Check out Preemiedad.com

I have been working on my new website for my blog for a couple of weeks now and would like for everyone to check it out. It is very similar to this blog but has some additions to it like pictures and back story behind all of the madness. Preemiedad.com is an up close perspective from our eyes and gives you a rough idea of how it all began. This website was made to increase knowledge of preemie awareness and to allow Emma to read this in the future to see all the things we did through the early stages of her life. I hope that everyone has the chance to check out preemiedad.com.

A Fiery Start to the Day!

      We had another long sleep session from 11 p.m to 5:15 a.m. After the normal 25 minute burping session with Emma over my shoulder, we took a long nap until about 9:30 a.m. She woke me up immediately with her " the world is going to end if I don't get a bottle" cry, so I got her bottle ready as fast as I could, which is never fast enough. I get her diaper changed while her bottle is warming up and then proceed to dress her in eating gear, a.k.a bib. We got about half-way through her bottle when I started hearing the fire alarm to the building go off in the hallway. I quickly put Emma down in her chair and looked outside the door and didn't see anyone coming out, so I went back inside to finish her bottle. The alarm was odd because it kept turning off and then start back up again, so it almost sounded like they were performing a test like they do on occasions.I really didn't think anything of it as Emma drank the rest of her bottle until I heard the sirens of a fire truck pulling in the parking lot. Things just got interesting! I quickly jumped into action as I grabbed the stroller out of her room and the portable oxygen tank. I put Emma in the car seat of the stroller along with her apnea monitor and oxygen and then put Chloe's leash on. I thought about grabbing the cat but I knew that I wouldn't be able to handle her with my hands as full as they already were. I wanted to be able to asses the situation first downstairs to get my number one priority safe and then go back to retrieve everything I can carry. As soon as we get in the hallway to the elevators we see that they are unavailable at this time, so we'll have to take the steps. This should be fun!
        I ditched the stroller in the hallway and grabbed the car seat, oxygen tank, and apnea monitor along with the dog. The whole time I walked down the stairs all I could think of is "where is the fire?" and felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Call it a "spidey sense" or some kind of adrenaline side effect but I was focused on getting down those stairs in the quickest amount of time. When we got outside, we saw a couple of fire trucks in the parking lot already. The small crowd of residents outside was slowly growing as more people realized this was NOT a drill. I heard different stories from everybody of what they saw or heard and what they thought had happened with several different opinions of where the actual fire originated. I remember getting the feeling you get when you've lost your wallet or something similar but 10 times greater. All I had were the clothes on my back and a couple of Emma's items but other than that everything else I owned was up on the fifth floor in our condo. It was too early to understand what was going on yet but we couldn't see any smoke coming out of the building. It seemed like the entire police force and multiple fire departments were at our condo building. After about 30 minutes, one of the fire fighters came over to the group of us and proceeds to tell us that the cleaning lady mixed ammonia and bleach together and of course, caused a chemical reaction (shocker!). Ten minutes after that, they told everyone that didn't live on the ground floor that they can go back to their units. Wouldn't you know, they hadn't turned the elevators on so back up the stairs we go. The only thing I kept repeating in my head was "I can't believe all this is happening before I've had my coffee".
       As we returned to the condo to get the little one settled in from all the commotion (she slept the entire time!),  I got my well-deserved cup of coffee. I remember thinking to myself that anytime a day starts off like this, it is pretty much a lost cause. I decided to reflect on my emergency preparedness by taking naps with Emma and switching through BBQ Pit-Masters and re-runs of Fresh Prince of Bel Air for the better portion of the day. I like to call these kind of days "zero days" where you do what needs to be done and that's it. I felt pretty lazy throughout the day and at times regretted not using the day wisely, but I think it's nice to be able to give yourself a mental break every now and again. I believe everyone needs these and should take one at least once a month to cleanse your mind. I really think there is a lesson to be learned from this experience that we had today, and that's don't mix ammonia with bleach. DUUUHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dear Emma, Thank you for being so brave today and keeping me calm. I can't even imagine what it would be like if all of this happened before you got that bottle.
     

One Worn Out Pup!

