All I can say about the first week is thank goodness for grandparents! :)
We arrived home later than expected on Monday afternoon. Noah hated the car journey and was quite grumpy by the time we arrived home. He had been breathing without his machine for most of the day so we thought we would put him on his machine for a rest once we had set everything up. We eventually worked out that our nurse had changed all the hoses on all the machines while we were busy packing at the Ronald McDonald, so that we had nice clean ones. A nice thought but we found out that we had leakages and it took us a while to work out where. We weren't very stressed at all!
Noah's night machine decided to work as a steam machine, which loosened Noah's phlegm (slijm) very nicely. So we had 0.005 seconds to suction him when he woke up before he sounded like he was drowning. We maintained our composure throughout!
The front room, the hallway, our bedroom, Noah's bedroom and the bathroom looked like an explosion in a medical supply warehouse. We had great ideas of getting organised but then came 'The Pampers Problem'.
Noah loves being home but the change gave him diarrhea - who knew there was such a difference between Rotterdam water and Den Haag water?! So we would no sooner get him washed, changed and dressed when a large trumpeting sound would signal our need to start again. Undress, wipe, change pampers, "PaaAAAAARRRRPPPP", wipe, change pampers, dress. "PaaAAAAARRRRPPPP", undress, wipe, change pampers, "PaaAAAAARRRRPPPP", wipe, change pampers ... and so on and repeat! It was time to phone for the cavelry!
Chris and Lex came to the rescue and we were so relieved to see them. They went to the Ikea to buy some storage for us. Lex helped Thijs to put it all together and then Thijs even managed to do a massive shop, so not only did we have some food in the house at last but we also had replenished stock of Pampers! Chris looked after Noah while I managed to cook some meals for the freezer. Finally some order is restored.
Since then it's been a lot better. We're still busy with the Pampers and we found that 2.5 hours isn't long enough to get us and Noah ready to leave the house and get to the doctors on time! But still it's all good . He's home and we love it!
Noah spends most of his day playing, sleeping and pooping just like a regular guy. Apart from the diarrhea he's still happy and doing well off his breathing machines. You can tell that it's all a bit tireing for him, but he's very relaxed and loving being home. He even ate a full bowl of food, which was unheard of in the hospital. We sit him in the corner of the couch when we have our breakfast and lunch so he has seen us eating. This obviously payed off.
Lilo hasn't really paid much attention to Noah. She's had a good sniff of him and licked his hand. She sleeps beneath the couch where Noah is sitting so it seems to be going well.
As you can imagine we haven't taken very many photos - hands are busy with pamper changing, but we will try and take some in the next few days and post you some home photos.
Thanks for all the fabulous cards, and a big shout out to the Drostens for the fabulous home decorations. Fantastic, it really made it a welcome home. Thanks also to Hans, Marloes, and the ICK1 team at Sophia for helping us out through this Pampers Problem, it was great to have you on the end of the phone to answer all our questions.
xxx The Drosten juniors.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
We're going HOME!!
So it's 05:30 in the morning, Noah is being suctioned for the 10th time this night and ... WE DON'T CARE - Only the weak need sleep! :)
We're all excited, it feels like Christmas morning only better. Our gift has been long awaited. We are so looking forward to starting our life together at last as a family at home. Thijs is off to the car to pick up all the crates we need to load Noah's equipment safely into the car.
Later we have to pack and clean our room at the Ricky McD', (we were told at 17:00 that we needed to stay another night in the hospital so we're not as prepared as we'd hoped- oh the best laid plans of mice and men!!).
So it's wash time for Noah, we'll all enjoy a lovely relaxed bath later at home. :)
After that it's a last physiotherapy session for Noah a final wave to the nurses and we hope to be out of here around 10:30, but as long as we leave - the time doesn't matter!
Right, it's time to get busy and stop blogging - at least for now!
xxx The Homecoming Kings and Queen (I've watched too much American TV!!)
We're all excited, it feels like Christmas morning only better. Our gift has been long awaited. We are so looking forward to starting our life together at last as a family at home. Thijs is off to the car to pick up all the crates we need to load Noah's equipment safely into the car.
Later we have to pack and clean our room at the Ricky McD', (we were told at 17:00 that we needed to stay another night in the hospital so we're not as prepared as we'd hoped- oh the best laid plans of mice and men!!).
