Not too much new

First off, Craig is being such a goofball recently! It has been fun having a little more time with him (since we both have this week off). He likes to go visit Gavin also. We were driving home one day for lunch and he asked me if we were going to see Gavin and I told him we needed to go eat and then we would. He started crying and whining a little and saying Gavin’s name. Then last night we asked him if he wanted to stay at home or go see Gavin and of course he wanted to go. But then in the car, he fell asleep, so I asked if he wanted to go home and sleep or go see Gavin and even in a groggy state, he still said Gavin. He really is such a sweetie!

Some Funnies:
Craig was riding his bike on the back porch last night and totally went up to the post and pretended to order like from sonic. It was hilarious!!!
Then at dinner, Uncle Luke was hanging out with us and Craig decided to call everyone someone else. So I was Craig, Luke was Momma, Daddy was Luke and Craig was Daddy. I couldn’t believe it, but he also had it moved over. So Craig was sitting next to Trevor, then Luke, and me and that’s how he switched our names. He made us laugh… which is very good right now.
He did something else; I’ll have to keep thinking.

Gavin Updates
Short updates: Gavin is now on the nutrients (has lipids in it and is yellow, like mountain dew) and is pulling out his tubes very often. Luckily, he hasn’t pulled his iv out of the umbilical cord (his cord is too short and they can’t sew it in); they will be changing the iv to a pick line and it will be placed in his lower arm up through his arm to an even bigger vein by his heart. This one can stay in for 20 days, whereas the one in his umbilical cord only 10 days before changing. No results back from biopsy. Gavin is about 8 lbs now but his stomach size is going down (a good sign that his intestines are not as enlarged and bloated)! He is having an irrigation every 12 hours and he is able to have bowel movements with this, so it helps keep his intestines clear and him healthier. (An enema basically) WE talked to the surgeon this morning and he said it might be Wednesday that we have the surgery! No results back yet, but at least now we have an idea!

What we have been up to:
A little later on Thursday (after they took his biopsy) we went in and finally got to hold Gavin again!! It was so wonderful. Of course I’m bawling half the time. Then that night, Grandma Kady and Aunt Nini came in and held him a little too, and I did again also. It is so wonderful! Poor boy is just getting so hungry. They did start him on Thursday night on the more nutrients through his IV, but it doesn’t help his stomach not feel empty. It makes me wonder how it will be once we are able to feed him if he’ll quickly realize that now when he shows me he’s hungry he’ll trust that he will actually get fed or not. We’ll cross that bridge when we finally get there.

We like it when he sleeps!! This helps him not feel hungry, or at least not cry because he’s hungry.
Yesterday, we went in and after Trevor took Craig out into the hall, I got to hold him for quite a while!! It was so marvelous. I just wanted to stay there all day and just keep holding him. I sang some songs to him and he had hiccups for part of it. I lost track of time a little, but I think it was about 30-45 minutes. Meanwhile, Craig was outside in the lobby with Trevor. Craig does do pretty good back in the NICU with us, but sometimes it’s just a little stressful having him there. Gavin got really upset and crying a lot towards the end of Craig being in there and he ended up pulling out his tube that lets the air out of his stomach. So Trevor and Craig went out in the hall and the wonderful nurse fixed his tube and I was able to hold him.
It’s a little less crowded around Gavin’s bed now, for the past two days, so that helps. Craig is pretty good about playing with his train or cars, coloring, reading books and playing a little Nintendo DS. When there are fewer cribs around Gavin, Craig just plays on the floor! Of course he has to get washed up to touch Gavin again, but he’s so good. Even pretty quiet while he’s playing . . . considering how noisy and loud he LOVES to be. On Thursday night, Craig even wanted to give Gavin one of his teddy bears. (Craig not really attached to one thing but semi-attached to a couple of things, like blanket, two bears, doggy and dinosaur. He goes through phases.)
Then, last night my mom, Craig and I went back and visited for about an hour. Gavin was asleep the whole time and so we didn’t hold him, but I got to rub his arm because he was uncovered with the heat on. Craig had fallen asleep on the drive, but when I picked up my mom, I woke him a little and asked if he wanted to go home or go visit Gavin. In a sleepy little voice, he told me Gavin. The entire visit he was still pretty quiet since he was a little out of it. He just wanted to sit with Grandma Kady.
Another grandma was washing up and noticed Gavin. She commented that he was a big baby! It was funny!! She then told her daughter, “Look at that big baby!” They must have had a preemie. I told her he’s about 8 lbs and she saw the sign (his name, birth weight and birth date) and said wow, 8 lbs 10 oz! Although Gavin is still bigger than Craig was when he was born. He is a big boy and probably starving! He likes to eat. Oh well. Some day.

Random:
Our days go by too quickly! We are so tired in the morning, then I’m pumping every 2-3 hours for 15 minutes, then driving. It just flies by and before I know it, it’s midnight and I’m so tired.
I forgot how much time nursing takes. In one way, pumping takes less time. But I have to be home or at the hospital to do it, whereas nursing I could do it out in my car or other places on the go.
I have had a lot of running around to do, trying to get paperwork for maternity leave and insurance and such. It’s not fun, but has to be done. Yesterday I had a breakdown. I think I’m doing ok and then a lady tells me I need more forms from my doctor and I break down crying! She must have thought me pretty silly for crying over a paper.