For Times Like These

So in the update section of this blog, Riley is doing grand. We had his ped appointment yesterday. He is doing wonderful. 10 lbs 10 oz. Such chubby little goodness. He's been home for almost 3 weeks now. And life is so much better for it. I will admit that I was scared poopless being on my own and taking both kids plus Riley's oxygen tank out of the house. Terrifying. But I did it. Ammy is such a wonderful ball of goodness and such a great big sister.

I can honestly say that I don't mind having the extra worry about the sleep/breathing thing. I mean, all parents worry when their infants are sleeping so completely and totally soundly that you are not entirely sure if they are still breathing. For us, it is a little more so, given that he is prone to pulling his nasal prongs off his face. But, we have adjusted (I have found that I can function pretty darn well with about 3-4 hours sleep per day - of course, I feel very full body stoned most of the time, and good lord you don't want to see me if I haven't chucked at least one coffee in me, but still...). Next week, when our RT (Lesley), whom I adore by the by, comes for his weekly check up, she will be bringing a sat monitor with her. Tuesday will be spent monitoring Riley with it, and Wednesday we get to do a 48 hour trial with him completely off the oxygen. No more juggling him and his oxygen tank! Woohoo!

He's such a wide eyed and alert little guy. Seriously. And the head control. I mean, I know that I am supposed to treat him as if he were a 4 week old, but it is damn difficult to do when he is able to do all these wonderful things.

Another perfect example of his "no way that I can treat him as a 4 week old" thing is that he actually holds his bottle. To explain, Riley does wonderful with breast feeding. But, his latch is so damn strong. Unfortunately, my poor nipples are cracked and have been seeping occasionally. I have had to start pumping and bottling him, since the pump (sadly) is more gentle to my nipples than he is. Hopefully they will heal up within the next few days, and I can let him back on, but as it is right now, I physically can't. But, as I mentioned, when I make him a bottle, he will hold it himself. Needs help, but has his hands wrapped right around it. Seriously, what 4 week old could do that?

In knitting (and plain other) news, I have started working on a shawl for the wedding. I know, I know...I started making stockings. But I kinda realized that wool stockings for an August wedding was just not the best use of my skills. I have almost done the stockings. Just need to cuff them. But I have decided to interrupt that project by making a shawl which I will actually use at the wedding. It's coming along great. I, unfortunately, don't have any pictures of it just yet, but will do so shortly.

And, as I mentioned in a previous post, I bought myself a drop spindle. Ta da:


I am thinking I will use the varigated yarn for a nice thick pair of mittens for myself. Just cuz.

I also purchased the following beauty:

I really enjoyed making the yarn. It was fun and interesting and I love that I am going to be making something for myself with yarn I made myself. So, since I found this on craigslist, and it is at a steal of a price, I figured "what the hell". :)

In other wedding news, the boys parents are going to be able to make it. There was some question as to whether they would be able to make it out here for it, and I know that much as he was being all "I understand, you know, the cost and time and so on", he was really kinda upset that they weren't going to be there. I mean, come on...the entire reason we aren't eloping is because he wanted his parents there.

Anywho, that is about all.

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Riley's Shorts

Riley's shorts are done:


I made these to fit a 16" waist. Depending on the yarn and needles you use, you can alter this size, but I have found that 16" gives a good bit of give, but not so much that they are falling off his little behind. I have also measured these to fit around a size 1 diaper. As promised, here is the pattern:

Materials:

Loops and Threads Baby Sport (less than 1/2 a ball)
4mm circular needles (16")
Buttons (optional)

Directions:

Cast on 92 stitches. Work 7 rows in stockinette stitch.

Set up for drawstring waist:
At this point, I was able to connect the two sides on the circular needle without a problem. So, join in the round and k one round. Work 2 rounds in stockinette stitch.

K26 st, cast off 2 st, k to end.
K26 st, cast on 2 st, k to end.

K 2 rounds.

Pattern on front of shorts:
K26 st, p20 st, k27 st
Repeat this round for 2 inches (or however long, depending on how far you want the pattern to go - or you can choose to completely leave off the purling if you want something plain and simple).