So it's wash time for Noah, we'll all enjoy a lovely relaxed bath later at home. :)
After that it's a last physiotherapy session for Noah a final wave to the nurses and we hope to be out of here around 10:30, but as long as we leave - the time doesn't matter!
Right, it's time to get busy and stop blogging - at least for now!
xxx The Homecoming Kings and Queen (I've watched too much American TV!!)
Our at home visit and THE last night at the Sophia :)
On Tuesday night I was both excited and nervous. I think I slept a total of 3 hours, not that great a start to the day, but my brain just wouldn't switch off. Thijs and I were at the hospital around 7 o'clock in the morning. We had Noah dressed and ready to go by 08:30, which is when we had an appointment with the plastic surgery department. 2 hours later we still hadn't seen the doctor and were close to leaving. Noah was very hungry and a bit overwhelmed with all the people in the waiting room. Of course that's when the doctors had time to see us. I won't say that it was worth the wait, but the team of doctors were very thorough and gave us a lot of information. After 45 minutes we were finally on our way to Den Haag!
Noah wasn't that impressed with being in a car, but with his sheet over his head he managed to fall into a light sleep and we made it home in good time. We were a bit worried that Noah could be overwhelmed by all the new sights, sounds and smells, but in true Noah style he took a good look around, yawned and fell asleep!
We were glad he fell asleep because although we had been home a few times to set things up, there was still a lot more things that we found needed to be moved. This is really the purpose of such a day at home. We found out a lot of things, but the most important one is not to sit on Noah's oxygen hose!!
Here is me on the phone to Grampy Bazzard, while Noah is asking "Who?!". He was too young to remember my dad's terified face in the hospital, (my dad has a bit of a phobia against hospitals), but luckily he has the whole of March to get to know the head of the Welsh Mafia!
Papa got a few smiles from Noah as he was playing in his box.
He was so relaxed he smilled all the time - except for when we tried to take a photo of course!
Finally we put him in the bath which he thought was wonderful. He relaxed against his papa, kicked his feet and weed in the bath - traditional!
It really was a wonderful day. I thought I would be heartbroken to take Noah back to the hospital but strangely it gave me a bit of a lift. We both must have been a little worried, but this day proved that we can handle it and most importantly Noah loves being home.
So here we are, only 1 more night to go. This is Noah's last afternoon nap in the hospital.
Here is the last night waiting to be ticked off his tastefully decorated countdown calender!
Only one thing to do and that is to sleep this night away!
Good night and God bless everyone. Tomorrow is the start of a new future for the Drosten junior family and we can't wait. :)
xx The Drosten Juniors.
Noah wasn't that impressed with being in a car, but with his sheet over his head he managed to fall into a light sleep and we made it home in good time. We were a bit worried that Noah could be overwhelmed by all the new sights, sounds and smells, but in true Noah style he took a good look around, yawned and fell asleep!
We were glad he fell asleep because although we had been home a few times to set things up, there was still a lot more things that we found needed to be moved. This is really the purpose of such a day at home. We found out a lot of things, but the most important one is not to sit on Noah's oxygen hose!!
Here is me on the phone to Grampy Bazzard, while Noah is asking "Who?!". He was too young to remember my dad's terified face in the hospital, (my dad has a bit of a phobia against hospitals), but luckily he has the whole of March to get to know the head of the Welsh Mafia!
Papa got a few smiles from Noah as he was playing in his box.
He was so relaxed he smilled all the time - except for when we tried to take a photo of course!
Finally we put him in the bath which he thought was wonderful. He relaxed against his papa, kicked his feet and weed in the bath - traditional! 
It really was a wonderful day. I thought I would be heartbroken to take Noah back to the hospital but strangely it gave me a bit of a lift. We both must have been a little worried, but this day proved that we can handle it and most importantly Noah loves being home. So here we are, only 1 more night to go. This is Noah's last afternoon nap in the hospital.
Here is the last night waiting to be ticked off his tastefully decorated countdown calender!
Only one thing to do and that is to sleep this night away!Good night and God bless everyone. Tomorrow is the start of a new future for the Drosten junior family and we can't wait. :)
xx The Drosten Juniors.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
6 more nights!
Hoorah! Hoorah! We're in single digits and it's less than a week till Noah can sleep in his own bed.
