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# Melissa Harris

Author

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [The New Disease Darling: RSV](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-new-disease-darling-rsv) - Up until this year, my guess is most people had never heard of RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus). It's not that RSV is new, it's just that unless you were the parent of a medically fragile child, RSV was just a bad cold. When Sam was finally sent home from the NICU it was during the
- [You've Come A Long Way Baby - Tween Edition](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/youve-come-a-long-way-baby-tween-addition) - You have gained 110 pounds in 12 years. Usually, this is not something people celebrate... but with you... its amazing. 2013: Singing in the car We used to struggle to keep you warm. Your weight gain is one thing... your height is another. By the next time I do one of these posts, you will
- [The Primary Nurse](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-primary-nurse) - The NICU can be a very isolating and lonely place. I am not saying you are really ever alone in the NICU. How could you be with all the nurses, doctors, specialists, social workers, general staff, lactation consultants, other parents, other preemies, etc. all around you. But even in a place so full of
- [Poop and Preemies](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/poop-and-preemies) - There are so many things that you obsess over when you are in the NICU. Is my baby breathing ok? Is their heart rate OK? Are they gaining weight? Are they maintaining their own body temperature? Are they digesting food? Do they have a brain bleed? Have they developed NEC? And so on and so
- [Bringing Your Preemie Home](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/bringing-your-preemie-home) - Congratulations! You have finally made it to NICU graduation day. No matter how long or short your stay in the NICU has been, graduation day is a BIG deal. One to celebrate - and one to fear. I remember the week leading up to my son’s graduation so clearly. Each day I would walk in
- [The Therapy Fund | Vol. 7](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-therapy-fund-vol-7) - A quick look at my own personal Sophie's Choice. The battle in our house over the issue of weaning Sam is hitting a new high (or is that low). For those that have been following, I have been struggling since since March with the idea of weaning Sam. I had originally planned to use a
- [World Prematurity Day](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/world-prematurity-day-2) - I had planned to write a moving and deep post about world prematurity day. Since my friend, Nicole... Kenna's mom took care of that with her beautifully written post. Instead, I will take another approach. SCREW PREMATURITY. I would like to scream that from every roof top around the world. Prematurity sucks. It sucks for
- [Transitions](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/transitions) - Hang in there folks - because the next couple of weeks are going to be wild in the land of Sam. Up first - the end of preschool. Yep, you read that right. Sam will be ending his time at preschool this Friday. Now, before you ask, I am doing my best not to think
- [The School District vs. The Anti-Preemie](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-school-district-vs-the-anti-preemie) - I have debated writing about my battle with my local school district publicly. What if someone reads this and all my hard work goes down the drain due to someone's bruised ego. But then I remembered, I don't shy away from anything on this site. And I have never once worried about what someone else
- [You Have Come A Long Way Baby - Revisited](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/you-have-come-a-long-way-baby-revisited) - Then you were only 1 lbs 12 ozs. At 3, you were 31 lbs. Now, you are almost 50(?!) pounds Then your heart had a leaky valve. At 3, a tiny clip has done its job and your heart is perfect - and you are learning the art of shaving. Now, you are
- [Confessions of a Preemie Mom: My Battle with PTSD](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/confessions-of-a-preemie-mom-my-battle-with-ptsd) - Repost: This was originally published in 2013 on shine.yaoo.com (a site which has since been shut down) Postpartum depression (PPD) has been great fodder for many a sitcom writer. Even in pregnancy and birth classes, time is dedicated to the perils of what could happen should you suffer from PPD after you give birth. In
- [This one goes to 11](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/this-one-goes-to-11) - If I am posting, it can only mean one thing.... It's Sam's birthday. That's right. This former One Pound Twelve Ouncer is now eleven. I am not sure who is more excited about this... Sam or me (because I get to use a Spinal Tap reference). This has been an interesting time to say the
- [A Full Decade Old](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/a-full-decade-old) - Its hard to believe Sam is now 10, double digits, an entire decade old. For a kid that was given little odds of survival, Sam has done his best to LIVE. And not just live... but thrive. So, this year, to celebrate the big ten-o... I have compiled a list of the ten things about
- [Welcome to PTSD Season](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/welcome-to-ptsd-season) - Hear ye! Hear ye! PTSD season is upon us. I don’t mean to make light of a very serious condition – but making light of it is the only way I manage to get through what I have loving termed PTSD season. Since Sam was born, PTSD season runs from September 10 – September 16.
