"No Nose Emerson!"

I took Colin to visit Emerson today. He kept singing "no nose" and pointing to his own face. Now I am such a horrible mom cause I just nodded and smiled at him and pretend I had a clue of what he was trying to say! He just kept repeating it and was so excited!

He usually is really excited when we visit Emerson, so I did not think this was that unusual. All the way home we was telling me "no nose"! and "feel good"

About two hours later I realized he was trying to tell me that Emerson had nothing in his nose!!!!

Which I knew....... his feeding tube came out that morning, but I was surprised that Colin remember the tubes and was really so excited to learn that he was realizing that this must make Emerson (or possibly himself or me) feel better. Now I just have to wait for him to quit asking when Emerson is coming home....... he is just as annoying asking me everyday as I am sure I am to the doctors!

So congratulations Emerson...... no NG tube today!

The Zoo and the other kids!

Miss Kay;a and I took the children to the zoo Saturday (in between my NICU visits). But he weather has been so nice we just had to get out and try the new quad stroller!!!! It just wasn't the same without Emerson, but Miss Kayla and I really were as excited about the stroller as we were about the 60 degree temperatures.

It was not the best zoo trip we have ever had. They have the high way all torn up, so it took forever to get into the parking lot after we got to the Zoo area. (35 minutes of mom why aren't we moving....... I love irony in the fact I was so excited for them to learn to talk...... then I was just praying that we parked before my patience wore too thin!)

We had to get lunch...... and of course my kids do not understand "lets wait till 1:30 pm.... crowds will be less....." Cause when they are hungry, they are hungry! So we waited in another line..... almost 40 minutes to get food with Melea and Adrian in line with me...... talking to me about how long the line was and crying how hungry they were.

Irony of irony, as we got one away from ordering, Adrian had to pee!!!! I told her she had to wait....... we weren't getting out of line, Kayla had the other kids outside watching the geese and other water foul while trying to round up enough chairs for the family. I really wasn't sure whose job was worse!

We all enjoyed our lunch. The kids got a kick out of feeding the ducks and geese the french fries. (not the original plan), but Devon decided to toss his food off the table and it made it down onto the melting ice in the pond. Adrian and Colin were so amazed that the birds were not slipping on the ice as they fought over the food!

We then went to the reptile house to see the snakes...... we found out we do not like hills with the new stroller!!!! Course I really want to have a zoo that is not built on hills to make MY LIFE easier! But we managed to make it up the big hill and spend about 25 minutes looking at all the reptiles and amphibians in there till the low light made Devon angry!.

We had to sing to Devon all the way through the ape, and chimp exhibit (all of us .... including Adrian & Melea while Colin held his hand). We then went to the carousel..... and took a whirl, though Miranda was so adamant that she wanted to ride again....... she turned around and climbed back on after we had left and were loading up the stroller (she climbed under the bars)!

We then went to see the bears and the penguins and puffins!!!! That stroller is huge.....33" across but we made it in and out the door at the penguin house! That was really exciting. Devon and Miranda both really enjoyed the penguin house today and tried to tell me about them. Eliza does the best sign for penguin with her whole body!!!!

We then stopped at the front of the bug house to play a little. Colin, Melea and Adrian climbed all over the large beetle!!!!! They had a blast for almost 10 minutes. Then they started posing for photos!

I love taking their pictures!!!!

But the coolest part was when Devon signed play!!!!! I decided to let him out of his wheel chair at this time because there were only children bigger than him on the bug or around at that moment. (remember he still likes hitting other children smaller than him when he wants to play with someone)

Well he took my hand and we both walked over to the bug, he pointed to it and wanted me to help him up! He said mom and pointed!!!!! Well I let him climb up and watched him as he made plans on how to get up higher and closer to Melea (she is his new best friend and substitute mom)!

It was amazing to see him making these plans and then see him smile as he carried them out! Melea was jumping up and down on the bugs head cheering him on and Colin ran around the side to "catch him" if he feel off...... OK maybe he was going to hit him and that encouraged Devon to stay on...... but we can think he would catch him!