Sadly there are no photos in today's posting. Noah has been far too busy to stand still and pose for photos. There have been visits by plastic surgeons, pediatricians, physiotherapists, rehabilitation doctor, helmet fittings, corset fittings, x-rays, and baby massages on top of his normal daily routine. It's GO! GO! GO!
Tomorrow Noah will visit his future home for the first time. Oma and Opa have been very busy taking care of Noah over the weekend so that we could go to Den Haag and try and get everything ready. Of course we have forgotten lots of things, like today we suddenly remembered that we need milk bottles for Noah. Although he still gets his food via a tube, we still need to make the milk up for him in a bottle. Ah well, we'll improvise! This is the main purpose of the visit really, just to see what things we need and where are the difficulties. It's a shame it couldn't have been earlier as we don't really have time before Monday to fix anything. Then again, it must be the same for anyone bringing their baby home, you'll see what you need and send the other half out to get it! :) We're both very excited, but I've been asked by more than one nurse whether they will see me back on Wednesday night. I think they are on to my plan of not returning - Darn it!!
There is also a mountain of administration that has been created since we got our coming home date. Thijs is constantly on the phone or walking around with a large sheet of paper, crossing things out and writing on it, muttering to himself. I hope he's not loosing it now! They say talking to yourself is the first sign of madness.....
Oma has also been working hard, as we decided to put a rush on getting a 3rd person signed off as an official care taker of Noah. So she will take her exam on Saturday, we all wish her the best of luck.
Well there's not much else to say, except thanks for all the great comments. We'll take some photo's of Noah's day at home and post them soon. I'm not really looking forward to coming back here after our home day, but at least it won't be for much longer. I wonder if we've got the theme tune from the movie "The great escape"? It would be so cool to play that when we finally leave here on Monday!
So it's so long from Colditz ... erm Sophia ;)
The Drostens.
Sadly there are no photos in today's posting. Noah has been far too busy to stand still and pose for photos. There have been visits by plastic surgeons, pediatricians, physiotherapists, rehabilitation doctor, helmet fittings, corset fittings, x-rays, and baby massages on top of his normal daily routine. It's GO! GO! GO!
Tomorrow Noah will visit his future home for the first time. Oma and Opa have been very busy taking care of Noah over the weekend so that we could go to Den Haag and try and get everything ready. Of course we have forgotten lots of things, like today we suddenly remembered that we need milk bottles for Noah. Although he still gets his food via a tube, we still need to make the milk up for him in a bottle. Ah well, we'll improvise! This is the main purpose of the visit really, just to see what things we need and where are the difficulties. It's a shame it couldn't have been earlier as we don't really have time before Monday to fix anything. Then again, it must be the same for anyone bringing their baby home, you'll see what you need and send the other half out to get it! :) We're both very excited, but I've been asked by more than one nurse whether they will see me back on Wednesday night. I think they are on to my plan of not returning - Darn it!!
There is also a mountain of administration that has been created since we got our coming home date. Thijs is constantly on the phone or walking around with a large sheet of paper, crossing things out and writing on it, muttering to himself. I hope he's not loosing it now! They say talking to yourself is the first sign of madness.....
Oma has also been working hard, as we decided to put a rush on getting a 3rd person signed off as an official care taker of Noah. So she will take her exam on Saturday, we all wish her the best of luck.
Well there's not much else to say, except thanks for all the great comments. We'll take some photo's of Noah's day at home and post them soon. I'm not really looking forward to coming back here after our home day, but at least it won't be for much longer. I wonder if we've got the theme tune from the movie "The great escape"? It would be so cool to play that when we finally leave here on Monday!
So it's so long from Colditz ... erm Sophia ;)
The Drostens.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Another blue baby episode......
Hi everyone,
As you may have read Noah is getting his first teeth. This unfortunately also means that he has an increased slime production in his lungs. So we now need to suction him more often then before, and react a bit quicker because his breathing tube gets blocked quicker.
We told the nurses this, but the nurse looking after Noah was busy with another patient. Her colleague was not quick enough, so Noah had another 'incident'.
These things make us wonder why we can't take him home. The last three incidents happened when we weren't there, so we may as well take over his care completely as he is safer with us then with the nurses. 17 days has never seemed this long.
Related, the deliveries of stuff are starting to arrive, or getting arranged. Another nightmare, as some companies are completely inflexible regarding their deliveries. I can call what time the oxygen gets delivered at 8.30 in the morning of the day that it gets delivered. The fact that I am already in work a 100 km away, and Louise is in the hospital taking care of Noah seems to be completely lost on these people.