     Emma and I woke up at 6:30 a.m this morning after a good nights sleep of a little over five and a half hours. I'm really starting to enjoy this growing process because it seems like I get more sleep the more she grows, which is awesome. After a little nap after the bottle, I commenced my daily routine of coffee mixed with some Boy Meets World re-runs. I tell ya, catching up on all of these shows I used to watch as a kid brings back so many memories, which is another enjoyable part about having my job.
Today was day two of this 30 day challenge and let me tell you, it's starting to feel good/sore. After I completed my challenge, it was Emma's turn now. We did three sets of ten semi sit ups from a seated position, to work more on her neck strength to help build those muscles. It must be fun for her because I make so many funny faces and crazy noises that she smiles the entire time we are doing these exercises. We really lucked out because she is such a happy-go-lucky baby for the most part until she gets "hangry" then the mood shifts. But lets face it, if I get super hungry or pee all over myself, I get kind of pissed too (pun intended). I feel like I could be having an OK day but as soon as I see that smile on her face, my whole world changes & I'm instantly just as happy as her. I am thankful that babies don't retain too much of a memory because if they did, she would probably be miserable. The kind of beginning she had was a rough start for her, but if you spend five minutes with this kid you would have no idea she had ever been through a crazy experience like the NICU.
      After finishing her 11 a.m bottle with her vitamins in it, we started getting ready for another trek around town. This time we had no sort of itinerary and didn't have to be anywhere at any point so we were going to walk until we felt like it. There were chores around the house that could have been done, but I felt like if we stayed around the house then they wouldn't have gotten done anyway because of her 15 minute cat naps that she is famous for. So we loaded up her stroller with her oxygen tank and apnea monitor and decided to take the dog along with us. This was brave of me because anytime we have the dog and the stroller, it makes it much more interesting in getting around anywhere, not to mention an extra body to keep track of. For the most part Chloe did alright, until about half-way through our walk when she decided she had too much and laid down in the grass and didn't budge. She was telling me that she had enough and was going on strike due to extreme work conditions. After about ten minutes of rest we pushed on until we hit the third mile of our journey. Emma kept quiet and slept until it was time to eat. Luckily I brought a bottle along with me just in case something like this happened. We pulled over on the side of the trail, found a nice bench to sit on and changed her diaper before starting her snack time. Once burping her was finished, we were on our way back on the trail headed due West. After a little over two and a half miles we decided to turn back and head home because it was going to be that time where my lady would get off of work soon.
       Tonight was a special night because Emma bug will be spending some time over at Nan Nan and Pop Pops house. We were invited by some friends to grab some burgers and beers at a dive bar down the street from us and hang out on the restaurant's patio area. It was such an beautiful day out today and the evening was no different. Any chance we get to go out and feel "normal" again is something we try to do whenever we can. I wondered what Emma was doing and was anxious to see her again. We aren't worried at all while she is over at their house because they are the most loving, attentive grandparents ever, but I enjoy her company so much that I am excited to get back to her each time I leave. Dear Emma, how can you have me so tightly wrapped around your finger already?

The Start of a New ME!

   Emma slept last night from 11:30 p.m to 5:15 a.m this morning and that was the most sleep I've gotten since I started watching her full time. She took her first bottle of the day at 5:30 a.m, burped her for 30 minutes, then laid her down for a cat nap. I felt great at 8 a.m when I got up this morning especially after two cups of coffee, but mainly because I was starting this 30 day fitness challenge. Its a new app on the phone that my wife found that gives you challenges that increase in intensity each day. I chose two different challenges called "the beach body challenge" and "the little black dress challenge". I know it seems a little odd that I chose the second challenge because it was for me too. But I felt like this challenge incorporated exercises for the entire body, not just one part, like abs etc. For about 30 minutes this morning I was faced with things like planks, push-ups, mountain climbers and crunches all while watching re-runs of Saved by the Bell. These exercises wouldn't have phased me ten years ago, but since I haven't been very active in a while, I was having a hell of a time. After I freshened up and drank some water, I decided it was time for Emma's work out of the day,"Tummy time". Since we have gotten into a routine with working on her belly, both my wife and I have noticed such a difference. She is doing so well and every day she looks less and less like a bobble head doll.