Devon finally made it up to the head, and held on with Mom and Kayla in arm's reach...... but I really did have to step back to take this photo..... we were both amazed......especially with the fact we really forced ourselves to stay a the zoo when he was having one of his "pumpkin moments" and the onlookers were staring at the crazy lady singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider " for the 30th time!

Course he "slid / plopped off" a few seconds after I snapped it, but it was amazing!!!!

Next we stopped for pretzels and funnel cakes before we were to go home. Adrian went up to order with me this time, while Miss Kayla got every one juice and sat down and got ready for the bathroom parade to come. Adrian spent about 5 minutes telling me how much she likes pretzels and NOT funnel cakes...... they would be an "unhealthy" choice. Now I love pretzels and so does daddy (he never had a funnel cake till last year..... I guess not enough Church festivals in upstate NY)...... so Adrian had to have a pretzel to share with Melea ........ So I bought two of each!

The kids were waiting and really hungry again! They all asked for a piece of pretzel. However I found out none of them really wanted them....... Melea handed me back her chewed on piece and Jordan tried to put it into my mouth when I leaned over to check his juice box...... just what I wanted pre-chewed pretzels!

This whole time Adrian is telling all of us how "bad" the funnel cakes will be....... well they finally are ready, I go get them....... everyone now looks like they are having fun dumping powdered sugar all over their hears..... Colin looks the best, next thing I know Adrian has shoved her pretzel to the side and is devouring Melea's funnel cake!!!!! I get told she thought a "pretzel" was a funnel cake, and she really wanted the one with the white stuff!

Devon also successfully tried funnel cake for the first time! This time it didn't get spit back out at us and while Kayla took Melea, Colin and Adrian to the bathroom he kept trying to eat their parts that were on the table after he finished his! It was amazing to see him keep signing more and please. I had to go back and buy a third!

After our fun and long day at the zoo.... I took the kiddos home and then went back to spend the night with Emerson at the NICU! But it sure was a fun day with the kid!

Jordan's First Haircut!

Jordan got his first haircut today! He is so grown up and well on his way into the terrible two's (see Pre -pro wrestling in my mudroom!), though he seems to want to help me do everything.....



It is a lot like the Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde transition, and it usually involves him throwing himself on the floor and a lot of screaming!!!!!


But today he sat so still and wonderful as Miss Sarah at our local Custom Cuts cut his hair for the very first time (she even managed to beat all of his siblings to it also!)


It really wasn't that long, but it could use some clean up along the edges. Sarah and Jordan both did a great job!



We celebrate before the hair cut excursion with lunch at our Chinese restaurant with five of the seven kids. (Grandma has 2 and Emerson is still in the NICU) The kids love to eat Chinese, though I am still not sure that sweet -n- sour chicken is not just a chicken McNugget in disguise. Devon and Colin love the lo mein the best! It is so much fun to see Devon eat the rice and the lo mein!


We also went shopping at Kohl's...... boy do I love their family bathroom!!!!! Devon and Colin were so intrigues with the "little" kid's potty in it...... they both tried it out and then flushed it several times in the time it took me to change all five of them.


Colin just found the little potty so "cool" ....actually so did his mom....... he flushed it several times as well as put several pieces of toilet paper down it before actually trying it out with his bottom! By the way did I mention he is potty trained enough to only use toilets he "likes"...... I guess I need to get Dad and school to get one of these potty's! Maybe that would make it easier!


We also went to home depot to buy the lights to put up under the kids loft!....... I stayed in the car with the kids and pumped milk for Emerson.....while Eric went shopping in our favorite store (even Colin & Jordan know it is the "cool" store!). I am really starting to hate pumping!!!!!!! And it is so hard to do that unobtrusively (I can breast feed without hardly anyone knowing, but hooking up the "robo" suckers and having a huge bag attached and the "pumping" noise is almost as dead a give way that something is up as the fact I have huge pointed / funny shaped breasts and a shirt straining to try to cover it up! (NO PICTURE THE CENSORS WOULD KILL ME!)



OK! You actually know your little one has been in the NICU too long when...........