Right I'll stop complaining now, and enter you with pictures (as soon as I am in Rotterdam and connect the camera that is, so check this space tonight)!
Enjoy,
Thijs
As Promised -PHOTOS! :)
Here is a photo log of a typical day in the life of Noah:
Here I am modeling the latest in head gear, the corrective helmet with cool cartoon styling. A true trend setter!
I am teaching my parents how to feed me. They keep trying this bland rice flakes and so I let them know that acceptable food is marzipan, pears or carrots. I just don't do rice flakes love!
Here I am getting ready to crawl around the bed. I let mum or dad give me some support as my tummy is still a bit tender.
After all these activities I like to check my blog to see who has left me some comments to read.
Phew! It's hard work being a kid in the 21st century! It's 18:30 time for bed. YaaaAAAWWN! See you all soon in Den Haag.
xx Noah
PS - I breathed for myself for 8 hours today all in one go - no machines!
As you may have read Noah is getting his first teeth. This unfortunately also means that he has an increased slime production in his lungs. So we now need to suction him more often then before, and react a bit quicker because his breathing tube gets blocked quicker.
We told the nurses this, but the nurse looking after Noah was busy with another patient. Her colleague was not quick enough, so Noah had another 'incident'.
These things make us wonder why we can't take him home. The last three incidents happened when we weren't there, so we may as well take over his care completely as he is safer with us then with the nurses. 17 days has never seemed this long.
Related, the deliveries of stuff are starting to arrive, or getting arranged. Another nightmare, as some companies are completely inflexible regarding their deliveries. I can call what time the oxygen gets delivered at 8.30 in the morning of the day that it gets delivered. The fact that I am already in work a 100 km away, and Louise is in the hospital taking care of Noah seems to be completely lost on these people.
Right I'll stop complaining now, and enter you with pictures (as soon as I am in Rotterdam and connect the camera that is, so check this space tonight)!
Enjoy,
Thijs
As Promised -PHOTOS! :)
Here is a photo log of a typical day in the life of Noah:
Here I am modeling the latest in head gear, the corrective helmet with cool cartoon styling. A true trend setter!
I am teaching my parents how to feed me. They keep trying this bland rice flakes and so I let them know that acceptable food is marzipan, pears or carrots. I just don't do rice flakes love!
Here I am getting ready to crawl around the bed. I let mum or dad give me some support as my tummy is still a bit tender.
After all these activities I like to check my blog to see who has left me some comments to read.
Phew! It's hard work being a kid in the 21st century! It's 18:30 time for bed. YaaaAAAWWN! See you all soon in Den Haag.
xx Noah
PS - I breathed for myself for 8 hours today all in one go - no machines!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Only 22 more sleeps!
So what's been happening this week?
Monday and Tuesday I spent in bed trying to sleep off this horrible cold that seems to be knocking people over this winter. Thijs yet again stepped up to the plate and took some leave from work to look after Noah. Noah thought it this was fantastic fun getting to play with his Dad all this extra time. What's also great is that now we can take Noah out from the IC Unit in his push chair on our own, without a nurse. It's a bit of a palaver loading up all the equipment we have to take with us, but it's worth it. Noah looks a bit amazed, he just stares, drinking in all the different sights and sounds, but he doesn't cry so that's a good thing he's not so scared of experiencing new things. He's a very brave little boy, but we knew that didn't we?!
Noah is up to 3.5 hours breathing practice, twice a day off his machines, fantastic! Tomorrow we start on 4 hours. He gets a bit tired, but this is all very hard work for a young fellow. So we make sure he has plenty of naps during the day, which he sometimes fights as he is having far too much fun playing! I've been playing the Disney compilation set he got from Sinterklaas , and he loves dancing along to the tunes.
We've been working with the follow up team, Noah had his helmet delivered. The helmet will help his head resume a normal shape instead of being flat at the back from where he's been lying in bed. You can see here that the back of his head is a bit out of shape.
However, Noah has very sensitive skin so we've had some problems getting him used to it. We had a gentleman from the follow up team come and refit his helmet so now he's all ready to start getting used to wearing it.
After his recent bout of diarrhea, he's gradually gaining back his lost weight. He's now 7620 grams. He's grown out of another set of clothes, so now I get to dress him up in all his new cool gear.