- [I Trained For This](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/i-trained-for-this) - Who knew when I brought Sam home from the NICU way back in 2010 that my 5 months of house arrest would end up being so useful ten years later. Now, of course, house arrest has a new name - sheltering in place. That is what Sam, Irene and I have been doing for the
- [Six years and counting](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/six-years-and-counting) - My sweet boy. It has been a while since I wrote just to you. Life with you is never dull - and I am so thankful for that. There are a few things I could do without- lets never have to be hospitalized for an impacted bowel again - ok? The reality is, you have
- [Updated: Sam, the Pre-Existing Condition](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/sam-the-pre-existing-condition) - Since this blog launched, I have always referred to Sam as "Sam, the Anti-Preemie". I am thinking of changing his name to "Sam, the Pre-Existing Condition". When Sam decided to make his early entry into the world, my life was turned upside down. I don't need to go back an chronicle that for you, as
- [Its Been 4 Months since Sam's IEP](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/its-been-4-months-since-sams-iep) - Want to know what overwhelmed looks like... well... it looks like me. Since Sam's IEP, I have done what I do best - educate myself. I have read the full IDEA statute. I have learned terms like LRE, FAPE, ADR, Prior Written Notice, and, well, IDEA. I have become a minor expert in Special Education
- ["As Needed"](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/as-needed) - There is one topic I have written about on this site a lot: poop or the lack thereof. From the day Sam was born the one thing he wasn't so good at was pooping. We have tried everything: Miralax, acupuncture, herbs, Senna, a gluten free diet, a dairy free diet and every combination of the
- [Sharing Insights On My 5th World Prematurity Day As a Preemie Parent](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/sharing-insights-on-my-5th-world-prematurity-day-as-a-preemie-parent) - I "celebrated" my first World Prematurity Day in the NICU. Sam was just two months old actual and was on his second full day of being off oxygen support. A lot has changed since that day, and I thought I would take a moment and reflect back on the five main things I have learned
- [Blindsided by an IEP](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/blindsided-by-an-iep) - I knew it was coming. Every three years, children with an IEP in the Oakland Unified School District have a major review of eligibility. Besides, Sam will be entering kindergarten (holy shit!) in the fall, and I figured the IEP they did for Sam when he was three would need to be updated. I started
- [Stop treating him like he is different](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/stop-treating-him-like-he-is-different) - Last night, in a discussion with a friend, I was told I needed to stop treating Sam like he is different. Now, I can't stop thinking about this. Sam has been different since the day he was born: He was only 24 weeks at birth, but was considered large for his "age". He was off
- [What's One More Therapist](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/whats-one-more-therapist) - When Sam graduated from the NICU, we were lucky. Aside from our pediatrician, Sam only had one specialist, a retinoligist That didn't last long. Pretty soon we added in the developmental playgroup (which came with an OT and a PT), the high risk infant follow up clinic, a weekly visiting nurse, and monthly regional center
- [Can you make something with me?](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/can-you-make-something-with-me) - This morning was magical. No seriously. Magical. I was in the kitchen getting breakfast made when I first hear it. It was faint and in the distance. Then it got louder. Giggling. Lots of giggling. And not just one voice, but two. The giggling was then followed by a conversation. Again, not a one voice
- [Potty Training with Three Strikes Against You](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/potty-training-with-three-strikes-against-you) - Potty training is something many parents fear. Hundreds, if not thousands, of books are dedicated to helping ease the transition from diaper to potty. There are even "How To" videos on the subject. There are also the antidotal horror stories people are more than willing to share with you when they learn you are potty
- [Advantages of Autism](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/advantages-of-autism) - Everyone always focuses on the negatives of an autism diagnosis. Myself included. So today I figure I will focus on the positives of an autism diagnosis. Autism is not a fatal diagnosis. Yes it does mean a very difficult road ahead but at the end of that difficult road is life. My child will not
- [Vaccinations, Autism and the Immunocompromised](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/vaccinations-autism-and-the-immunocompromised) - Dangerous territory... I know. I may offend some of you. I may not. But I feel I have to put this out there. I am approaching this topic as the parent to a vaccinated child who has autism and a weaker immune system than some. Before you go "Aha! Vaccinated and Autistic.. Aha!", let me
- [It must be about the poop](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/it-must-be-about-the-poop) - I know - Sam's birthday came and went without my usual post talking about the emotional stress leading up to his birthday and the joy of the actual celebration. I wish I had a better reason for not writing, but I don't. i just didn't. What can I say. I was sad and emotional up
