Sunday 22nd November

Mummy and daddy have been very pleased with me since I have been home. They can't stop telling everyone how good I've been even though all I do is eat every 3 to 4 hours and then fall back asleep again.


Had my first bath at home this weekend - groovy!

I was a bit more relaxed once I was out of the tub and in some nice clean clothes.

My sister is a real livewire I have learned - but she is very gentle with me...most of the time.

The health visitor weighed me this week and I have gone past the 2kg mark - hooray!

So all is going well...

Toodle pip,

Rosa

Tuesday 17th November: Home!!

The 3 of us leave the SCBU in Ealing

Just after 6.30 this evening I arrived home!



I had no idea today was going to be any different...


...once I found out what was happening I was raring to go...

...all packed up and ready to go...

It's a bit strange and I didn't know whether to sleep or feed at first, but I am sure I will settle down nicely. I also met my older sister for the first time - she was very cute as she kissed me a few times before I fell asleep.

Mummy welcomes me home

How exciting!

Rosa Samosa xx

Saturday 14th November

I have now moved into what daddy used to call the 'sardine room' where I am with 4 other babies. It's not too bad to tell you the truth.

Things have gone well this week apart from one little scare where on Wednesday the results came back from one of my blood tests that showed that I had a streptococcus infection (link on the left if your interested in knowing more) which is quite rare and can be quite serious. The doctors carried out an emergency lumbar puncture test (they call this 'spinal tap' in the trade: another link on the left!) which is where they collect some sample fluid from my spine and test for meningitis.

Mummy was of course very worried, particularly because small things with my sister ended up as quite big problems, but on Thursday when she saw the consultant at Ealing she said that the more likely cause of the streptococcus was a contaminated sample - in other words it had come from someone else and somehow got into the sample. We should get results from a seperate sample back soon which should confirm whether this is the case or not. In the meantime the results from lumbar puncture looks like there is no problem.

I have a small eye infection which is nothing to worry about, I just get these little custard pies emerging in the corner of my eye throughout the day until somebody wipes them away!

First picture with mummy and daddy...

...and daddy nearly drops me!

I am now on four hourly feeds, and yesterday my feeding tube got taken out to encourage me to take more mummy milk orally. I have taken bottles all by myself quite a few times this week, so it's all looking good on that front.

So I shouldn't be in hospital for too much longer. When I do come out I will be seeing a kidney specialist at St Mary's hospital - mummy was a bit anxious about this at first because that's where a lot of my sister's problems have been - but the consultant reassured her that she is one of the best in the business so hopefully they will be able to find out whether the problem in my kidney is serious or not.

Hello Grandma Moira!

I had a lovely visit from Grandma Moira on Friday morning - she has been staying with mummy and daddy to help out during the week, and she finally got to see me before going home which was really cool. All the nurses are a bit bonkers in the SCBU so there is a really good atmosphere here even though they have their hands full as the ward has been full all week.

Finally thank you everyone for all the cards you have sent - far too many to mention but they are all at home waiting for me so I look forward to seeing them all.

Keep your fingers crossed I'll be out soon (I can't wait to see my big sis!).

Rosa xx

Saturday 7th November

I've been doing well for the rest of the week - I came off oxygen yesterday and have stayed off it with my oxygen sats doing really well. My jaundice test came back fine too, so no need for treatment there. I'm taking 43mls of mummy milk every 3 hours now, and have started to try to take a little at a time through a bottle as well as from mummy direct when she visits.

I did have my kidney scan on Friday and they have found a little more out about my left kidney - there are two ureters instead of one coming out of the kidney, but the important thing, which they couldn't see from this scan, is where both of the ureters go to and whether either or both of them is blocked (I've posted a link on the left if you want to read more about these parts). They will have to do more tests in about six weeks which will involve passing a small tube into my bladder and filling it with dye to see where the liquid goes, but I will be able to do that as an outpatient so it shouldn't delay me coming home.