• you walk past an air compressor and start dripping milk
• you know what the cafeteria is serving and it is on a 21 day rotation
• you know the maintenance staff by first name
• you have learned at what time to get there to get the good parking spaces
• the front lobby guard knows your name and the receptionist starts printing your tag before you get there
• you feel like the only reason your some likes you is that you are "bringing" the milk!

• and you are counting the hours till you can bring him home!

The mudane and the utterly ridiculous!

Besides my spelling ability! There are so many things in life that you are required to do...... just to check it off on a piece of paper so someone can justify their job or some thing that it literally can cause me to scream!

(CAN YOU ALL TELL I HAVE SPENT TO LONG IN THE NICU TODAY)

Today I found out all the things I have to do to get my son out of the hospital. Ironically the least of which is him actually breathing on his own!

Eric and I (now remember Eric could not even have his name on the baby till I got discharged from the hospital he was baby boy LEAHY-SMITH!) have to take CPR classes ; watch different 2 videos, have our car seat checked and go to a preemie bonding class.

The CPR class makes sense to me (except we are both already certified cause of the adoption and good through April) ..... but they don't have a spot for "have cards/or currently certified" so we have to take it miss 2 hours of our life....... then we have to watch a video on car seats and another on shaken baby syndrome.

Again irony of irony...... we have seven kids, I just bought 6 new car seats (I now have 8 of them)........ $220 each for the van........ they are great ones (radian 80.....5 point harness to 80 lbs and goes as low as 5 lbs) and I love them!

I have been using car seats for almost 9 years now and I find it ironic to watch a video on how to install, and why we need to use them. I honestly think I could pay a semester (possibly 2) of my nanny's college tuition with the dollars I have spent on car seats over the last 8+ years!!!!!. HECK I wish we had seats that restrained them in other places too (like restaurants or the ball game or the zoo)

But that also could be why I have to watch shaken babies..... course again after 7 kids, five home studies and all our adoption classes you would think that this has been covered and we have at least proven our ability to parent without this.... but alas I guess that 35 minute video will fix this ability in some parents or present something that will keep a normal person from doing this...... again time I am not getting back!

Preemie bonding, we seem to breasting feeding well.... so I am thinking my bonding is going as well as it can when I am not in my own home, with all the kids, and having to have 10-20 interruptions every hour into our life (from weighing the poop nappies, to alarms always going off somewhere, to people in the hall to lights, and vitals........ plus the normal baby issues we have!)

Speaking of bonding Eric got to hold him today for the first time. It has been because he was sick and we needed to wait till his antibiotics kicked in till he could hold him, cause Eric had a really sore throat and a slight head cold for a few days.... but it never stopped him from visiting, or bringing me to the hospital or from singing to him while he was here . (Emerson really likes to hear his dad sing!)

So I am happy the two of them can start bonding. I guess it is like me with his penis...... I finally got to be sure he was a boy when I got to change his diaper myself (he was 7 days old at that time) up until then I had been taking every one's word for it! We just have to do it when we can and when we are able all will be revealed. By the way Daddy and him looked so cute and comfortable! Like slipping into your favorite pj's or a well worn pair of shoes...... it was beautiful to see them together. It almost made me cry our last little baby!

Emerson UPDATE:

He is up 28.5 grams (or paper clips) since yesterday is a 1/4 inch longer since birth, his PIC line is out and all IV's and supplemental feed are ceased, he is eating at the breast when mom and breats are in the same room with him! He got to meet Kayla and she got to love on him a ton! And Eric sang the entire 2nd half of Jesus Christ Superstar to him this afternoon!

Devon says "bye bye addie" & Emeerson Update!

This morning...... just after the most awesome husband in the world packed all of the "CRAP" I need for a whole day at the NICU with Emerson........ my breast feeding bag (snacks protein bars, pumping supplies, writing stuff, medicines); my computer & all the stuff I need to start our taxes (I have a notebook which was making its first journey into the outer reaches of the neighborhood with me today); the breast milk bag with ten 2 oz full bottles,the camera and my cell phone.

I turned to Devon and said.... ''bye bye''....... he waved right back at me and said "bye bye" . I asked him to say mommy, which he did....... but then he said "bye bye"to daddy.

