Home...and Home Again!

Hey everybody! It's Azja again! I've been letting Dad write the last few posts, but I just came home from an ordeal that I wanted to tell you about personally so you didn't get too worried about me. Spoiler alert: it wasn't really a big deal and I'm okay now : ) But first I have to update you with all that's happened since Dad last posted. The last posts were from the hospital. I'm not there anymore! Yay! I passed all my tests on Sunday, and the nurses and doctors let us all go home. But first I got all dressed up so the hospital could take a picture of me. That's me in the polkadot dress and green sweater. I was sleeping, which made it really hard to take the picture, but they never said anything about staying awake. I didn't know that was part of the picture-taking process. I'm new to the visual world, remember? So then Mom gave me one last meal before dressing me up to leave, and Dad snapped this picture of my "monkey" feet sticking out from under Mom's arm. Finally, Mom and Dad got me dressed, put on my socks and mittens to keep me warm outside, and bundled me into my car seat for the first time. I like riding in the car seat, even though I hate getting bundled into it. And we were off to my new home. The car ride seemed really short even though Dad said our house was 8 whole blocks away!

When we got home, Mom and I saw that our friends Jay and Hallie had prepared a 'Welcome Home' sign. They've been waiting for me for a while, so they've been excited about coming over and seeing me now that I'm born. They came over Sunday evening, and we all chatted with Dad's parents through something called a video-conference. It involved a lot of cables, a computer, a camcorder, the TV, and some frustration getting it all set up. Dad found a way to get it working, though, as he seems to have an aptitude for technological devices. It's his aptitude for all things baby-related that he's having to significantly improve this week. He's getting better, but I still think he's terribly afraid of breaking me. I'm a baby, Dad, not a Ming Dynasty vase. He'll learn.

Sunday night Mom and Dad were glad to have me in their bedroom through the night rather than a cold hospital room. Mom attended to my every need throughout the night, and Dad tried to stay awake enough to help. He's not as good with sleep deprivation as Mom, but this he will also learn. Despite Mom's many attempts, I was not really in the mood to eat as much as I should have. I was really a bigger fan of sleeping. Monday morning I had a doctor's appointment and some lab testing that tested my patience. How many times do I have to get poked and prodded? I was about to find out this was just the beginning. The doctor told us that because I wasn't eating as much as I should be I might be lacking in electric lights. He said I was strong and had good muscle-tone overall, but that I might need more to eat that what I was getting and recommended some formula to supplement my diet. He also recommended another test, which led to another needle - ouch! Mom then worked with a nurse who specialized in nursing - seems like a pretty natural thing for a nurse to specialize in. She helped Mom try to get the most out of our feeding sessions. So we went home and tried applying some things we learned as well as some formula. But then the doctor called and said the last test showed I was dehydrated slightly. He recommended I go to the hospital for overnight hydration through an IV or maybe "ivy", I'm not sure which, whichever one is a long viney thing that attaches to limbs and carries water and other nutrients.

Mom and Dad were sad and a little scared about having to leave me at the hospital overnight for this, but then they found out they got to stay, too, and they were then glad we were going to get me healthy as soon as possible. So once again, on Monday night, I stayed the night in a hospital room. Grandma and Grandpa Vogt stayed with me until the end of visiting hours, and then they left Mom, Dad, and I alone to bring me back to 100% hydrated. It was a long night for everyone involved. At first Mom was waking me up to eat, and I wasn't very happy about it. Then Dad read to me, and I liked the way he told stories. Then, as the hydration progressed, I was awake longer and longer and wanted to eat more and more. I came into the hospital Monday night at 7 lbs, and this morning I weight 7 lbs 8 ounces. I gained half a pound overnight! The doctor was happy with my progress, and he said the new test results showed that I was now the picture of health! They let me go from the hospital this morning, and I'm now back at home happier, healthier, and with a much better appetite. I hated the nurses at first for poking me with needles, putting the ivy in my arm, and strapping the club-like contraption to my arm to hold it. But now that I feel so much better I'm glad they put me through all that. Dad says that now that everything is okay, he can share the news of my ordeal with the world and let them know how good I was going through it. He also wanted to share some pictures, as well. My arm looks pretty upsetting in the pictures, but once they put the bandages on it didn't hurt, and I actually learned to start swinging it around like a club and holding it up when I slept (Mom and Dad said that was really cute). The last picture is one Dad finally got of me being a "wiggle worm". When I'm sleeping and bundled up, apparently I like to raise my legs, which causes the swaddling to lift up and make me look like, well, a wiggle worm. I can't explain it, I guess it's just how I like to sleep.

Well, anyway, I guess I'd better get back to eating, sleeping, going to the bathroom, and taking in my surroundings with wide-eyed fascination. What can I say? I'm a baby. That's what we do.

So long for now,
Azja