Grace and Hazel

IMG_0281.JPG, originally uploaded by Lincoln Topliff.

This is pretty much the first sunlight she has had on her face since March 20th. While I have managed one or two strategic escapes from my circa 1968 YMCA cot, Jenn has remained in her bed with her progression of issues. Tomorrow afternoon, we fix that by going home.

Now we have a new emotional paradox as we both want to sleep in our bed and live in our house but we have to do this without our daughter. If you think about it, though, in a full-term pregnancy, we would not have met her for 5-9 more weeks. I think we are lucky that we get to spend those weeks getting to know her personality and watching her grow without those pesky ultrasounds. We still have a lot of work to do to get the house ready, her mom healthy and Lincoln comfortable with his new sister’s smell.

Share on Facebook

IMG_0273, originally uploaded by Lincoln Topliff.

As a preemie, there was a nearly 98% likelihood that Grace would need photo therapy to combat jaundice. She started her little spa treatments today and seems to be ok with them. It’s just a little sunlamp for a few days to keep the yellow out. The eye covering is to help her sleep. She doesn’t get manicures or mudbaths but I see that habit forming here.

She is also spending more kangaroo time with Jenn which makes everyone happy.

Share on Facebook

We printed up this pattern and ironed it on to some t-shirts to show our support for the nurses and the level of care they want to provide.

Share on Facebook

One of the strangest things about our experience at CMPC has been the nursing strike. Nurses define your hospital stay, no matter what the reason for being there. Their diligence and caring make the difference between comfort and pain. Their crisis management and knowledge can make the difference between health and disaster.

This hospital-”The Baby Factory”-is well known for its fantastic nursing staff and we have met some really wonderful CPMC nurses here during the strike. That said, from the day after we arrived frightened and confused to the day before we leave happy and confused, we have mostly been in the care of replacement nurses. Replacement nurses travel from all over the country to take patients in the event of shortages, emergencies, strikes, etc. They are wonderful women who, in addition to answering the constant requests for juice, drugs and spongebaths (they refused me everytime), have to weather the political storm of a strike to give the best care that they can.

Needless to say, politics abound in a strike. We have friends in the unions, friends out of the unions, friends in the administration and of course, we have the patient’s perspective. It’s a minefield to say the least…one that I will avoid for the moment and just say that we support nurses- union, non-union, replacement etc. With their humor and patience and incredible abilities to do the minute-by-minute minutia, they make us comfortable, reassure us and keep us healthy and sane, freeing doctors to see hundreds of patients and still get in a round of golf or sail their yachts every once in awhile.

Last night and yesterday, we said goodbye to a lot of new friends that will be a part of Grace’s life for years to come. Jenn commented that it felt like the last day of camp. I agree. Camp ScaryCrazy where we got to put on an elaborate play in the talent show with Jenn’s body as a prop and a happy ending to beat them all.

Share on Facebook

I know you all want to see more pictures of our little 2 lb 13 oz miracle, and I promise, I will provide more of those pictures and videos as soon as I can. In the meantime, I have been looking for the time to get the story out in a way that can best express what a miracle we believe she is. When I write “miracle”, I don’t mean like seeing the Virgin Mary in your latte foam, or the magical meeting of egg and sperm that grows to produce Kevin Federline, I mean a series of seemingly random events that come together in a result that doesn’t seem like it could have happened in any other way with the same result. Our little result is a healthy mom and a healthy, active little (!) Grace who, when she is not curled up like a little frog, shows off attitude and personality to everyone she meets.

If the next several posts seem like random stuff that aren’t pictures that make you smile and cry, forgive me and bear with me, they are setting up the story. I promise to drop in a new photo every so often to reward you for your effort.

Share on Facebook