In my little bed

Here I am in my little bed at home. Unfortunately I can't have visitors for at least a few months because I am still extremely fragile and any cough or cold could make me very sick.

So mummy and daddy are going to get me through winter first and then when I am bigger and stronger I can't wait to meet all the beautiful people who have been saying so many prayers for me. I have heard all of you and can't wait to say a special little gurgle of thanks to each and every one of you. Only another day or two and I will be home for good ... I can't wait.

Nah na ne nah na

I think I deserve to be cheeky ...

The other little machine at the end of my furry car seat is called an apnea monitor and is attached to my tummy to make sure I keep breathing.

Day leave

Today (25 May) I took my first breath of fresh air. Here I am in my furry car seat ready to be whisked away from the hospital for the day. Mummy is taking me on 'day leave'. As you can see, I still have my nose invaders in and will do for the next few weeks until I get a bit stronger. But I am coming home either tomorrow (Friday) or Saturday after I have a few final examinations (eyes and ears). Wish me luck ... :)

A small package

I might be small but I'm a little fighter, that's for sure and certain. And regardless of me being a tincy little package, I've still managed to win the hearts of many ... especially my mummy and daddy!

I heard today that my two girlfriends who have also travelled through the NICU with me, Olivia and Sophie will be going home on Wednesday. They are twins and they are also little fighters. They have the cutest, chubbiest cheeks you could ever imagine.

When the mummys go home at night, me, Jasper, Sophie and Olivia, and another friend at the end of the nursery, Cole, all get up to lots of mischief. That's why we are all such good sleepers during the daytime. Us babies know how to party.

A burping

I'd just finished having a lovely feed with mummy and daddy had assumed the role of burper ...

Us girls

It's coming time for me to go home soon, so mummy thought it would be ok for Pops to have a cuddle. In this photo I'm about 2.2kgs, nearly double what I was when I was first born.

Tonight (18/05) I am having "a download" which means that the nurses monitor how much time I spend saturating above 88% in air (without any oxygen support). If it's more than 80% of the time, it means I don't need to bring home an oxygen tank and I can be free of my nose invaders for good. Ooh fingers crossed for me!

Rub a dub dub

Rubber ducky, you're the one ... lah lah la de dah de dah dah. Nearly 8 weeks and this is my first bath - not bad going eh? Oooh I loved it!

Chubby checker

I think this is going to be the one and only time in my life when even I am delighted at my chubby cheeks and chunky thighs. Mummy says they make her teeth itchy!!! I'm a different woman from nearly two months ago!

Couldn't get much cuter than this ...

Mummy went a little bit bananas last night snapping pictures of me in my new little bed. She just couldn't believe how amazingly cute I looked in my Bonds outfit and matching beanie. Cool.

Today is a pretty special day for me (10 May). Ever since I was still in my mummy's tummy, I made friends with another little baby whose mummy was next to mine in hospital. Well he was born 9 days after I was, and we have travelled through the NICU together.

His name is Jasper and he is my very special friend. As mummy is writing this for me, he is moving into the cot next to me so we can grow old and fat together before our mummy's take us home. I can't wait, we've only been away from each other for a few days at a time, so I got a bit lonely last night. Mummy will take some more pictures of us together this afternoon and post them up here soon.

In my cot

Guess what everybody? I got to move into a cot yesterday (9 May 2006). I'm a big girl now, weighing in at 2.147kgs. My mummy is booby feeding me three times a day and the other feeds I still get through my feeding tube. By the third feed I'm pretty pooped, but as the days go by it will get easier. I'm still using a puff of oxygen to help me with my breathing, but on Sunday I spent 3 hours since I came out of mummy's tummy without any breathing assistance whatsoever. Mummy and daddy were extremely proud of me.