NICU vs. Home (Aug. 22)

Hello friends, family, and nurses!

Can you believe that I have now been home just as long as I was in the NICU-7 weeks? I can't, but I know that I have enjoyed every minute of it. I also miss the NICU and being cuddled and spoiled by my lovely nurses and my Mommy's nurses. I am still waiting for the day that I can go and visit all of them at the Pavilion. My parents are going to ask Dr. Jack on Monday, because honestly, my Mommy misses them too. She was able to go visit with some of them today and of course they were all excited to see her, but they really wanted to oooh and aaah over ME!!

So, here's a list of the pros and cons of the 2 homes I have known:

NICU: Pros

• I was super spoiled!! 24/7
• I usually got what I wanted as soon as an idea of what I wanted popped into my head.
• Everyone came to visit me like I was a vacation! I remember one of my nurses came to my room to adore me so she could remind herself that babies can be and will become healthy in the NICU.
• I also got to be picked up and shown off to nurses in the other pods (but don't tell Mommy--she always saw me connected to my monitor except when she gave me a bath).
• I could lay on my tummy whenever I pleased because I did have the monitor.
• The nurses were GREAT!
• My room was beautiful! I had the best room in the place--I could look out at the trees and see the sky and I loved peeing on the hardwood floor!
• My Mommy held me every day (except the first couple of days after I was born).
• My bedding was changed almost every day and there was a huge wardrobe to choose from.
• Bathtime was fun, especially when Mommy learned about infant massage from Abbie.
• I was selected for modeling for the front page of the newspaper.
• I got to fingerpaint and toepaint every other week.
• I grew!

Cons

• My "great" nurses had to poke needles into me and it stung!
• I had to tolerate stinky feet (my own that is).
• I couldn't sleep on my tummy when it got closer to going home.
• I had this rotten tube in my nose for 6 1/2 weeks.
• My "great" nurses kept shoving the rotten tube back down my nose once I successfully pulled it out.
• Only so many visitors could be in my room at once.
• I got easily distracted from my daily chores.
• I didn't get to see my Daddy every day.
• Only my family kissed me.

Home: Pros

• No tubes!
• No monitor!
• No stinky feet!
• No IV!
• No shots or PKUs!
• I see Mommy AND Daddy every day!
• Daddy gets to spend lots of time with me at night and feeds me, too!
• I get to go outside!
• I get to listen to music.
• I hear the ice cream truck go past my window every day!!
• I can look at my fishies in my aquarium while falling asleep.
• I have 2 puppies and 2 kitties to chase and play with when I'm older. I will pull their tails.
• Visitors can spend the night in my house!
• I have my own personal visiting nurse who weighs and measures me in between doctor appointments.
• I have new neighbors and I can hear the neighbor kids playing outside.
• A couple of my NICU nurses visit me and are going to babysit me.
• My Mommy and Daddy love me and kiss me all the time.
• I'm getting chubby legs!

Cons

• No nurses around the clock.
• I have to be woken up every 4 hours at night to eat when I just want to sleep (hmm, maybe that old tube was good for something?).
• I don't get to eat ice cream.
• No lively outings, only to Dr. Jack's and out for a stroll on nice days.
• Not as many frequent visitors.
• Only so many visitors allowed to visit at once.
• Mommy and Daddy sometimes want to sleep when I want to play!
• I don't get to play with somebody 24/7.
• I'm not sure if I can attend my own baby shower.
• I'm still distracted pretty easily.

What is my favorite thing at my new home? Knowing that I will get to chase down the ice cream truck when I'm older!!

Thanks for looking at my very first pros/cons list. I'm sure my future elementary school teachers will be proud.

Danica