I don’t know if we’ve mentioned how much we adore getting feedback on here. Dave and I start every day by reading your comments, and we’re downright gleeful when we have a new photo to share like the smiles from yesterday! It always reminds us how many people are out there for the Bug to meet, and it makes us excited and happy.
On the advice of a nurse practitioner, we just ordered a plastic rain shield for the baby carrier. She said as long as no one’s touching Tess, that would give us a way to at least show her to people while protecting her. So laugh if you must, but we’ll be proudly introducing Tess as the bubble girl if you meet us outside of our house or with extra people over!
We’ve been worrying about how careful is careful, and how isolated she needs to be. Being first-time parents, we’ve had blinders on to an extent. Someone asked me how exactly I thought preemie parents took their little one home to older siblings! Clearly, total isolation isn’t necessary or she’d stay in the hospital; but limiting physical contact with new people, particularly those with kids, should help keep her safe. But I’m getting ahead of myself by miles. 🙂
Still, Tess is down to 3 liters oxygen flow today and graduated to a big pacifier! Growing, growing, growing. 2 pounds, 14 ounces tonight. She’s been sleeping a lot, which made me nervous until Dave pointed out her color is great and she’s breathing easily.
The days roll by, and for the most part we’re just reveling in being Tess’ parents. She has such a personality, and seeing those face-splitting smiles and how calm and contemplative she can be just rips our hearts open with joy. Not getting to be with her every minute is so hard! I can’t imagine life at home with her yet because I can’t quite believe that she’ll actually be in the nursery we made her and at family dinner, etc. Still, we feel her soaking into our universe, inspiring connection and love from the people we love – and in some ways that makes us feel like we are bringing her home already.
Ahhhh…so cute today! More pictures more pictures!!! Maggey were you in charge of the camera today??? Movies? We love seeing and hearing you two with Tess!
By the way…summer can be pretty hot… Can you use a mesh shield so the heat doesn’t overwhelm? I sure couldnt last in a plastic bubble for five minutes! 🙂 love sassy
Hot summers are a concern, but mesh won’t help. Too porous and see-through, so people can get close enough to pass germs along. We got a cloth one too, so if it’s hot and we’re out people won’t bother getting close – nothing to see. 😉 the bubble action is more for when we’re in air conditioning and people want to see her, or if it’s cool enough out so she can see around her. Good point though, and welcome to Comments!
I think you guys should do what you need to do to make Tess the most safe. I often think myself if I’m being too crazy as a first time parent but then I think, hey, I’m a first time parent, what do I know! Go with your gut and you’ll never be wrong! We’ll all be happy to see the bubble girl even if we can’t touch 🙂
By the way, it’s amazing that Kat continues to send nurishment for Tess. Pumping is a full time job and it’s awesome that she has kept with this “job.”
Totally agreed. Patty and I are thunderstruck by how awesome Kat is. What an amazing thing for her to do!
Be glad that Tess is so sleepy – growing fat and happy is exhausting work for little ones! It means her body’s growing and her brain is working up a storm processing everything you do. It’s hard work being awake! 🙂
If germs are a concern, I’ll see about getting a toddler-sized hamster ball for Liam. If he’s anything like me, he’d totally love it!
I hope you have time, down the road to somehow make this blog into a book or (ebook) for little Tess. What a gift it would be for her to be able to read all you have written 🙂 It is beautifully written.
And you know me, I’d probably have my kids in bubbles tied to the house to this day if they’d let me 🙂 and I will most likely be that friend that won’t go near Tess without a haz-mat suit on…over the years she’ll come to know me as “the neurotic ” one 🙂
Hugs to you all
Thanks Sarah! You know me and my books – I’m pretty sure that will happen in some form or another. Plus the nurses keep scrap booking for us! Good to know I have company on the neurotic front – and miss you tons! What about that plane ride, missy?!
The NICU sent us home with these little signs that clipped to the kids’ car seats that said something like don’t touch me:)
I just googled and found these: http://www.etsy.com/listing/95855254/baby-germie-stopper-no-touch-stroller-or
I was also going to suggest those stroller signs. We never used them, but we also didn’t seem to have problems with random people sticking their faces into Dexter’s personal space. One thing that I DID feel awkward about, but got over real quick, was asking everyone to wash their hands or use some hand sanitizer if they wanted to hold Dexter. We kept a bottle of hand sanitizer on the coffee table, and if people didn’t get the hint themselves, we had to speak up.
Also, it’s so nice to see the pictures of Tess. I’m glad that she’s getting big and more adorable every day!
You could just paint her with little red dots all over and then people will back off of their own accord. 🙂