Mama I'm Coming Home

Great news! Emma's weight jumped 2.3 ounces to a whopping total of 3 pounds, 15.4 ounces. The doctor said that she can come home today. It looks like our counting down every night of the Omer worked in the end. Thank you to God for letting us bring home our beautiful baby, safe and sound. Thank you to all our friends and family who have been so supportive and helpful. Last but certainly not least, thank you to Mrs. Zwicker, for spending countless hours at the hospital, giving Emma just a small dose of the love and attention awaiting her at home. I love you both.

Emma Update

Sorry, especially to Dr. O's Fan, for the lack of postings the last week or so. With my whirlwind tour of Midwest hotspots like Lansing and Toledo, not to mention twice-daily visits to the hospital, I have not had much time to post. Yesterday, Mrs. Zwicker and I again walked the four-plus miles to the hospital to spend Shabbat afternoon with Emma. Don't worry, the nap streak is still alive. Just as important, Emma's weight as of this morning is 3 lbs., 11.2 oz., just 4.8 ounces short of coming home. At the rate at which she has been gaining weight, she should be home by the end of this week. As Cousin AJ pointed out the other day, we might want to slow Emma's weight gain. If she keeps going at this pace, she'll be 182 pounds by the time she's five years old.

Notes From The NICU

You probably cannot tell it from the pictures but Emma is growing less littler every day, thank God. As of last night she was at 3 lbs., 6.4 oz. She's been guzzling her milk like her daddy drank in law school, albeit a beverage of a different sort. The doctors hope to have her out of the isolette and taking all her feedings via bottle rather than a nose tube within a day or so.

The Cure

For the past two weeks, while visiting Emma in the hospital two or three times a day, it has bothered me that there are so many sick people in the world. I just wished that I could do something to help even one sick person. Early this morning, while driving to see Emma, I realized the answer when I heard Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear The Reaper." The cure had been right before my eyes all this time. More cowbell! Now i just have to find one that I can take to the hospital and play its soothing melodies as I walk through the halls. Soon enough, Sinai Grace Hospital will have no more patients. I can then go from hospital to hospital, not just in southeast Michigan but around the world, healing all who can hear the glorious cowbell.

Every Ounce Counts

Little Emma is getting slightly less little each day. As of this morning she weighed 3lbs., 2.6 oz., approximately three ounces above her birth weight. She lost a few ounces her first few days but has gained at least .4 ounce every day but one over the past eight or so days. We hope to have her home in two weeks or so, which was when she was supposed to be born. In case you're wondering, the tube you see going into Emma's nose is just for feeding. She has been drinking more and more from her bottle and less and less from the tube. The other wires are just monitors for her heartbeat and stuff like that.

Last night I changed her diaper for the first time. It wasn't the first time I had changed a diaper, just the first time since I babysat in high school. To give some perspective on how long ago that was, I specifically remembering changing the baby's diaper while watching Mike Scott pitch a no-hitter to clinch the Houston Astros a spot in the 1986 National League playoffs.

Emma Pictures

I was never a fan of people e-mailing dozens of unsolicited pictures of their children. On the other hand, some of you have asked to see more pictures of Emma. These are for you.

For those keeping score at home, Emma was 3 lbs., 1.4 oz. as of this morning. She's on her way, bli ayin hara.