5 weeks today

Pic 1 - My Sleeping angel
Pic 2- Abi and Daddy posing with the parrots
Pic 3 - Sloth
Pic 4 - Abi and Daddy looking at the Elephants





















Monday with Ed off on paternity leave we headed for a lovely family day out to Colchester Zoo. The last time we went was just after Christmas and it was bitterly cold so cold it hurts so it was alot more enjoyable and amazing to see the difference 6 months makes with Abi - she was asking so many questions and really taking it all in. She loved the monkeys the best so got a small soft monkey with magnetic hands to take home who has slept with her ever since. It was so lovely to have some quality family time. When we're at home we're always rushing round and doing chores and never sit down together so it was lovely.

Tuesday we went out to lunch - back to the pub we went to that I blogged about near the end of my pregnancy when I was on o2 - what a difference this time I was walking without any oxygen and what was the other difference oh yeah I had a baby with me!! LOL It was lovely weather was gorgeous and both children were brilliantly behaved!

Wednesday I had clinic it went really well.
FEV1 - 1.67 - 45%
FVC - 2.07 - 49%
Sats 94% on air
I'm amazed at how great at only 5 weeks post delivery my little squished lungs are doing!
My consultant was over the moon and happy for me to continue reducing my steroids which I am made up about!

Thursday Abi had tumble tots this morning then we went to my cousins as they live right by tumble tots and still hadn't met Oliver. Abi played really nicely with her son Maceo. Then we had lunch with my friend Rachael and her daughter Millie and then spent the afternoon in the garden which was lovely.

The health visitor popped round to weigh Oliver and he's a whopping 5lb 9oz!! What a little star! He's been so good but scared the living day lights out of me today as has had a couple of episodes of going blue while feeding - i've been assured its ok and just keep an eye on it its just him forgetting to breathe while feeding. Abi and I have been making cakes all evening as its Eds birthday tomorrow so he can take them into work we make A choc fudge cake, double choc chip muffins and choc chip cookies! Should keep them going at work!

Right Oliver just woken up for a feed so got to dash. First night of getting him into his routine tonight he was bathed with Abi and went to bed in a dark room at 7 he's 5 weeks now so needs to get into a routine and realise the difference between night and day. Lets hope it means we get a little more sleep at night! Ed's birthday tomorrow so really looking forward to that! More than him I think!!

One month old

Just for you Toria ...
Hehe I am well overdue an update and am very good at moaning at other people for not updating their blogs but useless at updating my own!
Well Oliver is one month today - how time flies!
We're doing really well at home. Ed is off on paternity leave at the moment which is a great help as I had a really tricky week with Abigail last week I knew it was to come but was quite hoping we'd get away without it!
She loves Oliver to bits as you can see from the photo's she is very 'mother hen' and wants to hold him and give him milk from her boobie, you have to watch her obviously as she is only 2 1/2 but she is very gentle with him and gives him the most gorgeous kisses telling him "it's alright sweetheart" (obviously copying what I say but sounds hilarious coming out of the mouth of a 2 year old!!)
The jealousy and attention seeking kicked in on Tuesday last week and Thursday was the worst day when I attempted to go to town with them both on my own physically I felt up to this but mentally I obviously wasn't. In the time we were in town (just over an hour) Abi wet herself 11 times laughing when she did it! I had only taken 3 changes of clothes with me. Bearing in mind Abi was completely potty trained without any accidents for a good 3 months before Oliver arrived. Looking back now I can see why she was doing it, people kept stopping me with the pram admiring Oliver and paying no attention to her so how does she get mummies attention? ... Wet herself we got stopped an awful lot but then you don't often see a 4lb baby!
The last few days with daddy home have been alot better and she's done all her wee's and poo's on the toilet so today when we were at tesco she got a new little soft toy to add to her In the Night Garden collection she chose a tombliboo (spl) she only needs 2 more tombliboos and she has the whole collection. I have also promised her when she wakes up from her nap we'll make some cakes.
Oliver is doing well he has had his NG tube out now and is feeding completely on me his weight has dropped a little to 4lb 10oz but as long as it doesnt' drop any more then we should be ok to stay ng free. He now feeds about every 2 hours during the night though which is a little tiring so we brought some of the tommee tippie breast and bottle bottles to try with the freezer full of breast milk we have from when he was in NICU so Ed can try give him a bottle for one of the night feeds.
Its Ed's birthday on Friday so got that to look forward to and get ready for this week. Abi is a magical age and is really looking forward to it.
Right better go and get another load of washing online and feed Oliver before Abi wakes up. I hope this brings you upto date. I've added a couple of photos 1. Oliver looking very summery. 2. Daddy and Oliver snuggled up watching tv. 3. Abi, Daddy and Oliver having cuddles. 4. Nana ,Abi and Oliver. 5. The Chocolate fudge cake that Abi and I made for the nurses on NICU to say Thanks for everything they did for us. They are very special people who work there they are angels!!

Photo update

We're home!!

Well the title gives it away Oliver came home today under the care of the community neonatal nurse he is still receiving some NG feeds but feeding really well off me. I'm so tired I'm not going to do a full update but just wanted to let you all know in blogland :)

2 weeks old!

Wow doesn’t time fly Oliver is 2 weeks old today, it only seems like yesterday that we were getting ready for the arrival of Oliver but then on the other hand it feels like he’s always been here, part of our family.
Oliver is doing amazingly well, he is out of HDU now and in a side room in a cot which is nice as we can get some privacy with him and also nice for the other parents as it means Abigail isn’t running round them all day. Its nice now he is out of the incubator as it’s easier to see and touch him.Oliver is now off all monitoring and drips etc he just has one monitor while he is in his cot which monitors his breathing rate as prem babies have a habit of forgetting to breathe sometimes. He has no lines in just his Ng feeding tube which goes in his nose into his stomach now. He is on 2 hourly feeds of 29ml and is offered to breast feed when ever is awake enough and showing interest. He’s had a couple of really good sucks but tires quite easily.
Oliver’s main problem now is his weight he’s 9oz less than his birth weight and by day 10 they expect them to have reached their birth weight if not be pretty close to it again which Oliver hasn’t done. They are now adding fortifier to my milk to give him extra calories and nutrients to give him an extra hand in gaining weight so far (3 days in) it hasn’t worked but hopefully each day now he’s getting stronger he can concentrate on gaining weight.
To come home Oliver needs to be at least 4lb 6oz and feeding totally on me and thriving so now its all down to Oliver.
He is such an alert gorgeous little boy I just can’t wait to get him home and we can get on with family life.

Photos and lawnmowers

Here are some photo's to keep you going!
As you can see Oliver is doing amazingly well, has had a brilliant weekend and the only reason I haven't updated is due to Ed managing to mow through a cable on Saturday while mowing the lawn which left us without internet an tv until yesterday!
I will give a full update later but a little manic now in the mornings as ed is back at work so Abi and I are on our own and need to get up to Oliver by 10am to do his morning cares. The only second I get to get on here is while I express. But I knew you were all desperate for an update and were worried something was wrong it is quite the opposite :)
I appologise if I haven't replied to a text it isn't that i'm ignoring you just we're at the hospital all day and when I get home I forget who i'm meant to text! Keep texting me I do honestly like to hear from you!!

Oliver enjoying his dummy in his cot
Abi and daddy enjoying a kangaroo cuddle!