Groundhog's Day

Feels fitting that this past Monday was Groundhog's Day because that's truly how every day passes at the NICU. There is some sort of weird time vortex that must occur somewhere between the parking lot and the scrub-in sink because even though it feels like I've been here for more than two weeks, it seems like the clock just spins away and yet I have little to show for all those hours.

The other night though, two other NICU moms and I stepped out of the routine and went out to celebrate one's birthday over dinner. Rather than getting all dolled up, we each raced to our respective corners to pump breast milk (what I like to call "make moo") so as to reset the clock on how much time we would have out (about 1.5 hrs). How life has changed in oh so little time.

Initially, we each felt a little guilty and reluctant to leave the hospital when we could all be hanging over our kids (as if staring at them did any good). Then it occurred to me that this is the only time we can afford to have professional nurses, with all the cutting-edge equipment, essentially babysit our kids. If any time, this is our chance to take a nap, go out for dinner, or type mindless stuff on a blog. So, we went without guilt and stayed out well beyond our (pumping) curfew... and as predicted, all of our kids were safely tucked in their beds when we returned.

During dinner I did have one stroke of genius... or so I like to think. We were discussing how to keep our sanity, or our spouse's, while getting up multiple times in the night to feed our babies when we go home. It sounds like a lot of parents sleep in separate rooms so that at least one person stays coherent while the other one slips into the irrational realm being so sleep deprived. (Not sure what that says that Jack might get more rest in a combat zone than at home...)

But, here's my contribution to society: why not create a human version of hampster food dispensers?!? If anything, it has to be less problematic and tempermental than Mom's body... and the kid could go ahead and take out all her aggression by gnawing the thing to shreds without anyone getting marred in the process. Brilliant, I know.

In other news though, Madeline Quinn is poking right along. She regained the weight she lost the other day, and is maintaining her body temperature. My reflexes are adjusting to her sense of humor as I almost got out of the line of fire in time yesterday while changing her diaper.

Yeah, and I know I wasn't specific before, didn't want to gross anyone out, but let's just summarize by saying we're talking about the fragrant stuff that she is aiming and shooting. My idea of getting back at my parents was to hurl all over the place, on command. Hopefully, Quinn isn't perfecting her own version of this!

Thank you again to everyone for all your support, emails, phone calls, and prayers. It's definitely helping!
Mini Murph Mama