Saturday 30th June 2007

Well, today has been a great day. Firstly I was weighed this morning, and I have reached 1360g which is 3 whole lbs! I am very podgy! Then mummy and daddy came in to see me, and they held me for a long time this afternoon. I love being out of my incubator. I am always very calm when mummy and daddy hold me, and my sats stay very stable. I wore a very attractive pink woolly hat, but I think it will soon be too small for me! I also had a visit from all my grandparents. They were amazed at how big I had got, especially Granny and Grandpa Meikle, who hadn't seen me for over 2 weeks. I am having 3ml of milk per hour now, and this will increase to 3.5ml at midnight. I seem to be tolerating it well, and this is helping me to put on weight. I was awake a lot today, and used up quite a lot of energy, so I may not put on as much weight tomorrow.

Friday 29th June 2007

Can you notice something different about me today? I'm wearing clothes! When mummy came in this morning she found me dressed to impress in this lovely t-shirt. I wore it once before a couple of weeks ago, but I'm hoping that I can start to wear clothes all the time now. Mummy is going to put my name into all my clothes so they don't get lost. I have also started sucking my dummy, which is great fun. If I was still inside mummy I wouldn't start sucking until I was 34 weeks old, so I am doing well to suck when I am only 32 weeks and 5 days old! I am getting very fat, as you can see from my photo. Guess how much I weigh? - a whopping 2lb 15oz - only 1 more ounce and then I'll be 3lb. Mummy and daddy will be very proud of me when I reach this milestone - let just hope I keep tolerating my food well. I am now back on 2ml of milk per hour, and this will increase to 2.5ml per hour at midnight tonight. I had to have my cannula replaced today, this is so that I can be given antibiotics and nutrition directly into my bloodstream. The one on my foot wasn't working any more, so they put a new one into my arm. I hate having cannulas put in - I didn't make it easy for the doctors, and waved my arms and legs a lot! Mummy held me again today, and I lay against her chest. It was very comfortable , and it meant the nurse could change my bedding whilst I was out of my incubator, so everything was nice and clean.

Thursday 28th June 2007

Me again! Today has been a very relaxing day. Room 4 was a lot quieter than usual. One of my neighbours was able to leave, so it was a lot more peaceful. This gave me the opportunity to sleep a lot!I did well tolerating mummy's milk today. I had 0.5ml per hour until 1pm today, and that was fine, so it was increased to 1ml per hour. Hopefully they'll be able to increase my milk even more, so that I can put on more weight. Talking of weight I now weigh 1262g (2lb 12.5oz). My good friend Oscar is catching up with me, he is now 1150g, so we are very close. Oscar's due date was the day before mine, but he arrived even earlier than me in April - much to his mummy and daddy's surprise. He was my neighbour in the hot room, and has now joined me in room 4. Unfortunately he isn't next to me, but I know he's close by. Mummy spent a lot of time with me today, and she was allowed to hold me this afternoon, which was very nice. I like to be out of my incubator, it's good to have a change of scene! My breathing and heart rate are very consistent, and the nurses are pleased with how stable I am.

Wednesday 27th June 2007

This is a picture of Winnie the Pooh. He is a gift from my Auntie Emma and sits next to my monitor keeping me company. Mummy and daddy read stories to me about him and his friends. I have also got a lovely pink rabbit that was given to me by Auntie Shellie, which sits on the top of my incubator.

I was very tired today, so slept a lot, this was because I was sick last night. Daddy noticed this and spoke to the doctors, and they decided to stop giving me my milk for a while to let my tummy calm down. So I didn't have any milk until 1pm this afternoon, when they starting giving me 0.5ml per hour again. Hopefully my tummy will behave itself, and they will be able to increase my milk again, so that I put on weight more quickly. I currently weigh 1,250g (2lb 12oz), but I am desperate to get to 3lb, so I have to eat a lot to make sure I get there quickly! I have been given a dummy today. I haven't tried it out yet, but it will help me to practice sucking to prepare me for feeding properly from mummy or from a bottle. Mummy has noticed that I keep sucking my hand, and I also tried to suck the swab that mummy was using to clean my mouth today. Daddy will be in to see me later, so perhaps he will help me to try out my new dummy.

Tuesday 26th June 2007

Hello again! Look at me with my furry friend. This is my rabbit fleece. It was a present from Emma Wharfe, one of mummy's friends from Vodafone. Her baby girl is due today, so I am excited to have a new friend when she arrives. My rabbit reminds me of mummy, as she had it with her in hospital before she gave it to me to have in my incubator. Today I look very pink! That is because I had a red blood cell transfusion last night. Yesterday they found that my haemoglobin levels were low, so I needed some red blood cells to raise them up again. This means I am pumped full of blood and look very red! Mummy read a lovely story to me today about Kanga and Roo, which I liked very much. I am having 3ml of milk per hour today -yummy.

