Hanging out at home

Hi everyone. I know I've been pretty quiet the last few weeks. I have just been enjoying the simple things that most babies get to do right from the start--hanging out at home with Mommy and Daddy, nursing and drinking from a bottle instead of getting my food through a tube, stuff like that.

Daddy mentioned earlier this week that my blood test results finally came back normal. He was talking about a newborn blood screening that had to be repeated twice because the results were inconclusive. It's a test that all newborns have that checks for lots of different things. The test that was concerning my doctor was one that looks for an amino acid disorder. If I had had that disorder, it would have been a major issue. There would have been so many foods I would not be able to eat all my life because my body wouldn't have been able to digest them. I wouldn't even be able to have my Mommy's breast milk! So, Mommy, Daddy, and I were really glad when that test finally came back normal on the third try! (I was also glad that I don't have to get poked for blood again for awhile. That was getting old!)

The other good news--that I am gaining weight at a nice, steady pace and am now over 8 pounds--was also exciting to hear. You see, it's important for me to continue to gain weight so that I can put off any more surgeries until I'm 2 or 3 years old. If my weight gain is steady, then the doctors know that my heart is working well enough that my body doesn't have to use too many calories just keeping my blood pumping through my veins! It still takes a lot out of me just eating and growing, so I do sleep quite a bit. Mommy is amazed that I'm so regular with waking up every three hours 'round the clock to eat. I'm just like clockwork!

I'm so glad that Daddy is home for the weekend. Mommy and I miss him when he is gone for work. Maybe he will be able to post some recent pictures of me this weekend. I know people want to see how I've grown!