Ringing in December

Garret is quickly approaching the one month mark. He is gaining the weight to prove it too. Little G is closing in on the 3 pound mark and will hopefully achieve it (and a bit more) by December 1! All of his blood work came back and he did not have an infection, but he is breaking up a lot more mucus and junk now then before.

Erin and Jim are finishing out the Thanksgiving weekend together with Garret. They have decorated his pod to make it feel more like the holidays are near. Jim headed back this morning for work and school, and to beat the snow. And, Erin will be settling into December with a bit more routine than the start of November.

Garret and Daddy bonding time

Today Garret got some quality alone time with Dad while G.G. and Aunties Amanda and Amber whisked Erin away to a wedding shower. Garret was well-behaved while Jim was able to get some homework out of the way. Garret also gained back some of the weight he lost the last couple of days. And, hopefully he will have a better night than Friday - where he had some breathing difficulties and needed some assistance a couple of times.

Erin headed back to Children's in the late afternoon, and will look forward to spending a quiet evening with Jim and Garret. G.G., Aunties Amanda and Amber will be nearby at the Schwartzmiller's abode enjoying a homemade meal (sans the mushrooms for Amanda) and Janel's de-lish, homemade cookies!

2 weeks and counting!

Garret hits the big 2-week old mark today! To celebrate, he's gearing up for a fun-filled weekend. Jim heads down to stay with all for the weekend. And, Aunties Amanda and Amber will be in the area to spend some time with the fam as well.

On Thursday Auntie Jackie (Jim's older sister) came down to keep tabs on Garret and was able to spend the night at the Ronald McDonald house with Erin and GG. Garret had a pretty solid day yesterday, despite having the occasional bradycardias, which are keeping the nurses on their feet! Little Garret did lose a bit of weight, which has him down 2 ounces. I am sure many of us have b.m.s where we lose more than Garret's body weight, but 2 ounces is pretty significant in preemie world.

A Place to (Comfortably) Stay - Finally.

On Monday evening Erin and Jim were able to get a room at the Ronald McDonald house across from Children's Hospital. The house is an incredibly welcoming place and will hopefully allow Erin and Jim to relax in the evenings while being able to connect with other families.

They can be contacted at the house at 414.475.5333, which is the main line ask to be transfered to the Darlings. Erin and Jim can also receive mail at the house! The address is:
8948 West Watertown Plank Road
Milwaukee, WI 53226

Erin and Jim can also be reached in Garret's room at the NICU - 414.607.5291.

Phone calls are certainly appreciated, and of course mail is definitely appreciated!

First Family Picture

Jim and Erin were able to hold Garret for the first time on Saturday, November 8. This was the day before he had his g-tube put in. Both mom and dad enjoyed "kangarooing" with Garret for about an hour on Saturday evening.

On Sunday, Garret had his g-tube procedure to drain stomach acid, this prevents the acid from going into his lungs and allows him to continue screaming (like mom likes to do :) !).