Work in st st until piece measures 5.5" from the turning round.
K36 st. (You may wish to place a marker after this stitch.)
Kfb, K44 st, kfb. Place sts to marker on holder. (These make up the legs.)
P row.
Kfb first st, k to second last stitch, kfb.
P row.
Repeat the above pattern to 62 st.
Work 8 rows in st st.
Work 6 rows in garter st.
Bind off.

Pick up 46 sts from holder and repeat leg same as other.

Make Icord (I chose to make mine with 2 stitches cast on.)

Sew crotch seams together (increases along legs). Sew leg seams together. Sew split before turning row together. Fold over and sew drawstring in place.

Affix any decorations (i.e. buttons at corners of pattern).

Voila!

Feel free to ask/comment/etc., if you have any questions.

Busy Beaver Says...

So Riley had his first pediatrician appointment yesterday. Everything went well. He gained 2 oz. over the weekend since he has been home, so no worries on that front. Everything else seems AOK with his health, other than the oxygen, of course. And, since I have been playing around with the new photo thingy on the computer, I thought I would yet again insert loverly pictures of my little man (all prepped out):

In two weeks, my two week old will be going for his four month old shots. Yeah, that sounds really messed up. It was really interesting to hear our pediatrician trying to explain to someone who is shadowing him that although Riley is two weeks old corrected, he was born in April, and is therefore three and half months old.

Ammy came home from a super fun filled weekend with Granny and Gramps.


These are both from the petting zoo...baby piglet and camel...sweet! (They had a llama, but alas, she did not even get me any llama hair to make into wool...some people!)



Swimming like a superstar:


In other news, my shoes died. Ok, maybe fell apart and died a disgraceful death would be more appropriate. They soles of them have been falling apart for a while (damn rain puddles), and the straps no longer velcroed together...and now the tongue completely came out AND the small strip of sole that kept the water from poring in has come out. So, sneaking around on eBay, I found these:

They are slip ons (see the small back part on the heel??), and they appear super comfy. I have heard some good things about volatile, with the exception that they tend to size a little small, so I got one size larger. These ones were actually on clearance in one of the eBay stores, so even after conversion and shipping, they cost me less than $20.00. Perfect. Cheap, comfy, slip ons. What more could I ask for?

And since I get bored without things to do, and love trying new things (plus the fact that I cannot ever seem to just pop on to eBay for just one thing without looking around and ogling a thousand other things), I got myself this:

For those of you who know what this is, kudos, and I am sure that you will delight in reading my loverly upcoming frustrations in connection with it. For those who don't, this is a drop spindle and fibre. I am going to teach myself how to spin wool. :) I love the colour combo of the "pumpkin patch" bag, which is what this is. I don't know, there is just something awesome about greens and oranges and browns and yellows.

Anywho, that is about all. Currently working on my PLAR portfolio, which will help me to obtain credits for personal life experience, as I am planning on returning to school next year (hopefully).

Tis all, and till next time.
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Stress Relief is an Amazing Thing

Wow...hard to believe just how much better I am feeling with the hospital stress all gone.

Spoke with our primary nurse from Mount Sinai yesterday to give her an update on Riley. She was super excited to hear that he was doing so well, and she was very happy that we were able to transfer him out of MS to somewhere with more flexibility.

But, on the topic of being calmer, I have started designing my own pair of pants for Riley. Will post the pattern when I have completed them, but so far, they are coming along ok.

Also, I spent a good chunk of the day doing something I haven't done in ages...planting. I know, I am slightly behind in the season for it, but I don't care. It was nice to get my hands in the dirt. We now have a few sunflowers, beans and tomatos. I am thinking I may also nip back and grab some cukes. I love veggies grown by my own hands. Haven't had them in about 5 years, but they are the best.

Anywho, the little man (who, I might add, has established himself in a lovely pattern of bed around midnight, up around 5...how awesome is that??? 5 full hours of sleep!!!) is up and snuffling (and smelling like the wrong side of a horse) so...

