Photo Dump

NICU Day 8 (Monday, Oct 1):
We are on the final stretch in that there isn't any more drama (or so we hope) and we have a finalized plan and now we are just carrying it out.  Today was the first day for me to go back and forth from the house with Oliver at work.  Addison had spent the night with Grandma and Papa and so my mom was able to come up to the NICU for Claire's early feeding. 

This picture shows all the leads that Claire will have until we check-out and head home!  The one taped around her foot is a light that shines through her skin and measures the oxygen saturation in her blood.  The three sticky ones attached to her belly and chest show her heart beat, her respiration rate, and her oxygen intake.  Her right arm is where her PIC line is inserted and she has a continuous drip IV that keeps the line open and then she also receives one antibiotic every 12 hours and a second antibiotic every 48 hours.  It makes holding her and changing her a little awkward - but we're getting very adept. 

Because of her PIC line - Claire has been sporting the toga look.  Our nurse wants to keep her totally in fashion and coordinated so she changed all her bedding to purple with butterflies and found her a coordinating onesie and bow.  She sporting the very popular off the shoulder look and her dad siad in jest that she is already practicing immodesty :)

The greatest excitement of the day came when Dr. Liu came in to meet with me and she said that if we wanted to bring Addison up to the NICU she would make special arrangements to have Claire moved to the consultation room so that she could scrub in and hold her.  I called Oliver while he was at work to let him know the exciting news and he hurried home a little early so we could get to the NICU before they closed at 6.

Dad had to prep Addison on the way upstairs that he would need to help her wash her hands because she is really big into doing everything by herself.  She has a stool in our half bathroom off the kitchen and she washes her hands by herself after every meal.  She was well prepped and let Oliver do all the scrubbing.

She was ecstatic with Claire was wheeled into her room (partially because we told her that she could open her gift after Claire came :)  ).  

It took some coaxing to get her to sit in the chair WITH daddy so that she could hold Claire.

 

Then she opened her gift from Aunt Emily and Uncle Taylor and we read it to Claire 3 times!  

Afterwards, she wanted to hold Claire all by herself and it took some coaxing directed towards dad by mom for Oliver to be comfortable with the idea. 

But she loved every moment of it!

And then she pushed her dad's hands away and kept saying "I do mmself" and "no touch daddy".  He finally had the courage to let go and Addison was in love and inspection of her new sister.

She exclaimed "cute bow" which she ended up taking home with her.

She also thought it was hilarious that Claire would suck on her finger.  When we get them together again we're going to have to teach Addison that she can't put anything in the baby's mouth because she had no sense of depth during her first experiment and I don't need her shoving plastic toy spoons down Claire's throat.

 

Lest Uncle Taylor think we are totally irresponsible - I knelt right next to Addison the whole time - you just can't really see me in the other pictures - but here's the proof.

It was the magical moment that we have been long awaiting.  We always wanted Addison to come to the hospital by herself to meet her newest sibling and we really wanted it to be a small and intimate family moment - it was everything we wanted.  The nurses plugged her all into the consultation room and then monitored her from the desk so that we could have some privacy.  Other than extra cords and some intermittent beeping - it was just our family and it was perfect.  We're having the siblings come with every child we have (if we ever have any others!) by themselves because it was such a special sacred moment.  Here's our first family photo - with many more to come!

The worst part of coming and going from the hospital is the empty car seat every time we get into the car.  It's been rough - but I'm pretty sure that soon enough I will be wishing it was empty sometimes :)  Just like a girl to always want for what isn't...