Flashback Friday: "Look Mom, No LID!"

A year ago, this time in July we were splitting our time in Seattle and Rochester being parents in two places to 3 babies. This post is about visiting to the girls without Ethan and a milestone the girls reached which seems like such a minor thing but really is a big deal in the preemie world! This is about the day Katelynn got to have the lid taken off her isolette and she was in an "open crib".

Having the lid of her isolette removed from the prespective of Katelynn.

It had been a long time coming. I had waited so long for this day.  My nurse had been asking the doctors for a while about getting to take my lid off. It would make it so much easier for mommy to help with my cares and I would get to see so much more without that lid! Not to mention I was getting so big for my isolette and it was getting a little cramped in there! The doctors were nervous the day it finally happened. You see, being in the isolette where it was warm and cozy "would help me grow better" they kept saying. I was still so tiny and I wasn't gaining weight very fast, like my brother was at home! Finally, the doctors agreed to give it a try as long as I stayed bundled up and wore a hat! I agreed to leave the hat on and the lid came off!

The morning that my lid came off, the nurses called and asked mommy to bring an outfit for me with a hat! Mommy gathered up the cutest outfit with matching hat that she could find and headed up to see me! The nurses were bustling about their business when mommy arrived in the NICU.  She started visiting with the nurse at Melissa's bedside and the nurse asked if mommy noticed anything different about my isolette (Melissa's nurse was also my nurse that day!). It took several minutes, but finally mommy noticed! I had no lid! She cheered and clapped and the nurse proceeded to explain the doctors concerns and the stipulations to the lid being off.  Mommy agreed to the arrangements.  On the day my lid came off it was a big celebration. The nurse let mommy give both me and my sister a bath and have a "spa day" in the NICU getting all fluffed and buffed.  I got new linens, a clean outfit and a cute little matching hat to wear (mommy brought it from home special!) It was a good day in the NICU! I knew it wouldn't be long before I could go home.  All I had to do was regulate my body temperature and figure out how to use my bottle and eat like a big girl! Just a few more steps I told myself! I'll be home soon!

At this point we all were so excited because it seemed that it would only be a few more days and I'd go home. We thought before one of my favorite nurses went on vacation.  That didn't happen, so then we thought, maybe while she was on vacation I might escape the NICU but that didn't happen either.  It wouldn't be until she came back from vacation that I would figure everything out! A few more weeks before I could go home! I'm almost there! Stay tuned!

Eating my bottle like a big girl with my lid off and hat on!
See the cute hat! It matches my outfit mommy brought from home
to celebrate being a big girl with my lid off! My sister had a matching
outfit!