When I was a Preemie...
Greetings to everyone. To those outside the Colorado area, hello from a soggy Colorado.
Please allow me to clear some confusion. In a previous post it was mentioned that Rebecca was returning to duty with the Wyoming ANG. That is true, she is returning to her once-a-month weekend status. She was not "activated" to be mobilized.
As it turns out, I-25 and the rain and the flooding prevented Rebecca from reporting on Friday. She had to turn around. Saturday proved even more impassable until the late afternoon. Sunday would have stranded Rebecca in Wyoming had she found a way to navigate her way north.
Wyoming command has given the weekenders not able to report in this past weekend until the end of September to make up the time. Rebecca, interestingly enough, does not need to make up the time; she already has more than enough hours for 2013 (The 2013 year ends, by the way, October 1st, then it's 2014 and a clean slate for hours; no carry-overs).
Even so, the plan is that Rebecca will head up for a day on Tuesday. She will use the time to get things set in order from her nearly six-month absence, and she will introduce herself to the new command. (A change of command took place near the end of July, and several things are different from what Rebecca knew last March).
This plan may be scuttled by the fact that yesterday Rebecca was overcome with a nasty upper-respiratory infection or something equally annoying. She has been bed-ridden since late Sunday afternoon. If she feels better Tuesday, she will make the trek north. If not, more sleep, Coldeez, Theraflu and chicken soup!
The weekend was not only about the historic rain and Rebecca not able to return to the Guard, but another milestone.
To finish the title of this entry: "I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I grew, I put away preemie things." (my apologies to Paul and 1 Cor 13:11).
As mentioned in an earlier entry, Xavier graduated from preemie nipples on his bottle to number 2 sized nipples, and what a difference it made in him keeping down is meals!
This past weekend also saw all of his preemie wardrobe swapped out for newborn sized clothing! Glory to God! (in the highest!) The only preemie item, which made Rebecca sad to put in the "discard" pile, which still fits Xavier is a little shirt with a monkey on it. Though he can still wear it, it does not cover his mid-rift.
The newborn clothing is still too big for him, but not by that much. There does not seem to be much in the way of transitional sizes in preemie to newborn clothing. In a couple of weeks, however, it will not matter. He will be fitting into newborn sizes comfortably.
What of the preemie pile of "discards" (which includes his original sleep sacks)? We intend to offer them to the NICU. Rebecca thinks it will be fun to bring Xavier in for a visit and to see if the NICU can use the items. What they can't use may find its way to "Once Upon a Child."
No more preemie nipples, no more preemie clothing. What more excitement can one baby and his family endure in a single weekend? The use and discarding of the last preemie-sized diaper in the arsenal, that's what! Xavier is now wearing newborn-sized diapers. He likes them. He likes them a lot, and so do his parents!
The diaper was the last item to go. Xavier is free of preemie things. He is growing, and growing quickly. Even Kathy, our real estate agent, commented yesterday how much he has grown these past two weeks.
How much has Xavier grown? We will know more tomorrow. He meets with his pediatrician, Dr. Abbey. He will be weighed, measured, probably have blood drawn for labs (to see if we can get him off his ursidall), and he will get his four month immunizations.
Awesome is our God! We thank you for your prayers!