     After some recovery time and a snack for both of us to replenish any calories lost, we decided to take a trip to the hardware store. I had two items on my list which consisted of duct tape and two bricks. I have a memorial walk that I am doing this Saturday that requires two bricks, among a couple of other items. It's a charity event that raises money for the 31 Miles for 31 Heroes Foundation www.31heroes.com. The foundation raises money to give to the families of the fallen soldiers that perished in August 2011 during an attack on a Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan. It was considered the worst loss of U.S. Military life in a single incident in the Afghanistan campaign. As we make our way to the hardware store, some dark clouds begin to move in, and I mean quickly. We make it to the hardware store just in time for the sky to open up and to also learn that the hardware store doesn't sell bricks. I bought some duct tape, waited a couple of minutes for the rain to clear up and headed down the street where they sold bricks. At this point Emma hadn't made a peep until the moment we started back for the condo.

      By the time we got back from our journey, it was 3 p.m and we had walked five miles total. I fed her a bottle and then we both took nap. Hers unfortunately was a lot shorter than I would've liked it to be. I am beginning to realize that there is a pattern to this whole parenting thing. The pattern is whenever you think your "me time" is, think again because there isn't such a thing. I know I must sound selfish because that's what I feel. But the fact remains that she needs every second of my undivided attention and I am going to strive to provide that for her. As soon as I start thinking selfishly, I have to remember that she won't be a baby forever. There will be a time before I know it where she won't need me as much anymore, and that will be more painful than not being able to sleep another 15 minutes because she wants my attention. When 5 p.m rolls around and it's time for my evening routine of cleaning up the kitchen, making bottles for tomorrow, and figuring out what my bride and I will be having for dinner tonight. Thank you Emma Harper for making me a better man.

A WELL- RESTED NIGHT !!!

     This past Wednesday Emma had an appointment to see the Pulmonologist (lung doctor). She visits with them about every other week for them to check on how well her lungs are doing. I remember many nights in the NICU where the topic of conversation was about the growth of her lungs.This seemed to be most important to the docs, because the last organ to completely grow is the lungs. So since she was born so premature, her lungs never had time to grow therefore she will be faced with problems in the future with breathing.
       After Emma finished a bottle and I burped her for 30 minutes, I laid down for my first nap of the night around 12:30 a.m. On a typical night, she generally wakes up every three hours, but this night was different. When I woke up to the pleasant hungry grunts and coos coming from Emma, I looked at the clock and it was 5:00 a.m. This has been the first time since I've slept for anything over three hours at a time since I've been with her full-time. I was overwhelmed with joy and I just knew that I had an eventful day ahead of me.
       I started getting her ready around 9:30 a.m to try to stay ahead of the game for her appointment at 12:30 p.m. After cleaning the dishes in the sink and all of the bottles from the night before, mixed with some tummy time for Emma and some much- needed coffee for me, the time started to creep. Before I knew it was time to set off for the doctors, and I hadn't even taken the dog out for her afternoon walk. I loaded up the stroller with the necessities and brought the dog along for the ride, figured I'll kill two birds with one stone. When we saw the doctor, she took a couple of listens to her lungs and asked a couple of questions, she seemed to be happy with her health. She downloaded the information off Emma's apnea monitor and was very pleased with the amount of episodes she was having which was almost down to none at all.
       Early on in the NICU while her brain functions were still developing, she would  forget to breath so they had her hooked up to an apnea monitor. This alarm went off every time her heart rate would drop significantly and the nurses would have to go in and stimulate her to wake her up. When she was discharged from the NICU she was sent home with this monitor since she was prone to having these episodes. The only episodes she is having now are caused from reflux after eating, which causes her lungs to close so the acid doesn't spill over into them. This is a good sign and shows us that she is on her way to not having any monitors at all. They tried testing her off of her oxygen for about 20 minutes while she was feeding, to possibly go without it during the day but confirmed she wasn't quite ready yet. With every day that passes her lungs will grow stronger and we know that eventually she will be off the oxygen as well.
        When we got home around 2:45 p.m the intense cries were apparent, she was HAAAANGRY! After getting the little monster fed and put down for a 15 minute naps she insists taking during the day, I realized the day had flown by. I had a couple of things left to do before my wife got home at 6:00 p.m which included: boiling water and making formula, vacuuming the living room, and figuring out what the adults were having for dinner tonight. Not believing I had it in me, I was able to get things accomplished as mom was walking through the door. Now it's the time I wait for all day when all of us can spend time together as a family.

Set Up for Success

Emma has an appointment at 12:30 so I figured we should start getting ready now. I've found that working ahead of schedule is better than working behind, DUH!

Me and My Princess