All the blood tests I have had this week have come back good, so it is just my feeding preventing me from coming home (my milk needs to be all taken orally). In the meantime thank you all so much for my cards and gifts which I believe are waiting for me at home. Today we got a lovely package from Sarah and Martin, a stripey horse from cousin Maia in Nottingham and an amazing bunch of silk flowers from Kelly and Matt in Scotland, and some of the flowers were actually clothes - bonkers!

Spot the clothes!

Mummy has been a real star this week - I know she has found it exhausting with all the appointments for my sister and having to take her twice to Great Ormond Street hospital as well as see me and try to recover herself. It all got a bit much for her yesterday so spare a thought for her as she really couldn't do any more.

Smile for mummy

Have a great weekend,

Rosabobs xx

Wednesday 4th November

Day 2 - bruised head easing


Hello again. Thought you might like to see some more piccies of me.



On Monday I got transferred out of High Dependency at Queen Charlotte hospital to the SCBU (Special Care Baby Unit) in Ealing. I am in the same room as my sister was just over a year ago apparently. The nurses couldn't wait to make a fuss of me.



I'm doing well here. I'm still on a tiny bit of oxygen, and I'm taking 36mls of mummy milk through a tube every 3 hours. If I'm lucky I also get a bit of breast action. I'm a little yellow so they need to do a jaundice test on me and on Friday I will have a kidney scan to see if things have improved since taking the antibiotics.



On Wednesday night I saw Nana Marg and Grumpy Mike for the first time - it was fab and my eyes were open most of the time they were there, curious to see what was going on.



Cuddles with Nana

First photo with daddy post feed - zzzzz....!!!

Hopefully with things going this well I'll be out in a couple of weeks.

Ta ra for now,

Rosa xx

Friday 30th October: Where am I?

Hello, I'm Rosa Sofia Connelly - nice to meet you! I was born today at 11.34pm, and I weigh 1.93kg. I was a little bit early - I should have come out in just over 6 weeks time (14th December).


I took mummy and daddy by surprise despite the fact that they have 'previous'. Shortly after daddy came home from work on Friday, mummy started having contractions so they darted (well that's not strictly true as they decided to finish their dinner first) to the Queen Charlotte hospital in Acton where mummy was taken in to the delivery ward. Daddy had to stay outside with my sister (Nadia) because other children aren't allowed in the ward because of the risk of swine flu.



Because daddy wasn't sure of what was going to happen he rang up the hospice (the Shooting Stars charity) in Hampton just outside of Kingston to see if they could take my sister because she needs someone special to look after her and it would have meant daddy could help mummy through the birth. Fortunately they could so daddy raced off to take Nadia there....



Unfortunately because it takes a while to drive there and then he had to settle in my sister he missed everything! It was a very short labour as mummy kicked in around 10pm and when I came out just after 11.30pm I was allowed only a quick kiss and cuddle from mummy before being whisked off to the High Dependency room in the Neonatal unit to ensure I was well looked after.

Daddy finally saw me about 2am with mummy again. Mummy was doing well considering the shock of it all and was able to discharge herself by Saturday evening. She is still in a bit of pain and walking gingerly, but generally in good spirits.

As you can see I was really wired up at first as I needed a little bit of breathing assistance (CPAP) and oxygen, and because I have a little kidney problem they have started to give me antibiotics as well as essential nutrients through an IV line in my hand. That said I have been doing really well and by Sunday I was only on a trickle of oxygen through 'low flow' which means a tube sends the air and oxygen up through my nose. I am also nearly up to my optimum feed levels and the blood tests I had on Saturday came back with no problems.

I have also had my first proper cuddle from mummy, who is also trying to breast feed me in between my other feeds (a combination of what mummy can 'express' and formula milk). I am sleeping lots, and am a little fretful from time to time when I let out cute little shrieks. Mummy and daddy seem nice though and have been very comforting.

I'm not sure when I'll come home as coming out early means that I will probably be in hospital for at least a week or two. Hopefully I won't be too long in High Dependency and should move to the SCBU (Special Care Baby Unit) in a couple of days, and maybe even transferred to Ealing hospital which will be easier for mummy (as my sister has quite a few appointments there already). We will wait and see.

I hope I get to see you all soon!

Lots of 'fresh' love,

Rosa xx