Graduation October 28 - November 5, 2003 Tommy's time has come -- to move to first floor.

	Warm on our own

	What is a noon?

Right from the beginning I would like to thank for all your good wishes, which we had received. I had planned before that as my term approached, I would give Sid a list of phone numbers and e-mail addresses, where he was to report about the birth of our Little Hippo, but we simply did not get to it -- just like many other things -- like have our house remodeling finished, complete purchasing some baby clothes, a stroller, etc. Fortunately, grapevine works. Or is it that we're celebrity? In any case, thank you all for remembering us.

Tommy really graduated on Tuesday, October 28. He got moved down one floor (literally closer to home), but the medical meaning was greater yet. He has left the busy NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), where you can find babies right after birth or those that are unstable (before, during and after surgery), and he arrived at Intermediate Nursery. It is still "Intensive Case" -- kids are hooked to monitors for breath, heart rate and blood oxygen; they are, however, stabilized cases, who are not supposed to show dramatic changes, quite contrary, their states suppose to improve gradually until they get released home.

Sid had to return back to work on Wednesday, and I hurried to the hospital on my own. Intermediate Nursery turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Their receptionist was able to recall from memory where our little one was located and which nurse was taking care of him during that shift. She also asked me, how I was and whether I wanted dinner, which the hospital provides (and pays) for breastfeeding mothers. I briskly ordered one. I should use this space to mention hospital food. When I was a patient myself, after each breakfast, I could order food for next 24 hours from a relatively large menu. All meals that I ever received were excellently prepared, devoid of any excess fat or similar disturbances. Thus I did not hesitate to ask for more such hospital dinners, although with these "donated" meals, I get no choice and portions are somewhat smaller.

	Even daddy can feed - a gadget pushes food through a hose into Tom's stomach.

	Best falling asleep with mom

Inside the IICN room, Tom's nurse got hold of me right away, I received a rocking chair, a privacy screen, and some space for nursing. Another nurse came asking if I ever breastfed and whether I received any advice in this regard. She sat down with me and within a few minutes managed with patience what did not work by force the day before. Not that Tommy would succeed in drinking consistently, he's been too small for that, but he is obviously fond of breastfeeding and a very patient baby. If he is not succeeding, he tries again and again, does not get nervous and does not get distracted. Three hours later, without external disturbances, we had managed better yet.

Lactation consultant arrived the next day, and she only exclaimed in surprise "You're breastfeeding, this is regular breastfeeding!" She offered a few more tricks, assured me that Tommy was performing better than a regular baby of his age is expected to do, and suggested to continue this "recreational breastfeeding". She did not need to say it twice -- Tom is still being fed by a probe, which looks horrible (twenty centimeters of a small diameter hose going through his nose all the way to his stomach), and we won't get our son home until he's able to eat on his own.

I am sure that Tommy is going to succeed. His new department is quiet and easy-going. Even though relatively large count of parents keep dithering around the cribs, everybody behaves quietly and orderly. Every nurse is responsible for several babies, but it all happens at a reasonable pace. I did not believe my eyes when I noticed a lady in a hospital employee dress who sported a badge with "cuddler" sign on it -- and really -- nurses call for professional help with a baby who cries a lot, or if they need someone to feed him/her from a bottle. A nurse told me with a serious face that some babies need more cuddling than others, some can't have theirs parents visit as often, and then it is very important that at least someone spends some time with them every day. Cuddlers seem to be volunteers and they are available between six in the morning till midnight, to take care of this "work", which nurses often don't find time for.

	What now? Eat or sleep?

I have to say that Tom's stay at the hospital has its advantages, too. Under normal circumstances, mothers and newborns get released home two days after birth. I cannot imagine what can be done in two days, as we have been having a chance to accommodate all the fine details of baby care gradually, in the course of several weeks. With clumsy brand new parents, nurses are willing to assist. It is interesting how different nurses come up with different opinions on how to do things, and in the end we have a choice, which road to take. So far the greatest experience was Tom's bathing. Rendered by an older, experienced nurse, it looked awfully simple, and her instructions sounded quite reasonable (e.g. - don't forget to wash your baby behind ears - when he burps up sometimes, the stuff flows all around his head and you wonder then why your child keeps smelling so bad). Regardless of her speed and craftiness, Tom was yelling as if he were facing a mortal enemy (which the nurse commented, "some kids like bathing right from the start... ehmmmm... yours is not the kind..."). Tom is normally very nice, quiet baby, who lets you calm him down easily -- this much he yelled last right after birth (an idea started creeping up my mind that I had only imagined it then). Anyway, Tom is at his funniest right after a bath -- newly changed clothes, wrapped up, cozy and warm he looked very startled. I think he could not work out how he can suddenly feel so comfortable after all those terrible horrors.

	Stiff again

	They washed me for the first time in my life!

But of course we, too, keep asking a question, when will they let us take Tom home. Answers of medical professionals are very evasive, belonging into the class, "if it won't rain, we shall not get wet" (i.e. "we will let him go when he's ready"). Since Saturday, Tom lives inside a normal (that is, unheated) crib and they had definitely taken out the intravenous tube. Vitamins and calcium gets mixed with food, and now we are waiting whether he is stable in a rough environment of the nursing room. If he can maintain his temperature and does not forget to breathe, we will have satisfied one great criterion for home release. The other one is self-sufficient eating - either from a bottle, or by natural breastfeeding. Nurses say that eating (a triathlon of sucking, swallowing and breathing) usually works with babies 36 weeks and older. In the end - we still have to count on two to three weeks from now.

Meanwhile we are trying to use this delay to get our house ready to welcome an new member of our family. Heaps of thrash shall hopefully disappear from our back yard (while I had been hospitalized and Sid was either with me or at work, progress around our bedroom patio door and garden remodeling practically stopped). Winter has arrived, it started to rain, so we must leave the rest of construction works for next spring. Further, we purchased a car seat and a stroller for Tom, as the news of his release shall doubtlessly be sudden and we want to be prepared. I will also have to add some more clothes for him. As Tommy looked on all ultrasounds slightly bigger than an average baby, I concluded he would turn large after Sid and simply skipped all the smallest sizes. Then we need to sort out affairs like: find a pediatric doctor for Tom; I should visit a dentist with a tooth of mine that's falling apart, which they had fixed, due to my pregnancy, only so; then I should see my optometrist, to pick up my repaired glasses; besides that, I must sort out paperwork regarding my unemployment and disability -- and, finally, when else should our cars break down than right now? Never before in my life was I as busy as I am now, on a sort-of "maternity leave" -- and I still don't have my Tommy home!!!

Copyright © 2003-2004 by Carol & Sid Paral. All rights reserved.