A new normal

We are quickly discovering that normal has a new meaning for us, our family and everyone in the hospital. We knew that having a baby would be different for usand our lives but the hospiatl normal is a different thing altogether. In a few short days we have managed to establish a routine which has made everything that we deal with much more manageable and combines time for us with as much time with ellie as we can and some time to see and talk to friends and family.

We go to visit Ellie first thing in the morning, around 7.

This morning we woke her up and harrassed to to make her cry a just a bit. Believe it or not it was great to hear her cry this morning after so many days of no sound and lethargy following the anesthesia. The nurses are great for us and today offered to let Abby change a diaper for the first time. with a little bit of fumbling she managed to maneuver through the portholes in ellie's little isolet and switch out out one very wet diaper for a clean and dry one. The nurses even put her in a cute little pink sweater. I will add a picture when the digital gets charged up again.

from 8-11 each morning the doctors do their rounds in the NICU and we have to leave. This is nice for us because it forces us to have some down time for the morning, catch up on the many messages and emails that have come flowing in from literally around the world (hi to everyone in Kabul, Paddy).

around noon we go back to visit Ellie and check in for a minute and have spent the last few days taking some visitors down to the NICU to see her. Yesterday we had visitors from about 3 until 8 or so. Never a dull moment is a good way for an afternoon to go.

After dinner, we take some time with each other, make a nice long evening visit to see Ellie and say good night.

even though this is a long way from the dream situation, it is becoming normal for us. There are still a bunch of hiccups along the way each day, including when abby read the blog for the first time yesterday, or the first time that I tried to read anything from it to her out loud, Periodic fits of crying are the norm, but we are getting in the groove of this new kind of lifestyle.