Monday 25th June 2007

Everything seemed very different today, as mummy came to see me by herself. Poor daddy has had to go back to work today, so he will be in to see me later after he has been to work, and change my nappy this evening. Mummy arrived at 11am, having braved the Oxford buses. She was not very happy with the roadworks which have started today on Magdalen bridge, but she soon cheered up when she saw me! I was very active today, particularly after the nurses gave me my caffeine infusion! I am having 2.5ml of milk every hour, but I want more. When mummy held me today I could smell milk, which made me even hungrier! I keep pulling out the tube from my nose, and when mummy came to say goodbye to me I had managed to get it into my mouth! Mummy put it back into my nose, but I hope I'll be able to get rid of it for good soon! It was lovely to see daddy tonight. I decided after he had fed me that I would put on a bit of a show. I boosted my heart rate to 220 and went off like Bruce Lee for 10mins. It was great fun. I don't think daddy knew what to do!! I'll save another trick for him tomorrow.

Sunday 24th June

Today I had a lovely time with mummy and daddy, plus I got to see Auntie Shellie and Uncle Chris again. Mummy and daddy changed my nappy and then I was out of my incubator for over an hour. Mummy held me first and I lay against her chest and kept warm next to her skin. Then I got to spend a lot of time with daddy. I had my nice pink hat on again, but it's almost too small for me now! I had lost 10g in weight since yesterday (1,210g), but I am back on 2ml of milk per hour, so it should soon go up again.

Saturday 23rd June 2007

Look at me working the camera! I feel so much better today. The doctors have started me on antibiotics which is specially to treat my infection. But the best thing today was that mummy held me! She hadn't held me since last Sunday, so I had really missed her! I also got to see Auntie Emma and Uncle Philip, and I met my Godmother Becky who came to see me for the first time. I gave Mummy and daddy a hard time when they changed my nappy and kicked them a lot. But they didn't mind - they were pleased that I've got my energy back. Also they started giving me mummy's milk again. The doctors had stopped me having it when I was ill, but I'm allowed it again now, so they are giving me 0.5ml per hour at the moment. I feel very hungry, so I am sucking my hand to make myself feel better - I hope they will give me more milk soon. I know that mummy is expressing lots of milk and that it is waiting for me in the freezer - yum, yum.

Friday 22nd June 2007

I am starting to feel better now, but I am still pretty lethargic. The doctors did the lumbar puncture on me today which wasn't very nice. I cried a lot. But my energy is starting to come back, and mummy and daddy are less stressed. Granny Judy came to see me today too which cheered me up.

Thursday 21st June 2007

The doctors have stuffed me full of antibiotics, which should fight my infection. But I was still feeling really sick today, and found it difficult to keep my heart rate and my breathing up. The nurses kept having to nudge me to make sure I remembered to breathe. My vapotherm is back up at 6, and they have stopped my milk, incase the infection is in my tummy. I hope the antibiotics start to work soon, so that I get better. Mummy and daddy are so worried, and I just feel exhausted, I don't even have the energy to open my eyes.

Wednesday 20th June 2007

Today the doctors told mummy and daddy that I had caught an infection. I didn't feel very well at all, so mummy and daddy didn't take any photos of me today. I was exhausted and didn't have the energy to kick daddy when he changed my nappy. I was also moved into room 4 today from the hot room. I didn't like that at all, and my heart rate and breathing kept dropping, which is a big worry for my parents. The doctors don't know where the infection has come from, so they have sent off more blood cultures to try and find out, and also tried to do a lumbar puncture on me today, so that they could check my spinal fluid. The lumbar puncture didn't work though, so they'll try again tomorrow. Mummy is very upset and worried about me. I know that lots of people all round the country are saying prayers for me, and this makes me feel better.

Tuesday 19th June 2007

Mummy went home from the hospital today. She didn't want to leave me, and I didn't feel very well, so she and daddy were worried about me. I have been sick, and the doctors have put me back on my vapotherm to help me breathe. I think I am coming down with something. My platelet levels are dropping again like last week, my skin feels really sensitive and I don't have much energy. The good news though is that I now weigh 1220g (2lb 11oz) which is a whole 6oz more than my birthweight!

Monday 18th June 2007

It is mummy's birthday today, so I gave her a brilliant present, which was to come off my vapotherm. This means the tube is out of my nose, which mummy and daddy were very pleased about. I am also having 3.5ml of milk per hour now, which means that I am growing big and strong! Mummy is going home tomorrow.

