Peeping Tom

What would you do if you looked out your baby's third story window and saw a man peeking into her crib?

Would you take a picture? That is what we did!

And then we watched him for awhile and hoped he would make it over to the other window while we were still there.

It was cool. And loud, but mostly cool.

Dalan wants to start doing the same thing. He was in awe. I was pretty impressed too.

Have you ever watched a window washer on a multiple story building? It is awesome.

Quinn-tuple

The word of the week is "Quinn-tuple"!

Quinn is now a five pound, 2 ounce baby!

On Tuesday, she quintupled her birth weight by going from 440 grams to 2,210 grams in 75 days.

On Wednesday, she was exactly 4 pounds heavier than her birth weight. 15.5 ounces to 4 pounds and 15.5 ounces in 10 and half weeks.

Today, she broke the 5 pound barrier, and weighed in at a hefty 5 pounds and 2 ounces one day before turning 11 weeks old/36 weeks adjusted gestation!

Here is what a five pound Quinners looks like....



Other important milestones/updates this week:

We started NUTRITIVE (regular, traditional) breast feeding. It is going well, not perfect yet, but we are getting there. Quinn and I will practice nursing twice a day for now, and eventually she will transfer over to all oral feeds, either by breast or bottle.

Quinn successfully weaned some more on her oxygen needs.

She still loves her binkie! No surprise there. I dropped her binkie while holding her tonight, and she would suck on her thumb or fist, only to get frustrated and tongue thrust for her binkie. The girl is addicted to her bink.

Here is what a binkie addict looks like....

Funny dog

Piper's new favorite place to lounge is a laundry basket full of clean clothes that is on our love seat waiting to be put away. When Dalan got home from the hospital yesterday she hopped out of it to greet him. I missed it, because I was busy being ticketed for my general disregard of speed limits. However, today we both got to watch as she jumped over the arm of the couch* and into the basket. So much for my poor old dog that had arthritis so bad two months ago she could not even walk up the stairs. Piper feeling spry and nimble again is worth a basket of hairy clothes!





*She could not just hop onto the other side and then into the basket, because there is a bin of Quinn's clothes on the other side.....anyone want to come help me clean the house before I go back to work/Quinn comes home????? I am in need of some obvious help. Of course, I have an erratic schedule full of pumping and hospital going, so you will be on your own for much of the cleaning, so by help, I mean do it for me.

A blog with two possible titles

Title 1: Ticket and Tears

I got pulled over today and received a ticket for speeding. This upset me terribly, like I was bawling my eyes out. Not so much that I got a ticket, because I was speeding, but how the cop was so unsympathetic. I took a new way from the hospital today, so I could stop and get Dalan and me some food on the way home (we had gone to the hospital in different cars.) I pulled onto a street and followed the truck in front of me for about six blocks, and then got pulled over. I had no idea what the speed limit was on that road, but figured I was speeding when I got pulled over. I apologized and explained to the officer that I was unfamiliar with the road and was just going with the flow of traffic. He told me that the truck in front of me was speeding as well, but that I was going slightly faster so I got the ticket. I also tried to explain that I had just come from the hospital and was having a rough time in general. He dismissed this, took my license, and wrote me up a ticket. I got very upset, and was crying. He ignored my tears (and these were real tears...I am sure he has seen his share of crocodile tears, but this was red in the face, I am truly upset tears) and explained my ticket. He never once asked if I was ok or if I was ok to drive. Grrrrr! I am sure he hears all kinds of excuses all the time, but I was pretty much a mess. A little sympathy and understanding would have gone along way. Makes me so mad.

Title 2: Marveling at the Mighty Quinn

On the upside of things I had a wonderful visit with Quinn and my parents last night. We had so much fun talking, laughing, and just marveling at the Mighty Quinn.

And I had a wonderful visit with VaRonica today. We both have been so busy, and it was nice to catch up. We had so much fun talking, laughing, and just marveling at the Mighty Quinn.

And I had a wonderful visit with my huz and babe today. It is always so relaxing and calming in the afternoons. We had so much fun talking, laughing, and just marveling at the Mighty Quinn.

And I get to meet up with my in laws tonight. I am sure we will have so much fun talking, laughing, and just marveling at the Mighty Quinn.

