Our first week at home!

I can't believe we have already been home a week! It's such a great feeling. We feel like we are new parents all over again! We were so used to our routine and how things worked at the hospital and when we got home we have to find them all over again! We are still working on that. Frankie is adjusting well! He sleeps like a champ! Frankie falls asleep anywhere from 10-1130 at night and sleeps anywhere from 8-10am. Usually around 6am he wakes up making some major grunting noises, takes a big poop and goes back to sleep after I change him. I just feel bad for him because pooping isn't always an easy thing for an O baby!

A nurse will be coming twice a week for 2 weeks to do an assessment on Frankie. She will listen to him, look at him, weigh him. All that good stuff that they used to do daily at the hospital. After the two weeks is up she will be coming monthly to do it and to give him his RSV shot. Thank God for those! And thank God for insurance! Otherwise each shot would cost anywhere from $1,000-$3,000! The shot doesn't prevent him from getting it but it does protect him from getting it severely, if he does get it (hopefully not).

Frankie will also be getting therapy a couple times a week. The occupational therapist will help Frankie with everything from the waist up, including feeding. The physical therapist will help him with everything from the waist down including muscle tone. Each of them will come once a week.

When the nurse was here last night she said all looked and sounded well and he is now 9lb 2oz! Go Frankie! He was 8lb 12oz when we left the Nicu on Wednesday last week. She will be coming tomorrow again to assess him.

I am completely obsessed with keeping Frankie healthy, as I should be. :) So, here are some reminder...
1. Wash your hands.... with soap and water. It is what's best. Then you can use hand sanitizer after that.

2. Second and third hand smoke: People smoke, I get that. Here's my thing... if you do it and your clothes reek in smell of it, please do not hold my child. It affect on him and my biggest concern is the affect on his respiratory system.
Third-hand smoke can remain indoors even long after the smoking has stopped. Similar to low-level lead exposure, low levels of tobacco particulates have been associated with a higher prevalence of ear infections and respiratory symptoms, as well as cognitive deficits among children.

In short, the same chemicals that leave a stale cigarette odor on clothes and upholstery also can be swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin of non-smokers. Smoke residue may linger for hours, days or months, depending on the ventilation and the level of contamination.

If you want to smoke, wear a jacket while smoking outside so that you can take if off before holding Frankie and please be sure to wash your hands. THANK YOU!

3. Wash your hands :)

Frankie's O is still looking great. It has made any more dramatic changes in size recently. We go to see surgery on 12/22 for them to look at it again and that same day we get his hearing test done. We don't see newborn medicine and the cardiologist until January.

That's all my crazy nonsense for now. Frankie is currently tooting up a storm next to me on the couch! I'm going to go take care of that. Love to you all!