I was really surprised........ usually he sort of ignores Eric (which is about time cause 6 other children all have said signed or spoken the words "DADDY" long before they every uttered mommy!) So I do a lot of private gloating that at least one likes me better to learn to say mama first!

Well I said to Eric, Devon was talking to you, he turned and I said Devon can you say "daddy". Next thing I know we have a "bye bye addie!" coming out of his mouth. He waved and then attempted to sign. I repeated the correct pronunciation and he repeated the phrase....... and the motion again! I repeated and made sure Eric was paying attention this time....... and again Devon said "bye bye and addie!".

I really hated all the time I spent in the hospital..... but I guess it had one really good effect!!!! Devon learned he has a daddy too!

In regards to Emerson today........ he is breathing better. Still on the nasal cannula 1L , still at 25 to 30 % and still having occasional times where he is breathing rapidly. However it seems less than yesterday.

He was up 60 grams (paperclips) today! Again he is gaining weight really well....... we just got to breath on our own!

Breast feeding went so much better today ..... he took breast milk at 8:30, 11:40 and 2:30. Each time was almost 20 minutes a the breast. He still sucked and stopped......... but he got a lot of milk in cause I pumped afterwards and I got very little from each side.

The still put about 30 ml through the NG tube...... cause I know he is not getting a full feed (he needs 56 ml each time to grow for the 8 feedings at this moment). They also added the milk fortifier to the milk going in the tube. The docs (not the head one, but all the young residents are all concerned about how we will know if he has eaten enough or not!!!! Numbers and quantities work so well for scientific people!!!! (remember I am one of them too...... BUT REALLY after 7 kiddos of them I do know a thing or two about how to see if baby is getting enough food)

He gets his PIC line out as soon as someone gets down here to do that!!!! (The reason why he only can wear one arm in his clothes......) this will simplify feeding..... it is always in the way...... now all the wires left on him that we have are the heart and pulse ox and the O2. The O2 is really the only one that we will likely loose before we get discharged..... these doctors love their numbers........

I really enjoyed the day at the hospital so much!!!!! (except for the taxes) We did a lot of snuggling, I changed him all the time, gave him his sponge bath, and changed his outfit!!!! He looked great in the green, but looks so cute in the yellow too! (now that the jaundice has resolved!). I also had them raise the head of his bed a little higher to increase the angle....... he seems to breathing better!

Can't wait to spend the night this weekend. It really is helping me feel more like his mom, than the lady who just drops by!

LEG UPDATE:

I got tights on them this morning!!!!!! OK they were pregnancy size 4x ones, (and I was wearing a B size before pregnancy......... ) but they are covered and warm AND I AM HAPPY!

The legs were really beginning to chafe and get chapped from all the cold weather , though ironically it was 59 degrees here today!

Still no ability to get shoes on, and I hope this changes soon. I also did not get as tired and they didn't hurt as much today at the hospital..... I am thinking the tights didn't let any new build up happen....... so I will keep wearing them for a while!

Emerson update 1-21-09

I have to write about POOP again! I am so excited about Emerson's poop!!!!!!


Emerson has yellow seedy mustard color and consistency POOP!!!! This is a good, no really and awesomely great things....a really a great thing! Cause it shows that all the time spent attached to the breast pump is a doing something for my son.


It means he has the ability to eat and go all the way through! It makes me so proud being the "pumping fiend" that I am!!!! I really am enjoying the fact that Adrian and Colin keep calling me "Robo mom" when I am pumping.


Adrian also wants to help me each time we pump with setting up the pump and she washes out the bottles and helps with the labels. I am so proud of how she wants to help her baby brother!

A lot of time I still feel like he isn't my son. It is so hard to leave him in total care of others when we leave each day. I even packed my clothes yesterday to stay...... I wanted to stay overnight, I needed to stay overnight....... but I cried when Adrian asked me not to on the phone (daddy asked too.......) they missed me so much when I was in the hospital (those 17 long and very lonely days!

Sometimes I wonder if I feel so bad cause I kept referring to Emerson as the "Anti-Christ"...... OK that is such a harsh thing for a mom to say, but realize I had a TPN line and an NG tube in and was still puking over a gallon every day!!!!!! As well as being hooked up to an IV and them running all types of things to try to get my blood levels back to normal (AND POTASSIUM HURTS LIKE HELL!!!!!! And has to run for 5 hours of constant stinging!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I have photos of this if anyone wants a photo of pregnancy at its worse for a birth control scenario for their kids!