And now for some photographic evidence.....

Big Foot

I am all about the comparisons. I am sure all mothers are amazed with how much their newborns grow and change the first weeks/months of life, but when your baby goes from under one pound to almost five pounds in 10 weeks....well, let's just say it blows my mind and amazes me on a daily basis. When Quinn was "little" she was all hands and feet. They were huge compared to the rest of her body. Now they are nicely proportioned to the rest of her body, but huge compared to what they were just eight weeks ago. You can link to the previous posts about her hands and feet here and here.

May 28 versus July 25

Two quaters, plus some

Hands are hard to get, but it gives you a general idea.

And here are a couple more pictures are super alert Quinn. I love that you can see the panic in her eyes as the bink falls out of her mouth. And the calmness in the second picture once it is back in her mouth where it belongs!

Bright eyed

We gave Quinners a bath last night. We absolutely love giving her a bath, because it is a great chance for us to play and interact with her in a "normal" way, despite being in the hospital. And she loves it. She is always so alert and wide-eyed. Last night, while she was all slippery she was able to get her whole fist into her mouth and suck away. Funny girl. I did not take pictures during the bath this time, too busy playing and washing, but we did get some great one after we were all done.











Quinn was so smiley today. Did we ever catch it on camera? No, so you'll just have to take my word for it. While we were getting her ready for her mid-morning nap, Quinn closed her eyes, only to break out in the biggest smile I have ever seen, and then pop her eyes back open. I think she was trying to fool us that she was really sleeping while she wasn't. She just smiled and smiled. The nurse said she had never seen such a small baby smile so much. All the nurses comment on Quinn's good nature. Babies who are born so early and are hospitalized for so long, often get ornery and hard to console. Not Quinn, she is happy the majority of the time. She is still feisty and spunky, but so much happier than when she was intubated. This afternoon she did a great job with our N.N.B.F. and then took a little nap. She then woke up and just laid in my arms smiling and looking all over the place. It was wonderful.

Piglet

This is Quinn and Dalan snuggling in mid-June. (Quinn's weight: less than 2 pounds)


This is Dalan and Quinn snuggling yesterday (July 23). (Quinn's weight: around 4 and half pounds.)


Holy cow! What a chunk! Look how big she has gotten in just over a month. It is unbelievably wonderful, isn't it?

Hat

Quinn was sporting a hat yesterday. She looked adorable. Does she ever not look adorable though? :-)

Dalan said it was pulled down too low, and she looked like a gangsta baby. I learned in all my gang trainings that dressing in one solid color day after day is a warning sign of gang involvement. She claims pink apparently. Her binkie is favorite vice. Don't try to get between Quinn and her bink. If the binkie isn't readily available she will suck her thumb or sleeve. She has been liking her thumb a little more these days. The other day she tried to suck her thumb while we were doing our NNBF (non-nutritive breastfeeding). When Quinn is receiving a little less support/flow from the oxygen, we will finally get to start regular breastfeeding. She and I are looking forward to it.







Quinn is doing well. She is just working on breathing, eating, and growing. She is alert and fun. We love her so much! No definite date has been set for her coming home, although it is likely going to be past her due date. We want her home desperately, but not before she is ready, so we'll be patient.

Binkie baby

Samesies

People are saying that Quinn is looking more and more like me everyday....only time will tell if this is true or she ends up a mixture of her mom and dad. When she is "full term" I will post some baby pictures of the three of us for a proper comparison. However, I am pretty sure we are making the same exact face in our first "just the two of us" self portrait.



Look how huge my head is.....

And now for your viewing pleasure more cute pictures of the Quinners.....




Finally, just to show Dalan and I have not lost our sense of humor, here is a funny picture I took of us today.

Grandparents!

For the last two days, Quinn had the privilege of finally getting to snuggle with her grandparents (all except her G-Daddy, my dad...she is still too little for his comfort zone.) I surprised them all with the exciting news about half way through the visit when I offered to pass the baby to a waiting grandma. Oh boy, were they ever thrilled. It was so fun to watch them all get to hold their first granddaughter. Quinn loves her grandparents! And they love her right back!