My Daddy is my Favorite Pal

I woke up the other day, all excited for the energy that I felt!  I opened my eyes wide and saw lots of smiling faces looking down at me.  I looked around a couple times, hoping to see my parents, and I have to admit, I was a bit sad when their faces didn’t appear.  I didn’t want the nurses to feel bad, though, so I continued looking around and interacting with them – I love them too you know.

 

I found out later the reasons my parents weren’t there.  They were at home with my grandparents and some of my aunts and uncles having a “1 foot” party.  You see, I grew to be 12 inches that day.  I’m probably even taller now.  Here are some pictures they showed me of the party.  (It was too bad Grandpa Paul was out of town, since the party was his idea!)

Also, I guess I didn’t wake up at the right time.  It’s so hard to keep track of time in my little room.  I just leave that to the nurses.  They usually wake me up every three hours to move me, change me, and feed me – 9, 12, 3 and 6 around the clock.  I guess that I wasn’t breathing like they liked me to be, though, so they decided to turn me and take care of all that early, and when my parents came a little before 9 to see me I was fast asleep.  I found out that they were just as bummed as I was, so the next night I made sure that I was wide awake for when they came!  Boy were they excited to see me!  They took tons of pictures!  I was so excited to see them, and trying so hard to let them feel my love as I focused and looked at them, that sometimes I went cross-eyed.  Embarrassing, right?  My eyes are still working on this automatic focus thing.  I bet you just thought it always came automatically.  Reminds ya to not take anything for granted!

                                                 

This time it was Dad's turn for a treat!  I worked extra hard to breathe well, so that I would get more time interacting with my parents.  I did so well, that dad got his first turn to give me a kiss!  I tell you what, I have the best daddy in the whole wide world!  I like to dream about all the adventures we're gonna go on when I get strong enough.                         

My parents have been a bit worried about my breathing lately.  They keep turning up the settings on my ventilator.  I had the doc remind them that they aren’t as high as before I went on the steroids so they won’t worry as much.  I’m working extra hard on growing so when they give me a chance again in the next week or so I can get off that ventilator.  I’ve doubled my birthweight, and toned my muscles to reach a hefty 1 lb and 14 oz.  Okay, so I did lose a little yesterday, which puts me at 1 pound 13 today technically, but I’ll put that back on in no time! 

Love, Marshall