Noah has a set of physio moves he needs to do every day. One of which is lying on his stomach and seeing if he can lift his head up. Not only does he lift his head, he's doing baby push ups using his arms, and at one point he had his knee under his hips and started moving backwards down the bed! This is all positive stuff for his future, keep going Noah!
Both Thijs and I are now fully taking care of Noah, giving his medication, taking care of his sonde and canule, we're all set to bring him home. Thijs just did his exam last thursday, here he is changing Noah's canule.
It's given us a lot of confidence and sometimes even the nurses are happy with our help - as one commented to Thijs when he walked in over the weekend. It was a mad-house in the IC Unit so the nurse was relieved to have one less patient she needed to take care of. Glad we can help!
Oma and Opa were here on Friday, both are working on their certification for taking care of Noah. Both have now changed Noah's canule band, (the strap that holds in his canule, Noahs only way of breathing). As you can imagine, it's technically not difficult but emotionally it's incredibly hard. It's not quite what you imagine doing when you think about looking after your first grandchild, but they are doing a fantastic job of just getting on with things, the way they are.
Saturday we both had a fantastic day with Noah. He had a great day, smiling and charming everyone. He was even sleeping when we came in, so I had a chance to speak to some of the mums that were in the room. One of the mums asked me how come such a healthy child was on the ICU, that cheered us up for the whole day! :) We left for Den Haag on Saturday night. Before we left, we checked on Noah to change his pampers and make sure he didn't have any wind or cramps during the night. He slept all the way through his pampers change. I picked him up and threw him over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and he let out the loudest and longest fart ever! The mums in the unit burst out laughing, I thought at Noah until I turned around and found Thijs pointing at me - the rat!! :) Can you imagine, he was still fast asleep when I put him back!! This boy could sleep through an earth quake even if it was under his bed!!
Sadly on Sunday we had to spend the day in Den Haag doing all our laundry and admin. We hoped to be back at the hospital before the day shift left for the day, but we didn't make it. Now we know we have to shuttle back and fore to do the laundry we'll organise it a bit better for the future. However it's another reason for us to get home as quickly as possible.
We've decided to move back home just before Noah comes back for his test visit on the 11th of February. We've still got a lot of organising to do before he comes home, most of it relies on the hospital arranging delivery of his equipment, so you can imagine just how relaxed and happy we are in this situation! ;). Anyway we are doing all we can, Noah has already been fitted into his carseat so he won't be to shocked by the journey.
Lilo is doing great. Apparently her tail is starting to look like an antenna whipping around her bum! She's keeping busy dragging logs around the forest, chasing down tennis balls and keeping her pack in line. Marijke woke up one morning as she was having difficulty breathing. No, not a dreadful cold but rather a 40 kilo boxer that was hogging the bed and sleeping on top of her. To top it off, there was a 17 kilo Lilo sleeping on top of the boxer!! Deep breaths Marijke!! :)
So here we are at the end of another busy week, and the start of another. Only 22 sleeps, and tomorrow I'll start the day by marking off another night on the chart hanging above Noah's bed. Thanks for all the great comments on the last post, the phone calls and Noah's card. We can't tell you how much it helps us keep going, so thanks.
The network connection is playing up at the moment, so it's a bit tricky to post and check mail but we'll try and upload some cute photo's of Noah going through his daily routine. Otherwise we'll sort it out next weekend. Have patience and please keep the comments coming.
Much love,
The Drosten juniors
xxx
Monday and Tuesday I spent in bed trying to sleep off this horrible cold that seems to be knocking people over this winter. Thijs yet again stepped up to the plate and took some leave from work to look after Noah. Noah thought it this was fantastic fun getting to play with his Dad all this extra time. What's also great is that now we can take Noah out from the IC Unit in his push chair on our own, without a nurse. It's a bit of a palaver loading up all the equipment we have to take with us, but it's worth it. Noah looks a bit amazed, he just stares, drinking in all the different sights and sounds, but he doesn't cry so that's a good thing he's not so scared of experiencing new things. He's a very brave little boy, but we knew that didn't we?!
Noah is up to 3.5 hours breathing practice, twice a day off his machines, fantastic! Tomorrow we start on 4 hours. He gets a bit tired, but this is all very hard work for a young fellow. So we make sure he has plenty of naps during the day, which he sometimes fights as he is having far too much fun playing! I've been playing the Disney compilation set he got from Sinterklaas , and he loves dancing along to the tunes.
