so much for making the effort to charge up from London for the afternoon and giving us a much needed couple of hours of fun!

Thanks also to uncle Theo for visiting - I know how hectic your social calendar is ;-)

Finally a big shout out to Grandad Neville for completing the Sport's Relief mile on Saturday, I still can't believe a man of his long standing ran all the way.
He's relying on family & friends for sponsorship so if you still haven't made a donation do it now for Neville.

There's only so much you can do in terms of pictures of a baby in an incubator so forgive me if things start getting repetitious but I know you want more so here goes, a hand and a foot.

Kat's cradle.

Big news today, my Little Kat has kissed goodbye to the goldfish bowl and is now residing in her very own cot. She's no longer on an ECG monitor; just a probe on her foot which measures the amount of oxygen in her blood and her pulse. So, officially Kat is no longer in intensive care; ok she's in the same room but only because there's no room for her anywhere else...HOORAH!!!!!!!! i think i can get away with the multiple !'s on this occasion :-p

My tiny girl is enjoying the delights of a heated water bed (I'm sooo I jealous ;-) , her feeds have gone down to every three hours and she's managing to keep it all down. She's wearing oversized sleep-suits and is sleeping under tiny tightly tucked blankets. we all adore alliteration.

Anyway, here she is again, my princess



Thank you and good night, proudDad has left the building.

Long time no blog.


Blimey where does the time go, there just aren't enough hours in the day. The little Kat continues to make good progress; her feeds are now every two hours rather than hourly and she's getting 23mls at a time (you can see her little tummy swell as it goes down), she's had several days now without any piped oxygen in her incubator, she gained 110 grams (around 3.5 ounces) between Thursday last week and yesterday, she's the most gorgeous little thing ever.

I won't keep you long as we're about to head up to the hospital for the first visit of the day. I'd like to say a huge thank you to Granny Sandra & Grandpa Neville and also Pops Pete and autie/grandma Soo for all the practical help and support over the last couple of weeks. A big thanks also to all who've sent cards - there are loads and we're running out of space - I'm thinking of trying for a world record!

Here's some photos from yesterday:

(Me feeding my little girl.)



(To give you some idea of scale look at the socket behind her head)

Blig Blag Blog!
(or 'I can't think of a title')

Sorry for leaving you all in suspense yesterday I was busy cleaning the poo off myself after my darling daughter squirted the stuff all over my hand and arm. At the same time she had a damn good stab at redecorating the inside of her incubator - a little taste of things to come me thinks!

To everyone that has sent messages to us saying that they've been crying over this blog - tell me about it, yesterday was a particularly bad day for tears but a few leak out every day, mostly when someone says or does something nice - what a wuss!

What's happened today??? Weeeeeell, the little Kat has gained 30 grams so she's going in the right direction. She continues to; produce dirty nappies at a pace, generally do without oxygen (not in an anaerobic stylee - just without the bottled stuff), be the most beautiful little thing I have ever laid my tired and jaded eyes upon.

The nursery funiture was purchased from the ubiquitous Swedish store and is well on its way to being constructed - some what typically there were no handles packed with the chest of drawers so I shall have to make what will probably turn out to be several phone calls and at least one return trip to said store t sort that out.

Is it me or are my sentences getting longer?

Better get on with dinner as the cow will be in from milking soon and in need of her fodder (translation - Janey's expressing milk and will soon be done). So I'll leave you with a few pics of the loves of my life.

(Well I had to get her in somewhere didn't I)

Just a quick one.

Daddy changed his first nappy today - and it was a number two. Admittedly it was the tiniest poo I have ever seen in my life - apart from maybe a mouse...

mmmkay - maybe it won't be that quick.

Also in the news today...

- The phototherapy continues, although it should be all over by tomorrow. Her bilirubin level had dropped nicely at 4pm today so all is good on that front.

- Digestion and respiration continue to work as they should.

- And a biggy, Katya Lily Wells (roughly interpreted as Pure Blossoming Flower Wells) was officially recognised by the state today in a formal naming ceremony also known as 'a trip to the registrar' (conviniently located in the hospital). I proudly fulfilled the role asigned to me by my gender and signed the book, doing my best not to break the fountain pen.

A big hug and a thank you to our Neil and Steph for coming to see us bringing pressie and card and helping us to enjoy a luverly relaxing evening.

And another big thanks to our Shoeshine McGregor for doing her maidly duties ;-)

Sorry no other pictures for ya today :-(

Sunbed-tastic!!!

Who'd've thunk it, my Kat on the sunbed already. I shall explain - Monday is blood work day, the little Kat had some blood taken this morning for a 'full blood work-up' as they say in the medical dramas. The results are in and on the whole positive; no infections, good blood counts etc. The only problem to show up was a high bilirubin level - otherwise known as jaundice. It's common in babies especially premature ones and generally doesn't cause any problems if treated (sorry if you know all this - I'm just being my usual know-it-all self). It seems the best way to sort this is light which breaks down the bilirubin that the liver can't cope with hence...sunbed!

Now all the boring medical stuff is out the way - I got a cuddle this afternoon :-) Excuse Dad's pastey skin, as you can tell it takes a very special event to get my top off - especially in public.

She felt sooooo tiny in my arms but I can't describe the feeling of being that close to her for the first time.

Mum got in on the action too - my beautiful girls!

Katya seems to be getting stronger all the time (touch wood). She off IV fluids and hasn't had any oxygen in the past 24 hours as far as we're aware.

I realised today that I haven't shown an overview shot of the set up in the neonatal unit so I'll leave you with a picture of K's bedroom and her latest close-up.

Our little joey!


Today's big event is the first session of 'kangaroo care'. This involves the little Kat being held next to Mum's skin under her clothes so they have skin on skin contact.

Both Mum and baby really enjoyed the experience; Katya's O2 saturation stayed at 100% the whole time she was snuggled up to Jane who, of course, was incredibly happy to be so close to her sprog for the first time.

I kinda skipped over the whole labour/birth thing in the first post and I'm not going to go into any great detail now. Suffice it to say Jane had a pretty easy time of it (not all that surprising due to the Kat's size) and the entire process was very calm thanks to the wonderful midwife Jo - we couldn't have wished for a nicer third person in the room.

Again I'll sign off with some photos; a couple from yesterday and some more kangaroo shots from this morning.

Well where to start...

On the morning of wednesday 28th June we were expecting our baby to arrive on 12th September, by thursday morning we were the parents of a three pound six ounce little girl. To say we were a tad shocked would be an under statement, we still are a bit but it is slowly sinking in. It doesn't help that we're at home but she isn't, it looks like she'll be in hospital for quite a few weeks. She is however doing well; breathing without assistance (sometimes with a little bit of oxygen in the mix but no ventilator), slowly absorbing the milk so generously provided by her mummy and squirted down a tube into her tiny tummy.

This intention of this blog is to keep everyone who wants to know how she's doing informed without being on the phone 24 hours a day. A big, big thank you to all who have sent there good wishes and positive thoughts so far, we really appreciate it.

For now I'll leave you with some pictures of the tiny bundle of joy in question!

About an hour old!

One day old.

Three days old and snoozing away.