Sunday 17th June 2007

It was father's day today, so I helped the nurses to make it special for daddy by doing a cool footprint onto the inside of his father's day card. He was very pleased with my handywork. I also bought an Arctic Monkeys CD for him, which he also liked. I am now drinking 2ml of mummy's milk per hour. Mummy is expressing lots of milk for me and the freezer is getting very full! Mummy and Daddy held me again today. It was lovely to spend the time with them. As you can see I am wearing a very cool pink hat with ears on that Granny Judy bought for me.

Saturday 16th June 2007

I didn't see mummy and daddy much today, as the doctors had to sort out a problem with my hand. There was a nasty dressing on one of my hands which was too tight and my hand and arm became very swollen, which was very sore. Daddy spotted it, and the doctors came along to sort it out for me. It feels much better now.

Friday 15th June 2007

I had a good day today. Lots of exciting things happened. Daddy bought me some lovely books from Oxford about Winnie the Pooh and then Mummy read a whole chapter to me. I also got to wear a t-shirt for the first time. The t-shirt was a present from Granny Judy. Daddy held me for a long time today, and it felt lovely.

Thursday 14th June 2007

Look at me with mummy! I spent some more time under the UV lamp today, but they allowed mummy to hold me too. I am wearing this pink hat to keep me warm. It's rather too big, but was very cosy! The nurses have started to give me mummy's milk through a tube into my tummy. I am having 1ml per hour at the moment, and I am hoping they will give me more soon! Granny Judy came to visit me today and took lots of photos of me. I also met Great Auntie Caroline. Mummy's blood pressure was high today - it must have been the excitement of holding me!

Wednesday 13th June 2007

On Tuesday the doctors had noticed that my skin was looking a bit orange! I look like I've been tangoed! So today I have been put under a UV light to bring my bilirubin levels down, and turn my skin back to its normal colour! Granny and Grandpa Meikle came to visit, and I also met Jo, a friend of mummy's today. My platelet levels dropped down today, which was a big worry for my parents. The doctors decided to give me a platelet transfusion to bring the levels up again, which was horrid, but did the trick! The drop in the platelets could be a sign of an infection, so the doctors have sent off some of my blood to be tested, just in case.

Tuesday 12th June 2007

Mummy and daddy got to hold me for the first time today. It was lovely to be out of my incubator at last! The doctors also stopped my antibiotics today, as my blood cultures had come back showing no signs of infection. Mummy and daddy were very pleased about this.

Monday 11th June 2007

Hello - me again. Today I am getting to grips with all my wires and things. I have these 2 batons on my arms which are a bit irritating, but handy for hiding behind and hitting mummy and daddy with when they try and change my nappy!
I am wearing very small nappies - you can't buy them in the shops, so I feel very special! Mummy and daddy changed my nappy twice today, and I showed them that everything was working in that department, that's for sure! Daddy did most of the work, and mummy held my hand. She is a bit nervous of touching me too much at the moment, as I am so little!

Sunday 10th June 2007

Look at me in my incubator! I am now no longer living in mummy's tummy, but in the hot room in intensive care at the John Radcliffe Special Care Baby Unit. I have lots of wires and tubes on me. These are to monitor my heart rate, my breathing and my oxygen levels, and some of the other wires are so that they can feed me nutrients to make me grow, and antibiotics to stop me getting any nasty infections. My skin is very red and see through - which is because I was born so early - it hasn't had time to turn into a proper baby colour yet! I met mummy today. She was a bit nervous of seeing me, but she was ok. I also met Granny Judy, and my aunties and uncles Emma, Shellie, Chris & Philip. I couldn't meet my cousin Daniel, as he was too little to come and visit, but he did come to the hospital, so I know he was nearby!

Saturday 9th June 2007

Hi there. My name is Harriet Rebecca Howell and today is my birthday. It shouldn't really have been my birthday, as I was brought into this world much earlier than anticipated! My 'due date' was August 20th, and I would have been a leo. but instead I was born today, and so am a gemini, just like my mummy!

Poor mummy had a nasty thing called Pre-eclampsia which made her blood pressure go really high and her platelets go really low! This meant that I stopped growing, and so the doctors told mummy and daddy that it would be better for me to come out and be looked after on the outside. Mummy was very upset and kept telling the doctors that I wasn't ready to come out, but I think it was better to be out - it means that I get to meet mummy and daddy more than 2 months earlier than I thought I would! The doctors did a caesarean Section on mummy to get me out, and daddy sat with her and held her hand whilst it was happening. They saw me come out and I wailed and screamed, just to let them know that I was ok! They put me on a ventilator for 7 hours after I was born to help me breathe, but the steroids that the doctors had given to mummy a week previously meant that my lungs were stronger, and so I could come off the ventilator quickly.

I weighed 2lb 5oz and I was born at 6.34pm. I met daddy today, but won't meet mummy until tomorrow, as she is resting after her operation.