Back at the Hospital

 Danny cheering Leigh up with some vicarious iPad.

This is the face Leigh makes when Danny doesn't play the game he said he would.
It is also the face she makes multiple times per day.

 Sisters!

May 11

 Hanako's birthday! Danny fetched all her gifts.

 And opened them, too.

 Big brother playing hockey.

 Line Change!

Leigh on a better day, sleeping it off at home. Now she's back in the hospital.

 

Hanako comes Home

Danny is behaving himself for the most part. He wanted to "walk around . . . holding my sistah." We compromised with some couch time. He likes to end with an abrupt, "I'm done."
Danny and Leigh dancing last night. Leigh is sick with something, and we hope it's not catching.

Bustin' Out

Crazy I and Crazy II warmed up Mama's room for Crazy III's arrival.We asked for it, we got it. Total chaos as Hanako Margaret joins the others.
Danny is much more interested than Leigh, probably age appropriate.

Progress

Now we're hoping to get her out of the NICU by tonight. They don't like me down there. Hopefully they will discharge her out of spite.

While we wait for that, here are some photos of the last three days.
Runaway uterus!
Aunt Maggie said all fours was a good position.This lasted one contraction. Then the uterus-wrangler stated, "I think that shook something loose! Not doing that again."
Aunt Maggie used to do that to me, too. "Touch that light socket, it feels good." "Smell my fart, it smells good." "Eat this tempe burger, it's better than the real thing."

Don't skimp on the cream cheese!Happy.
More happier.Resting in the NICU, the least restful place I could imagine.Cracking the eyes open. She looks a lot like D Hawk.
Added for comparison, D Hawk 4 years ago.

Grunting

Shortly after birth, Hanako get transferred to the NICU because she was "grunting." Apparently, this is not normal. I have found the NICU to be a fine, sterile place which changes newborn parenting from an intensely actual, physical, and visceral experience to one that is essentially virtual, distant, and clinical. Good times. Perhaps I wouldn't have been so grumpy had we not gone through this:Here are the tubes.
Anyway, now it's Wednesday morning. Mama has just breast fed her for the first time, and she's off the CPAP. Now to just convince the health care providers that she should be with us, rather than in a lexan box. More photos to come.

Hanako Margaret

Economies of Scale

A couple of pictures from Wednesday, while we were waiting to leave the hospital.
"Mommy, she's touching me!"
Danny got in the crib and said, "I'm cry-yin!" Multiple bandaids were applied to various uh-ohs, real or perceived.
Today, we went for a run. With both kids! We've been waiting a long time for this. DHV pointed out all the sights to LRV on our usual route.
Tonight, a shared bath. They both seemed to enjoy it.

Hospital Day Three

It's OUT!
Leigh Rutledge Vining
June 17, 2009, 9:33 am.
19 pounds, 15 ounces.
27 1/2 inches.
Lots of hair, and an attitude, too.

Before.
During.
After.
She sounds a lot more like a baby and less like a duck, now.
Home tomorrow if everything goes well!

Hospital Day Two

A big day for Li-Li!
First she demonstrated her vitality for the doctors by clambering up her prison bars.Maybe she was trying to get a look at the assorted construction "bachines" outside her window. Who wouldn't want to check those out?Then she sneered at any suggestion that she might have an abnormal airway.

And raised an eyebrow to any doubters. "Just relax," she honked at us.
Then she had her bronchoscopy and the good doctors lasered off some scar tissue. Some drama followed in the recovery room but everything sorted itself ok.

Now she's asleep, trach capped off (that's the red thing), testing out this whole "breathing on your own" deal.If she does ok for the next 24 hours then we pull the trach.
24 hours after that we may be home.

Hospital Day One

Loading the van up on the way to "Baby Ee's abba."
LRV checking out her room on 7 West.
Janine and Baby Leigh watching for Mommy and Danny.
SHV and DHV bringing in a load of toys for Baby LiLi. DHV is not helping much here.
DHV dropping his toys into an abyss.
The ridiculousness of Danny wearing an isolation gown. We found out that Leigh is a virtual biologic weapon of mass destruction, harboring 4 or 5 supergerms.
The Accuweather forecast calls for bronchoscopy Tuesday afternoon, with a chance of decannulation. We could be home Thursday!