Ch-Ch-Ch Changes

Its been over a week since my last post and its been a crazy week!! Annie moved down to NICU D without incident. Its a lot more mellow in NICU D - I felt like I could actually be Annie's mom instead of a visitor waiting for someone to tell me when I could hold her or when I could care for her. We settled into a nice little routine. I was recovering well from my c-section and felt ok about driving - well, really Matt felt ok about letting me drive :) Matt would go to work and I would get to the hospital by 10 so I could pump before her 11 feeding. Annie would nurse for her 11 feeding and then we would just snuggle.

She would drift off to sleep, and I would go grab a quick bite to eat before she would need to get up for her 2 feeding. I would bottle her and then pump again before heading home to Ms. Molly. It sometimes made for a long day, especially if I didn't get enough sleep the night before, but it worked. And I cherished those quiet moments with the nugget. And every day ended with a big hug and a kiss from my favorite Big Sister - How did I get so lucky?
Over the weekend we talked alot with Annie's primary nurse: Kathy F-H about transferring to NWH. I still felt torn but told Kathy that at the very least we would go see the Special Care Nursery at NWH to make an informed decision. In the meantime Annie continued to be a rockstar. She had enough of the feeding tube and took it out herself on February 8. Her weight gain fluctuates from day to day but she is taking all her feeds by bottle and tolerating the increased calories well.
On February 10 Matt and I went to meet Brenda Cutony at NWH to see their nursery. It couldn't be more different then the Brigham! To start there are only 12 beds as opposed to 20 in NICU D alone. There aren't monitors beeping at every turn and each bed is tucked away in its own bay complete with window, desk and drawers. A curtain can be drawn to offer complete privacy, not that I have any modesty left at this point! NWH seemed to be the perfect place for Annie to focus an her one objective: GROW. Still - I had grown attached to Kathy and the routine at the Brigham. I knew where all the supplies were kept, the routine was familiar and any sort of change felt overwhelming. Not to mention the fact that my little nugget was going to have to ride in the ambulance to NWH, that thought alone was completely terrifying. Transferring babies, I was assured was a regular thing, but it certainly wasn't regular for my baby! Even so, after our visit to NWH, we made the decision to move her. That was Thursday morning. I met Abby Donner for lunch and when I came back I was told that NWH would take us the next day!! It all felt so fast and overwhelming and I felt like I didn't know if I was making the right decision, but it was too late to take it back now. Kathy showed me the transport isolette that Annie would be in and I started bawling - feeling overwhelmed and terrified that my littlest was going in an ambulance - a bouncy, scary, loud machine without her mama. So, there I am, crying, again. I thought for sure I had dried out the tear ducts by now! Crying aside, we had to head back and feed Ms. Annie and don't forget - it was her 2 week birthday! And to celebrate she broke the 3lb mark :)
Friday, February 11 was moving day. Moving to the suburbs and one step closer to home. Annie was growing, and doing well enough to leave the Brigham. Kathy ordered the ambulance for 11:30 - after her mid morning feeding so as not to disrupt her schedule. I had to come in early for an incision check with Audra Robinson, who did my c-section. After that appointment I headed back upstairs to pump and prepare for the move. Annie was snoozing away as I packed up her clothes and blankets. She wasn't thrilled when Kathy was buckling her into the transport isolette, but she settled quickly. By 12 - the EMTs came up and whisked the nugget and Kathy down to the ambulance. Matt and I had one of the shortest lunches on record before we got in the car and headed out to NWH. We arrived shortly after 1 and Annie was already settled in her new home, but we had missed saying goodbye to Kathy. We arrived just in time as Annie was hungry! I settled into our very own giant lazy boy chair and nursed. It felt so good to be back at NWH. It is homey, quiet, and the perfect place to watch our littlest grow and gain the strength she'll need to come home.