(above) Laney and Samantha did an excellent job with their chalk drawings today. They were so proud. You can not tell from the above picture, but the whole driveway is covered with their art.
The girls and I visited Parker at lunch time today. He looked really good...nice and pink. The afternoon was spent cleaning out my car, drawing with chalk and flying kites. (Thanks Christine for the sidewalk chalk!!! The girls had a blast!!!) It was a beautiful day and the girls and I had a lot of fun. We spent the evening at Laney's Kindergarten Orientation. I can't believe my little girl is going to Kindergarten. Starting tomorrow our routine is going to change a bit. I am not sure when I will be able to visit with Parker now that Samantha is home with me and Laney needs to be dropped off at 9:00am and picked back up at 3:30pm. We will see how things go this week.
Parker will be four weeks old tomorrow. Weighing in at 2 lbs 8 oz. I can't believe he is already a month old. The last four weeks have been a blur. It really doesn't feel like it has been that long. He is doing really well. Today they did a repeat LP (Lumbar Puncture) to test to see if the infection is still in his spinal fluid and if he is responding correctly to the antibiotics. They assume the test will come back with no issues based on how well he is doing just by looking at him. They should have the results by tomorrow morning.
He has had NO apnea spills tonight. Yeah!!! It's nice to know your kid is breathing!!!! I called at midnight and got a very good report from Parker's nurse. She had just fed him 17cc of fortified breast milk. They started fortifying the breast milk again a couple of days ago, because he went several days without gaining any weight. Hopefully now he will start packing on the pounds/ounces.
After Laney's Kindergarten Orientation, Grandma Laney and our family went out for dinner. The whole time I was a bit distracted by the family with the baby sitting behind us. He looked like he was only a couple of weeks old. I just had to ask how old he was...he was three weeks old. I think I realized at that moment that this whole situation hasn't really hit me yet. This month has been a blur and I am very nervous for Parker's homecoming.
It feels so strange to have a baby and then not bring the baby home with you. Honestly, I feel very distant. I don't want to use the word unattached, because I am already in love with my little guy. The bond is just so different from what I experienced with the girls. Which I am sure is somewhat "normal". Maybe it is because I am not that much of a baby person to begin with. Or maybe it is because he is already a month old and I can count on two hands how many times I have been able to hold him and kiss him. Okay...now I'm crying...I think I need some major cuddle time with Parker over the next two months.