I am so excited about how breast feeding went the first time today! He latched the second time, he used me for a snooze pillow the first feeding (no surprise there)..... he also seems to be on east coast time..... they want him to eat every three hours (at 3, 6, 9 & 12)........ well he is always ready at hours of 2,5, 8 and 11!

He latched really well for as small as his little mouth is...... it seemed to go very well compared to the bottle feedings, it seemed much easier for him to coordinate his suck, swallow mechanism than with the bottle. He also did not have any breathing or heart rate drops! (like with the bottle)



I can't wait to do this all day tomorrow and to spend the night this weekend when Kayla comes home to help with the kids!

Speaking of the kids, I can't ever say thank you enough to all the people who have helped Eric and I with the children during the last month! Kayla, Lynn, Angie, Tammy, Trina, Jane A, TiTi, Grandma, Nick, Debbie and Julie! They have been amazing! They helped undecorat my house (not a small task with 16 trees & garland and lots of "JUNK")

The kids have been wonderful at all the changes too (EVEN DEVON...... awesome) Also to my neighbors and friends who have brought food and cookies to make it easier! This has helped so much with planning and making caring for the seven kids easier!


Staying at the hospital today was a lot of dun...... we spent all day there..... I got to clothe, bathe, and care for the little guy all day! He even proved he was just like his older brother...... he can teleport his pee and then lul me into a a "oh how cute he is coma" and then I forget about that magic ability to pee sideways and then he gets me darn good and sprays it every where!

LEG UPDATE:

We are so tired of these swollen feet and legs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am actually a lot less swollen than I was (ALMOST 27 LBS OF WATER GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!) but just about 30 water pounds to go!!!

Still have 10 baby pounds too! Some where in there but the total of 57 lbs higher after leaving hospital than when we entered on the 23rd of December.

But the next coolest thing after the poo! Is that I actually got to buy some slippers only asize bigger than my usual (daddy's were 12 WW in men's) but i had to cut them to get them on!!

I am going to try to put on a pair of my "end" of pregnancy maternity tights tomorrow (they would not stay up before Christmas...I was to skinny still) but I need to get something on my legs the cold air and the swelling is chapping them way to much! We shall see........ I am thinking maybe Saturday and the one pair of shoes I have in size 11 might fit! or my slip on backless sandals (Here is hoping!)

I an walking better, still using the walker on really long distances (OR THE WALL) I just keep worrying about falling and loosing my balance!

Still not able to drive yet,,,,, maybe we will try this weekend. I can get in the passenger side of the van.... it has two handles and I can pull up, but not as easy (OK Eric says it doesn't look that easy) on the driver's side! I think Eric is really worried about me falling and hurting myself! (I fell Saturday in the garage! ) Like I needed another bruise!

All the other issues are doing well and I am so excited I "don't pee" when I cough or sneeze any more and it doesn't hurt to laugh (which I am doing a lot at myself lately!)

I know when Mommies Get to be sick now!

When they can no longer stand or walk and just have to quit moving cause it is IMPOSSIBLE!

I made a commitment to myself to write 3-4 times a weak in December...... well it stooped on the 17th cause I finally got to sick. I actually spent 17 days in the hospital (OK 3 hospitals) while they tried to figure out what was wrong with me and keep me pregnant.

In case you don't know....... it didn't work the way they wanted, but they did find and fix what was wrong! I am on my way back to recovery (still have 37 of the 59 lbs of water weight to loose they put on since my Dec 30th admission to St. John's) and we have a son who was born via emergency C section at 1:39 am on January 8th at 33 weeks. (this was about 2 hours after my first surgery for a bowel obstruction....... NOT THE FLU or HYPEREMMISIS (which I did have too) or a VIRUS or in my head (course how could 3400 ml of vomit an hour be in my head!

So I will go back and keep adding the information on both Devon and the last few weeks so you all can get some other insights into our lives.

Which have been overly excited and very busy in the last few weeks.