MAXIMO

We went to the NICU today and Maximo was not on his table... he's graduated to an incubator. Woo-hoo! He's just got one more tube left and monitoring cables. The nurse said they were going to take out the umbilical stent they've been using to give him extra nourishment. I've gone in 3 times already today - once with John this morning, then twice more for feedings. He did well at one and the other he passed out about 3 minutes into it. So, it'll take time for him to get use to breastfeeding, but I'm optimistic. He's getting stronger and stronger and it's sooo nice to be able to go in and hold him. The schedule is wearing me down a bit. Today, John and I left the house at 6:30, went to the hospital, at 7:15 I dropped John off at school, then sat in Starbucks until I could return back to the hospital at 8:30. 8:45 - 9:30 feeding, then I ran home (20-30 minute ride depending on traffic), pumped, took a quick shower, then headed back up the hospital for 11:30. Stayed until 12:40, went home, pumped, and now and shoveling lunch in my mouth, so I leave the house again in 20 minutes. Tiresome, but worth it. I've had numerous offers to stay at people's houses close to school, but there's something about my own house (maybe I'm turning into a hermit like John;) and I don't want to drag the breast pump all over kingdom come and then there's sterilizing everything on top of that...I figure the harder I work, the sooner Maximo can come home.
On the way to the hospital one of the times today, I heard a song I had never heard before (it could be old or new; I'm in a pop culture time warp here) called "Wake Me Up When September Ends". It's some love song or something, but I'll tell you what, that line is exactly how I feel right now...