Team Beatrice gets, and goes, along

Hi, All,

Many apologies for the lack of updates recently. Team Beatrice has lately been occupied with late night feeding and early morning diaper changing; occasionally, vice versa. Our nights begin early, and our mornings end late, which doesn't leave time for much during the day.

Luckily, aside from the rigor of daily life, Team Beatrice has little to write about at the moment, except to express our thanks to family, friends, and even those whom we barely know that have helped us out recently. Direct, individual, thanks have been slow in coming.

In Beatrice news, we've begun the oxygen-weaning process. Today we went about seven hours today without any o2 support at all! But, unfortunately, we seemed to need a little help in the evening, so we plugged back in.

Like life in the NICU, the weaning process has proven to be yet another roller coaster ride for M&D, if not for Little Bea, too. Oxymeter alarms at 3am and heavy o2 tanks are taking a toll, although we are hopeful to be rid of both soon. Wish us all luck. How sweet it would be to have an untethered, unchained, Bea.

Sigh.

The oxygen issue has been an education in the politics of hospitalization: another week of close monitoring in the ISCU and Little Bea probably would have come home without any o2 support at all. In fact, we've recently learned from other (non-hospital) medicos how rare it is to send little ones home with oxygen support, for the specific reason that it generally drive parents insane: sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly. Wish us luck.

OK, so we actually have quite a bit to write about.

Team Beatrice would also like to thank friends and family for being patient with our idiosyncratic and overly protective behavior when they (friends and family) visit our beloved Little One. With a little luck and perseverance, we'll soon find a way to loosen up. But, in the meantime, the Little One must be fed, burped, cuddled, and changed "just so", if for no other reason than to preserve M&D's fragile mental state.

And speaking of fragile mental states: D is going to attempt to go back to work for a full day on Monday after two weeks of sporadic attendance. This leaves M at home, alone, for the first time with a Little One who can't go on field trips. Any and all help is appreciated, although you shouldn't feel bad for D: he may be the only attorney in town that actually loves his job. (Don't tell anyone: upon admission to the bar, new attorneys are sworn to loathe their own existence.)

In happier news, the original members of Team Beatrice (M, D, and B) went on a lovely walk through the aboretum this afternoon. Many fantastic pictures were taken; some of which will soon be posted to this blog. Stay tuned!

All the best,

Team Beatrice (Ian)