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Home, Home on the Range

So, we started our day off with the visit from the oxygen people. Got our 3 tanks, and were shown how to work them. Good lord but they are super sensitive.

And, since the only issue *might* have been if he didn't gain weight without the fortifier, I called in to find out how his weigh in went. He gained 66 grams! Awesome, awesome...then I hear "but". What? No, no buts! I refuse.

Apparently the little bugger decided to have a bit of a spell, so they had to increase him from 10ccs to 50ccs in less than a 2 hour span. Not good. Our doctor decided that if he stayed stable, we could take him home after his 6 p.m. feeding. If not, then he would be there at least over the weekend.

So we decided to go up for the noon feed, and to get him dressed in his going home clothes and bring up the portable oxygen tank, believing wholeheartedly that he would be good for the 6 p.m. take home.

Look at how irresistible he is:


And here he is all strapped in with a very, very proud papa:


I wish I could sleep on a dime like this...seriously, doesn't this look so very far from comfortable?:


His first nap AT HOME (he is currently just to my right right now):


Needless to say, when we got to the hospital for his feed, he was back to 10ccs. We asked the nurse if this meant we could take him home today, and she told us that as soon as he was done with his feed, we could take him. Right then. No waiting until evening.

So all the running around we were planning on doing before we got to the hospital to pick him up...yeah, I have sent the other half out to do...

Well, I am off to ogle my boy.

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Amazing What Occurs to You When You Can Actually Relax

For starters, just because, umlaut, umlaut, umlaut! (Sorry, this word got stuck in my head earlier today for no apparent reason. Just thought I would share. And for those of you who don't know what that is, check here.)

Second, now that the stress of when I will be getting my boy home is gone, I feel much relieved. I mean, I know without a shadow of a doubt that I was barely keeping it together there for a while. I don't shirk away from that one. But I was stressed. And come on...seriously, how many people do you know could sanely handle 14.5 weeks of having a child they couldn't hold when they wanted to, change when he needed it, feed on demand, smell and sniff and play and double check that there are 10 little fingers and 10 little toes? Right. There is your slice of perception for the day.

Our first cuddles with great-nanny (who, I might add, was tickled pink with getting to see him...we wouldn't allow people to force the game of "you come down to toronto at such and such a time so I can see the baby"):


And on that note, if we skip back 14.5 weeks:

This was my first glimpse of Riley (after the initial red, screaming thing that just fought his way into the world before being whisked away to be saran wrapped). Kinda terrifying. Kinda completely terrifying.

Then we were blue...and I mean that quite literally.


One of the first holds...

my boob is bigger than his head...and pretty much all of him (yes, this will scar him when he is older).

Finally looking human...with the exception of that horrible machine which I hope to never have to name again:


Rolling along nicely...


Behind bars:


Finally off the obnoxious machine:

Look...even he is cheering.

Chilling in our bouncy chair (this was on his due date...June 28, 2009):


And now...and 98 days old...


For those of you doing the math, Riley will be coming home on his 101 day of post-uterus living. :)

I'm heading in to the hospital today to give him some loving and cuddles, a bath, and to pick up the rest of his swag that is there (the bouncy chair, the clothes, the bathtub).

A part of me is still thinking this can't be real yet. I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas.

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Best Friday Ever!

This morning (well, technically yesterday morning, I suppose), we were advised that Riley will be coming home on Friday!!! Yes, I still am almost in tears every time I think of that. He is coming home. Like to our house. To stay. No more hospitals. No more baring my breasts in the middle of a nursery because he cannot leave the bedside or oxygen that he is connected to. No more listening to "code blue; front lobby"; "code yellow; please log on to staff site for description"; and so forth. No more.

Yes, he will be coming home on oxygen. But I am okay with that. We will have a respiratory team out on Friday morning to set everything up, and then we just have to go pick the little guy up.

My parents will be taking Ammy from Thursday night until Monday, as they want us to have a few days to adjust to him being here, and to learn how to move around and operate normally with Riley's oxygen. They are wonderful peoples.

I need sleep now. I know that I need sleep. I just don't know how it is going to come. I am still completely spun.

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