We've been working with the follow up team, Noah had his helmet delivered. The helmet will help his head resume a normal shape instead of being flat at the back from where he's been lying in bed. You can see here that the back of his head is a bit out of shape.
However, Noah has very sensitive skin so we've had some problems getting him used to it. We had a gentleman from the follow up team come and refit his helmet so now he's all ready to start getting used to wearing it.
After his recent bout of diarrhea, he's gradually gaining back his lost weight. He's now 7620 grams. He's grown out of another set of clothes, so now I get to dress him up in all his new cool gear.
Noah has a set of physio moves he needs to do every day. One of which is lying on his stomach and seeing if he can lift his head up. Not only does he lift his head, he's doing baby push ups using his arms, and at one point he had his knee under his hips and started moving backwards down the bed! This is all positive stuff for his future, keep going Noah!
Both Thijs and I are now fully taking care of Noah, giving his medication, taking care of his sonde and canule, we're all set to bring him home. Thijs just did his exam last thursday, here he is changing Noah's canule.
It's given us a lot of confidence and sometimes even the nurses are happy with our help - as one commented to Thijs when he walked in over the weekend. It was a mad-house in the IC Unit so the nurse was relieved to have one less patient she needed to take care of. Glad we can help!Oma and Opa were here on Friday, both are working on their certification for taking care of Noah. Both have now changed Noah's canule band, (the strap that holds in his canule, Noahs only way of breathing). As you can imagine, it's technically not difficult but emotionally it's incredibly hard. It's not quite what you imagine doing when you think about looking after your first grandchild, but they are doing a fantastic job of just getting on with things, the way they are.
Saturday we both had a fantastic day with Noah. He had a great day, smiling and charming everyone. He was even sleeping when we came in, so I had a chance to speak to some of the mums that were in the room. One of the mums asked me how come such a healthy child was on the ICU, that cheered us up for the whole day! :) We left for Den Haag on Saturday night. Before we left, we checked on Noah to change his pampers and make sure he didn't have any wind or cramps during the night. He slept all the way through his pampers change. I picked him up and threw him over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and he let out the loudest and longest fart ever! The mums in the unit burst out laughing, I thought at Noah until I turned around and found Thijs pointing at me - the rat!! :) Can you imagine, he was still fast asleep when I put him back!! This boy could sleep through an earth quake even if it was under his bed!!
Sadly on Sunday we had to spend the day in Den Haag doing all our laundry and admin. We hoped to be back at the hospital before the day shift left for the day, but we didn't make it. Now we know we have to shuttle back and fore to do the laundry we'll organise it a bit better for the future. However it's another reason for us to get home as quickly as possible.
We've decided to move back home just before Noah comes back for his test visit on the 11th of February. We've still got a lot of organising to do before he comes home, most of it relies on the hospital arranging delivery of his equipment, so you can imagine just how relaxed and happy we are in this situation! ;). Anyway we are doing all we can, Noah has already been fitted into his carseat so he won't be to shocked by the journey.
Lilo is doing great. Apparently her tail is starting to look like an antenna whipping around her bum! She's keeping busy dragging logs around the forest, chasing down tennis balls and keeping her pack in line. Marijke woke up one morning as she was having difficulty breathing. No, not a dreadful cold but rather a 40 kilo boxer that was hogging the bed and sleeping on top of her. To top it off, there was a 17 kilo Lilo sleeping on top of the boxer!! Deep breaths Marijke!! :)
So here we are at the end of another busy week, and the start of another. Only 22 sleeps, and tomorrow I'll start the day by marking off another night on the chart hanging above Noah's bed. Thanks for all the great comments on the last post, the phone calls and Noah's card. We can't tell you how much it helps us keep going, so thanks.
The network connection is playing up at the moment, so it's a bit tricky to post and check mail but we'll try and upload some cute photo's of Noah going through his daily routine. Otherwise we'll sort it out next weekend. Have patience and please keep the comments coming.
Much love,
The Drosten juniors
xxx
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Certified or Certifiable?!
Just so you know where I’m going with this thread I’ll start with the line, “I’m not one to moan but …” and you can decide if you want to read any further. :)
It’s 25 nights sleep before Noah comes home. Never has time seemed so elastic, the days are flying past because we have so much to arrange and yet they are taking forever to arrive because it’s 25 whole nights until we will finally be a family.
