In exactly a week from now Steve was supposed to arrive.
I'm lucky to have him lying here next to me in his pram - a whole week earlier!
My apologies for going quiet on the blog, but mom and I have been playing the adjustment game.
On Saturday morning (Swanepoel was in Cape Town again) Dr Mears did her rounds at 05h30 and when we arrived later in the morning, Sr Loveness (one of Steve's favorites) told me that she had good news. Steve was being sent home the next day!
This was a little unexpected and perhaps unsettling for Bernice and I. For nearly three weeks Steve had a dedicated nurse overseeing him 24 hours a day. Now they're sending him home with Mouse and I to take care of him. Are we ready? Will we manage?
His discharge comes with a whack of instruction from the doctors and nurses. The first of which was probably the most unsettling and even now still tends to scare us. We were told that even with the Angel Care baby monitor, we needed another sleep apnea monitor that we would need to attach to his nappy. The Snuza (pronounced snoozer) makes one hell of a noise if he stops breathing and then kicks into vibration mode and wakes him up. The side effect of this unit is that it tends to stop mom and dad's heart!
Anyway, on Saturday afternoon Bernice and I decided to celebrate our great news. So for about the second time ever we had a sit down meal at the Wimpy. Beautiful :-) This was followed by a big shop at Wollies for 'supplies'!
Before we knew it, Sunday morning arrived and Bernice and I went to the hospital early. We were shown how to bath him, etc and then it was home time. We were home at about 10h00 and it was bliss. Sheer nervous bliss, but bliss none the less.
Granny, Grandad, Candi and Kelly stopped by for an afternoon visit (in the case of Kelly and Candi - more like an introduction).
Bernice and I didn't eat on Sunday and didn't sleep either. Not because we ate to much at the Wimpy the day before, but because this was stressful business! He had a blocked nose which seemed to be getting progressively worse, and this made feeding him harder too. Having to give your new child a saline nasal spray every three hours is tricky on the first day.
By Monday paranoia had gotten the better of us and Bernice decided to take Steve to the doctor. At
R 900.00 for each visit, she was thrilled to see him. She prescribed some drops for his nose and advised us to get a nasal suction tube. This is a device that you put into his nose and then suck to get all the gue out. Yummy. She suggested he come back on Friday (no surprises there)....
Anyway loads has happened between Monday and now. All of which is progressive and makes me exceptionally happy and proud, but none of which I'll write about. Mainly because he's getting niggley now and i am going to pick him up, but also because this is now our time. Our special time as a new family.
Every one's prayers, well wishes, thoughts and gifts have been overwhelming and extremely supportive. From the dinners that granny and ouma have prepared and bought for us, to the literally hundreds of phone calls and messages.With the greatest amount of sincerity, we thank you. Thank you. Thank you!
I end by saying that in 12 hours, I've been pooed on, weed on and sucked sloppy boegers from Steve's nose. I love him so much it's almost unreal and i wouldn't change my new life for anything in the world.
It also needs saying that this child has the most fabulous mom and I'm real proud of her too. You can tell how much he loves her.....
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