Saturday update from the hospital

Sorry folks, no pictures on this post due to the fact that I am using the computer in the parents' lounge of the NICU. I have my camera, just not my cord to download.

Yesterday they moved Emmett into a big boy bed! That means that he is maintaining his temperature so they could move him out from under the warmer. They actually put cute little clothes on him at one point yesterday but stripped him again when he needed his IV moved. He has so many bruises from that darned IV. They've moved it almost every day. He's had it in both hands, both feet, his head and now his wrist. Poor guy. Last night he was able to nurse for 3 minutes straight! That was great considering it took us 20 minutes to just get him going.

This morning the doctor who saw him said they'd like him to nurse as much as possible today so here I am camping out at the hospital. I got here about 9:30 and little man was actually showing signs of being hungry. So the nurse helped me and we got him on and nursing. He went for 10 minutes straight, then fell asleep. I sat him up and he gave me a big ole burp right in my face. You have no idea how wonderful that was! Even though he is still hooked up to an IV and lots of monitors, it was so nice to do something that felt so normal with a baby. Feeding and burping. Oh, and last night when I changed his diaper he pooped all over his blankets and just when we got all that cleaned up he decided to pee all over himself (shame on mommy for not hurrying and slapping another diaper on him). Ah, the simple joys of motherhood.

But let me tell you something - as the day of his arrival neared, I started to think maybe we were crazy for wanting another baby. With our boys taking us in every direction, and already being so tired - I wondered if I was ready to be up at night with a baby. After this week, I would have loved to walk into the next room in the middle of the night to pick him up. I wondered if I could handle the crying. Now I know what it is like to have a baby that is too weak and sick to even fuss when being poked and prodded. I wondered if I could handle being 'tied down' to nursing a baby every few hours. You have no idea the elation that came from just getting him to eat for 10 minutes this morning. So I think Heavenly Father is trying to teach me to be grateful for the little 'nuisances' that I was not looking forward to. I'll take it all and be happy to have a healthy baby at home (when that time comes).

I think he also sent us this little trial to help Mike and I be closer. I told him last night that even though its been a rough week its been nice having so much one-on-one time with him. I know its been rough for him to try to be the rock solid one, but I have needed him to hold it together when I am barely hanging by a string. Plus its been nice to know I'm not alone in this. He's a good husband and an especially good father.

So that's it for today. Not sure when I'll be able to update again. Hopefully when I do it will be to say that Baby Emmett (as our friends have been calling him) is coming home or that he is already home. :)