34 Weeks

Yesterday the nurses reminded me that Tootsie is 34 weeks, gestationally, the day we hoped to deliver.  I reminded the doctor who was planning to do my c-section that I stood him up; sorry!  We both congratulated the staff on recognizing, with so few cues, that our baby needed to come out when she did.

Time is passing and things are progressing.  Breastfeeding is getting easier and easier for her and she is drinking more milk.  Today she wore real clothes for the first time, which fit her better than the hospital-issue shirt made for a six-week-old full-term baby.

She has plenty of spunk.  Tootsie manages to find and pull out her NG tube.  She kicks out of her swaddle.  She is regularly alert and watchful.  One nurse called her Queen of the NICU.

After lunch I took my buddy from upstairs (at 28 weeks and hoping to make it much longer) on a wheelchair field trip down here to the NICU, where I introduced her to staff and showed her the ropes.  She met Tootsie, too.  We had some long chats about waiting and remaining hopeful and battling fear.  In the NICU we do basically the same thing, but with our babies here and in the company of reassuring nurses who know preemies so well.  Upstairs on the antenatal ward, the unknowns are daunting.  I admire my new friend's patience and sense of humor.  She's going to be fine, I feel, and I hope to celebrate 30 weeks with her before we leave.

Today's surprise was the delivery of a sandwich for me from a local deli, and ordered by my old work husband/principal/colleague/friend back in San Diego.  There are so many layers of awesome and thoughtfulness to this gift.  He had to make some pretty complicated logistical plans to get me the sandwich, including befriending the woman at reception over the phone, who got a kick out of the whole thing.  He and I had a hankering for sandwiches (I did in particular during this pregnancy) and a tendency to try and get each other to make one appear when we hadn't brought lunch or weren't excited about cafeteria fare.  There were many discussions about who owed whom a sandwich or salad.  I may owe him a sub after this feat (though I think I have some reasons he might still owe me...).  Even the drinks he ordered reflected his knowledge of my habits and an inside joke.  I'm going to miss him so much this year.

I'm beyond excited to have all three daughters in the same room today.  The elder girls will have a chance to hold their little sister during the course of the visit.  It's going to be great.