The Second Day- May 10, 2008

Brian went down to UVRMC to make sure Joshua was settled in the new hospital and then dropped by our apartment to pick up a few things because I didn't take anything with me to the hospital. While he was gone the nurse brought in the hospital grade pump. When I signed into the hospital they asked me if I wanted to nurse, I assumed they meant when my baby was born term, yes I wanted to nurse. But I obviously couldn't nurse Joshua and fortunately I was willing ot try pumping. I will probably dedicate a post later to the joys and woes of pumping, but that night began the love/hate relationship with the pump.

When Brian got back it was already early, early morning. There was a couch thingy in the room where he was able to sleep. It was a little more comfortable for him then when he slept in the recliner when I was in the hospital with the blood clot. It was almost impossible to sleep, and we ended up giving up when the sun came up. We called down to UVRMC to check on Joshua. He was doing really good, they were starting him on caffine to help him remember to breath. Babies aren't supposed to have to breath for themselves before they are born. So preemies will "forget" to breath having periods called apnea this will also lead to decreased heart rate called bradycardia. The caffine was helping Joshua and they were weaning him off the ventilator and expected him off by the afternoon. They were running tests to make sure everything was okay, and had him on preventative antibotics just in case, but everything was going really well.

Brian went to go get breakfast because we don't like hospital food, while he was gone he called Bree (the friend that had the baby four days before Joshua) and told her to call me. I told her that I had my baby and she was shocked but she came over to the hospital to see me a couple of hours later. I called a few other people to let them know, partly because it kept me occupied. When I had time to think I kept waiting for Joshua to kick me, like I had gotten so used to in the previous weeks. The couple of days before Joshua was born when the problems started I would feel intently for his kicks and they seemed to let me know that Joshua was okay. Now the kicks were gone, it was so weird.

I was ready to get out of the hospital as soon as I could so I could go see Joshua. Brian's mom was able to catch a flight out that day and when she got to the hospital I was almost ready to be discharged. We went home briefly and then went over to see Joshua.

Joshua was off the ventilator by the time I got there, and they had me sign a release form for him to begin eating (his milk came through a NG tube through his nose or mouth into his stomach). My milk hadn't come in yet in any storable form so they gave him pasterized milk from other women with preemies that had donated the milk.

The nurse came over and explained to us that preemie's nervous systems are not developed and they prefer firm touches to stroking. Touch is very important to a preemie like it is for any baby, but light rubbing is very uncomfortable to them. It took me a couple of times to get in the habit, and I felt bad each time I had to be reminded and when I remembered that the first time I saw Joshua I had stroked his leg, but no one told me not to then. I did get in the habit pretty quickly.

One way the nurse suggested to touch Joshua was to have him hold a finger. He had a really good grip.

Joshua also got to hold his Grandma's finger.

We didn't stay too long because preemies need to sleep alot, and I was tired and probably need to pump. The nurse said that there was a good chance that I would be able to hold him the next evening, if Joshua continued to do well. That was really exciting.

Later that evening Brian and I went back with my parents to check on Joshua. When my dad was on the way up he ran into a friend from our ward in Lindon Kristina. She had the same OB as I did and I ran into her a coule of times at the doctor's office. She had twins at about 31 weeks a few weeks earlier. She came over and talked to me and it was so wonderful to see a familiar and friendly face in the world of the NICU. I really think she was sent from God to be some comfort during that time. Kristina took Brian and I over to see her twins I think they were about 5 pounds and they seemed so big.

Then Brian and I went home to sleep since we didn't sleep at all the night before. For the first several weeks I made sure that both Brian's and my cellphones were charged and near us just in case something happened to Joshua during the night. But he was doing so well when we left I was able to sleep really well.