The thing about having an ending is that you can’t help looking back at the start of your journey. Well, when I say looking back, it’s actually more like having flash backs. This whole situation feels a bit like surviving a ship wreck. Here we are treading water with our faces barely above the surf because we’re tired; we’ve been here too long. Every now and again a wave comes along that’s just too high but somehow we extend another burst of energy and manage to fight to the surface and keep on paddling.
One such wave is the ARBO doctor. All I will say on this subject is that going to one of these “people” is like going to a pedophile for parenting advice, not an enjoyable experience and leaves you feeling like you need a good wash after wards. Enough said!
Living in a single room for several months, practically nose to armpit with your beloved, makes you very happy you married someone you like, and that washes regularly! :) Thank goodness for the portable DVD player and the load of fantastically ridiculous movies to help you escape in the evening.
It’s great that there is such a place as the Ronald McDonald, (or as we, his close friends call him, Ricky McD!), but you can have too much of a good thing. The new house is fabulous in its space and the amount of modern equipment it houses; but I have to say it’s not for me. The large open communal areas just leave me feeling very exposed and under the spotlight. I suppose some people are glad that there is an area where people can come together, but I dread the well meaning questions, and seeing the shell shocked parents avoiding eye contact, I find it so sad and upsetting. I’m glad we have a room to go and sit and eat our dinner. I’m really looking forward to finally eating a hot and not warm dinner. 25 nights to go!
It’s not all lying around watching movies and cooking gourmet meals you know! Thijs and I have to study, follow planned steps and pass exams. Thijs, being the brainiac he is, has of course passed his first. Although we all knew that Thijs is a papa for 6 months and 2 weeks, this was not official! As of now, in accordance will all the plans, steps and exams set by the hospital, Thijs is a fully qualified and most importantly a signed and certified care giver for his son. Hoora! Hoora! I am still an unofficial mum; I hope to pass my exam next week on the 29th. Wish me luck won’t you? I dare not fail, I need my permanent contract!
I’m feeling a bit emotional because I’m in the process of stopping giving mummy’s milk to Noah. On one hand, it’s a good thing, as I have some time where I can put to use on myself doing my yoga and all that. On the other hand, it’s the end of a phase in Noah’s childhood; I never got the chance to actually breastfeed so that makes me feel a bit sad. But I guess this is something that all mums can associate with, I’m so proud of all that Noah is achieving but there’s a little tiny bit of me that misses that little helpless baby. Completely soppy and girly, I know! I did say I was feeling a bit emotional or should that be irrational?!
Well that’s quite enough reflection, let’s look at the future. The best thing about being certified is that we can now take Noah out for walks. You can imagine for the little guy that’s only been in a controlled and warm environment what a big step it is to go outside. We don’t want to overwhelm him with too much all in one go. Coming home and the BIG change in his environment will be enough of a surprise, so we are planning some small excursions for him to get a little acclimatised to the outside. We also have to do a test run in the car. I wonder if he’ll fall asleep. That would be just like him, he seems to breeze through all the big steps.
Take, for example, practicing to breath off his machine. The doctors thought it would take a long time to build up, but NO! Noah is off his machine for 6 hours a day. At 2 x 3 hour intervals and next Monday he will go to 2 x 4 hour intervals! This is a huge difference in the outlook for his home situation. For a start we no longer have to move because we can’t navigate the stairs with him and all his equipment. So the house is off the market. There’s time to make gradual changes and let the dust settle a bit before we have to make any big decisions and that is a HUGE relief to us both.
The last question waiting to be answered is how much support we will receive from official channels. We’ve received the advice from the hospital, and it is very generous, but this needs to be signed off by the city council. After that we have to see what kind of help is available to us in our area. We just found out that 2 medical crèches had to close down in our area because people couldn’t afford to pay for them out of their budget, so we’re curious to say the least! Well, we’re keeping fingers, toes and eyes crossed, (a weird British habit that’s meant to bring good luck!), that it all turns out well!
Thijs and I are planning 2 weeks of at home vacation for when Noah arrives home. After all this craziness, the noise and chaos of the IC unit, the constant scrutiny of so many people, we’re really looking forward to going home. Home, where we can close the door, enjoy the quiet and be a family alone but together at last. 25 nights.
Sweet dreams xxx
It’s 25 nights sleep before Noah comes home. Never has time seemed so elastic, the days are flying past because we have so much to arrange and yet they are taking forever to arrive because it’s 25 whole nights until we will finally be a family.
