Day 53 - Halfway!!!

Today is day 53 of Joshua's life which leaves just 53 days until Christmas - halfway baby!!! We also have just 27 days until surgery!! Joshua is hovering right at 10 pounds 14 ounces. He is around 21 1/4 inches long.

I thought I'd do another day in the life post, but a more typical day. Today was like this:

• Woke up at 6, got dressed in the clothes I set out last night, pumped milk, grabbed lunch I packed last night, left.
• Drove to hospital, got new security bracelet, scrubbed hands, signed in, filled up water bottle, can into Joshua's room, said good morning to him (he was sleeping in his swing), put away the clean clothes I brought for him, marked off another day on the tally board, sat down in the rocking chair and got him out of the swing.
• Held him and listened to music from my Iphone while we waited for the doctors to come by for rounds.
• Doctors came, we discussed how his ostomy bag leaks a lot and has to be changed, they had no real solutions for that. Also the resident suggested we pull out the PICC line since we're no longer feeding him the liquid feeds through it. They agreed to pull it out! YAY!!
• His nurse came in to assess him, I pumped while she did that.
• After that, I fed him his 15ml bottle while the speech therapist watched. She praised him for his interest and coordination with the feeding and then proceeded to praise him for just being very "appropriate" in all of his development. And she said that was a testament to how much Daddy and I are with him, because the babies who don't have parents there as often, don't do as well in these areas. I'm so glad to know we're making a difference.
• I held and rocked him for awhile.
• He went to sleep and I snuck out to eat lunch.
• Came back and he was being assessed again.
• After assessment, his nurse removed the PICC line. One less tube to worry about!!! I helped calm him and keep him still during that. That's my job for nearly every procedure!!
• I held him for awhile after that and gave him another 15ml bottle.
• He was a bit fussy and was tired, but wouldn't go to sleep. I finally got him to go to sleep.
• I pumped again while he slept in bed.
• I held him for awhile more.
• Time to go, I smooched all over him and then swaddled him and left him sleeping in bed.
• I signed out and left for home. I had to stop for gas along the way home.
• Got home, went through the mail with my husband and then kissed him goodbye as he left to go back to Joshua.
• Hugged the kids and heard about their day.
• I found that Abby has a fever blister, so I started her on the medicine she's been previously prescribed for that. She has some left that will get us through tonight and tomorrow until I get to go pick up her refill.
• Started dinner: pulled pork sandwiches (used pork I had made and frozen before Joshua was born), baked potatoes and applesauce.
• Ate dinner with Noah and Abby.
• We decided to make chocolate malts for desert. We drank those while watching Iron Chef America, a family favorite!!
• Pumped milk again.
• We started schoolwork after that. We did English and Geography. Abby had an English test and another assignment to do, Noah had an English review to do. We played a Geography game, went over the countries of North America (including Latin America and some of the Caribbean Islands), listened to music from Mexico and read a chapter of Cameron Townsend, a book about a missionary to Guatemala. I did a review of money/coins with Abby.
• I did the dishes and emptied the trash while they worked on English.
• Noah took a shower while Abby finished her work.
• We played two games of UNO together.
• Abby took her shower, I helped her with her hair.
• I took my shower.
• I brushed Abby's hair and my hair.
• We read a chapter of Farmer Boy (we're reading through the Little House series, this is the 3rd book in that series).
• We prayed.
  I gave Abby another dose of medicine.
• Tucked both kids into bed and kissed them goodnight.
• Came downstairs and brought down my clothes for tomorrow.
• Typed this post!

Now before bed I still need to:

• pack lunch for tomorrow
• pump milk
• discuss Christmas gifts with Daddy when he gets home (should be in the next 20 minutes or so)
• set out cleaners for the kids' zones tomorrow (zones are what I call their chores, tomorrow they're doing the bathroom sinks and toilets, which is actually something they love doing. I don't know why, but they love it!!)

So that's a normal day for us. It's busy and kind of crazy, but it's working and we're getting closer and closer to those much awaited days of surgery and coming home. WE CAN DO THIS!! Well I'm off to finish my list so I can get to bed, I'm tired!!