New tricks for 8 weeks old

So I am 8 weeks old today! Yes eight whole weeks have passed since I arrived unexpectedly and was brought here to Chelsea and Westminster. And they have been the most incredible rollercoaster.

Today everyone seemed to decide that I was basically just a small baby and therefore I should start taking bottle feeds, come off oxygen and stop having my heart rate monitored.

Well I tried:

Small sprog learning a new trick

Don't forget to wind me!

But I also realised that this would mean people paying me less attention and me having to do more work. May I remind you that I wasn't due to be born for another 6 weeks. So to be honest I really wasn't sure that I wanted to be treated as 'just another baby'. So I had a proper series of bradycardias and desaturations. After about 30 minutes of this they got the message. And my lovely nurse sucked the big bubble of wind from my tummy (from the tube which I dislike so much, but it does have its uses). Once the wind was gone I could breathe again.

Mum getting me going again

So - feeding from the bottle: working on it. Burping up my own wind: not yet.
Bradys - not over yet.

Me saying sorry to Mum

I think Mum found the whole episode rather stressful - sorry about that, but I've said it once and I'll say it again - don't rush me. I'm happily growing (another 90gms overnight) so I now weigh 2.16Kgs which would be a respectable birthweight for my age if I'd arrived today.

In other news - I am learning to be a true Eccles. This involves sneezing in threes and passing weapons-grade wind.

Letting Mum work for her exams

And then I agreed to cooperate for just a little bit:

Look NO tubes!!!

"I think I want one million pounds" (with thanks to Mike Myers)

Sadly I had to go straight back on the prongs after this, but good news nevertheless,
Hugs to everybody,
Arthur xx



TGIF!

News headlines...

Off CPAP and going strong.

Lost 2g in weight. 

On 3 hourly feeds (43ml a time).

Poo negative since terrorising Dad yesterday.

Still cute as a very cute thing.

More news with our roving reporters M+D tomorrow...

And it's goodbye from me

Mini-news

Dear All,

I'm just splendid - thanks for asking. I'm now off CPAP. I may need it again if I get tried but I didn't need it at all today. And I had only a couple of desats, and I had a super set of blood gases. And I grew. I now weigh over 2 kilos - yippee!

Look at my new baby suit from Granny W

And I had another eye test today - and all looked good. Touch of the "Clockwork Orange" about how it's done - but good result.

And I had a repeat head ultrasound scan of my head today. The consultant Dr Thomas took the time to explain to Mum and Dad what he'd seen. And he was so surprised by it that he'd had the pictures reviewed by an expert. My head looks fine! The original bleed is resolving without visible damage. He was careful to explain that this does not predict my functional result and that however cute my arm and leg wriggling is, it is still too early to say whether that represents the long term picture - that will take several months to be clear - but it's still good news.

Nurses who looked after me earlier in my stay, keep coming in to see me because I look so fat and happy.

Glad to meet with such approval!
Love to all,
Arthur x

"I love you baby..."

"...and if it's quite alright, I need you baby"

To be fair: it sounds a pleasant enough song. But Mum had clearly got it into her head and sang it to me. And sang it to me. And then she and Dad sang it as a duet. Honestly. You'd think I had nothing better to do.

"You're just too good to be true..."

So today I've been mainly alseep. I thought about waking up when Dad gave me a cuddle but then I literally couldn't be bothered. I have also restarted my desat habit - well it would have been unreasonable to expect me to give it up in just one day. I sometimes just forget to breathe and other times I strain so hard I go quite red in the face. Everyone expects me to poo after this, for some reason. They're obsessed with my poo.
That said, I'm still on 10 hours on nasal cannulae and 2 hours on CPAP. My blood gases were pretty good today.

"Can't take my eyes off you."

Cuddles!

"You'd be like heaven to touch..."

I know some of you love numbers - so other numbers include 34 weeks old today(!) - only 6 weeks to go until I'm cooked! I was born 53 days ago. I now weigh 1.975kgs which is 4lbs 5oz. My blog has been read in 31 countries and in every continent (except Antarctica), a total of 34,000 times.

"I wanna hold you so much."

I shall try hard to reward your interest in me by learning new skills. At the moment it's mainly sleeping, digesting, waving my arms about and filling nappies. I'm still practising the smile/wind thing.

"At long last love has arrived..."

2 mins of just breathing air!!

"And I thank God I'm alive."

Love to all,
Arthur x

Micro blog...

I'm still good. My blood gas results are still excellent. I'm still wiggling all four limbs. I gained 36g overnight. I managed 10 hours off CPAP. I continue to look plump and super-cute.

What more could my parents ask?!

That's the good news - and for me it is good. The bad news is that one of my little friends lost their own battle today. Mum and Dad cried too - they still worry about me, however well I do, and today brought it all home.

Look into my eyes...

Love, Arthur xx

Good evening everybody

Greetings one and all.

Another day and more stability so a relaxed M+D and a podgy little man in trousers and a hat.

I've been practicing my breathing off CPAP for a whole 8 hours today.  This is good news but the doctors, nurses and M+D are watching closely to make sure I don't get too tired.  I gained 6g overnight which regular followers will appreciate is not my usual double figure quota which might be an early indicator of working a bit hard but we'll see.

Mum is revising for her exam and so wasn't able to spend as much time on the ward as she'd like but I still managed an hour cuddle and I managed to stay awake for most of it too. I did my very best to look as cute as possible to make sure she comes back tomorrow.  She sang nursery rhymes and tickled my tummy and she promised to come tomorrow and bring dad too.  Damn I'm good at this cute thing!

I know - it's probably just wind...

Altogether a good day for me.  Some of my friends on the unit are still having a bit of  horrid time but all the parents continue to try to support each other.

Bye for now
xxx

A yummy Sunday.

Good evening to all,
A had a lovely day with Mum and Dad. I'm pleased to say I am continuing to make steady progress.
Weight - 1.9kgs. Pee plentiful. Poo sufficient.

I had a full 6 hours off CPAP with virtually no desats and no bradys. So that's good.

Hello

A happy cuddle with Mum

I've found my own thumb! (only occasionally)





I know: I'm irresistable!

Dressed in my Sunday best!

And I managed to stay awake for over an hour - which meant M&D and I could have ever such a long look at each other.

Just looking!

In short - I am getting better, and my parents find this wonderful. Currently four sets of parents are not finding their time on the unit at all happy. I know my parents thoughts are with them.

Love Arthur x