The thing about having an ending is that you can’t help looking back at the start of your journey. Well, when I say looking back, it’s actually more like having flash backs. This whole situation feels a bit like surviving a ship wreck. Here we are treading water with our faces barely above the surf because we’re tired; we’ve been here too long. Every now and again a wave comes along that’s just too high but somehow we extend another burst of energy and manage to fight to the surface and keep on paddling.
One such wave is the ARBO doctor. All I will say on this subject is that going to one of these “people” is like going to a pedophile for parenting advice, not an enjoyable experience and leaves you feeling like you need a good wash after wards. Enough said!
Living in a single room for several months, practically nose to armpit with your beloved, makes you very happy you married someone you like, and that washes regularly! :) Thank goodness for the portable DVD player and the load of fantastically ridiculous movies to help you escape in the evening.
It’s great that there is such a place as the Ronald McDonald, (or as we, his close friends call him, Ricky McD!), but you can have too much of a good thing. The new house is fabulous in its space and the amount of modern equipment it houses; but I have to say it’s not for me. The large open communal areas just leave me feeling very exposed and under the spotlight. I suppose some people are glad that there is an area where people can come together, but I dread the well meaning questions, and seeing the shell shocked parents avoiding eye contact, I find it so sad and upsetting. I’m glad we have a room to go and sit and eat our dinner. I’m really looking forward to finally eating a hot and not warm dinner. 25 nights to go!
It’s not all lying around watching movies and cooking gourmet meals you know! Thijs and I have to study, follow planned steps and pass exams. Thijs, being the brainiac he is, has of course passed his first. Although we all knew that Thijs is a papa for 6 months and 2 weeks, this was not official! As of now, in accordance will all the plans, steps and exams set by the hospital, Thijs is a fully qualified and most importantly a signed and certified care giver for his son. Hoora! Hoora! I am still an unofficial mum; I hope to pass my exam next week on the 29th. Wish me luck won’t you? I dare not fail, I need my permanent contract!
I’m feeling a bit emotional because I’m in the process of stopping giving mummy’s milk to Noah. On one hand, it’s a good thing, as I have some time where I can put to use on myself doing my yoga and all that. On the other hand, it’s the end of a phase in Noah’s childhood; I never got the chance to actually breastfeed so that makes me feel a bit sad. But I guess this is something that all mums can associate with, I’m so proud of all that Noah is achieving but there’s a little tiny bit of me that misses that little helpless baby. Completely soppy and girly, I know! I did say I was feeling a bit emotional or should that be irrational?!
Well that’s quite enough reflection, let’s look at the future. The best thing about being certified is that we can now take Noah out for walks. You can imagine for the little guy that’s only been in a controlled and warm environment what a big step it is to go outside. We don’t want to overwhelm him with too much all in one go. Coming home and the BIG change in his environment will be enough of a surprise, so we are planning some small excursions for him to get a little acclimatised to the outside. We also have to do a test run in the car. I wonder if he’ll fall asleep. That would be just like him, he seems to breeze through all the big steps.
Take, for example, practicing to breath off his machine. The doctors thought it would take a long time to build up, but NO! Noah is off his machine for 6 hours a day. At 2 x 3 hour intervals and next Monday he will go to 2 x 4 hour intervals! This is a huge difference in the outlook for his home situation. For a start we no longer have to move because we can’t navigate the stairs with him and all his equipment. So the house is off the market. There’s time to make gradual changes and let the dust settle a bit before we have to make any big decisions and that is a HUGE relief to us both.
The last question waiting to be answered is how much support we will receive from official channels. We’ve received the advice from the hospital, and it is very generous, but this needs to be signed off by the city council. After that we have to see what kind of help is available to us in our area. We just found out that 2 medical crèches had to close down in our area because people couldn’t afford to pay for them out of their budget, so we’re curious to say the least! Well, we’re keeping fingers, toes and eyes crossed, (a weird British habit that’s meant to bring good luck!), that it all turns out well!
Thijs and I are planning 2 weeks of at home vacation for when Noah arrives home. After all this craziness, the noise and chaos of the IC unit, the constant scrutiny of so many people, we’re really looking forward to going home. Home, where we can close the door, enjoy the quiet and be a family alone but together at last. 25 nights.
Sweet dreams xxx
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