- [We Survived Our Extended Hospitalization](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/we-survived-our-extended-hospitalization) - The idea was simple enough. Well, as simple as a hospitalization and surgical procedure on a 4 year old could be. But this is Sam. And he has never - ever - done anything simple. After speaking with the hospital admissions team, we decided to admit Sam at 11:30 am. This would allow him a
- [The Chicken's Way Out](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-chickens-way-out) - Did anyone notice? That is what I kept asking myself after hitting publish on my last post. The opening line was so obvious: After 7 months of single parenting, But, since I hadn't told a lot of people, I wasn't sure if anyone would really notice... or realize what I had just said. This was
- [Acceptance](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/acceptance) - Tomorrow is Sam's first ever birthday party... with friends... from his school. I was hesitant to throw him a party, unsure if other kids would come. I was nervous that if I invited his class, they would all find excuses not to attend the party. Sam's therapist pushed me. She told me Sam was ready
- [Why is asking for help so hard?](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/why-is-asking-for-help-so-hard) - You would think, with all I have been through, that by now I would be an expert at asking people for help. Or at least accepting help when it is offered to me. The reality is, I am terrible at both. I hate leaning on people. I hate needing help. I feel guilty every time
- [Potty Training the Autistic Child](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/potty-training-the-autistic-child) - So, you think it is time to potty train your son. Great! But, before we start, I have to ask, why are you sure he is ready? Here are a few typical answers you might get: "Well- he keeps hiding in a corner when he poops, and every time he pees, he grabs at his
- [Of Lice and Poop](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/of-lice-and-poop) - After 7 months of single parenting, I really thought I had a handle on things. We were a well-oiled machine. We were eating better. There was less fighting in the house. We were on-time to everything. Kids were happy. I was happy. Then, in one evening, my façade came crashing down in a pile of
- [Sometimes in the background](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/sometimes-in-the-background) - Some days, I forget about how Sam's Autism (and former preemie status) has impacted Irene. She has had to give up a lot for her little brother. More than most of us. And more often than not, she has done this quietly and without complaint. Because of the maturity that Irene has shown, I sometimes
- [Stop trying to "cure" my son](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/stop-trying-to-cure-my-son) - The past few weeks have been filled with a number of amazing stories on autism. Stories that were insulting, inspiring, and infuriating. I know that I may be in the minority because I do not sit and wonder why my son has autism. I am confident I know why. Sam was born at 24 weeks.
- [Waking from a long slumber](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/waking-from-a-long-slumber) - Sadly, no. I am not talking about the mythical creature all parents have heard tales of that sleeps for hours at a time - uninterrupted. Sadly, the slumber I am talking about is more metaphorical than actual. I have come to the realization that I have been sleepwalking through the past five years of my
- [Facing my new reality](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/facing-my-new-reality) - Back in December, I wrote about my joy at Sam's PDD-NOS diagnosis. I was relieved that he was not diagnosed with Autism, but his own odditites, some of which were autistic in nature and some that were not. Since that diagnosis, I have done everything I could to help Sam achieve "normalcy". The first thing
- [Have I really been gone for 4 months?](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/have-i-really-been-gone-for-4-months) - Yikes. I knew I had not written in a while, but it never occurred to me it had been four months. I guess it is fair to say life around here has been hectic at best and manic at worst. Much has been going on since I last wrote - it is actually hard to
- [You Have Come A Long Way Baby](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/you-have-come-a-long-way-baby) - Then you were only 1 lbs 12 ozs. Now you are 31 lbs. Then your heart had a leaky valve. Now, a tiny clip has done its job and your heart is perfect - and you are learning the art of shaving. Then you needed a machine to help you breathe. Now, your lungs can
- [Making The Decsion](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/making-the-decsion) - A recent New York Times Op-Ed Piece called "End of Life, at Birth" has cause me to go back and relive those days almost three years ago when my husband and I were confronted with the terrible choice of trying to continue my pregnancy or to let our baby go. For those of you that
- [Redux: In honor of World Breastfeeding Week](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/redux-in-honor-of-world-breastfeeding-week) - Realizing it is World Breastfeeding Week, I thought it would be good to open up the archives and bring out this post I wrote about my two different experiences with breastfeeding. The topic is something I obsessed about with both of my children - term and preemie. In one, I was able to breastfeed for
- [Uncertainty](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/uncertainty) - In terms of micro-preemies, I have had it pretty easy. Sam was big for his gestational age. Yes, you read that right. One pound twelve ounces is considered big. His time in the NICU was pretty uneventful… at least after he had his PDA ligation and began peeing regularly. Yes, we were there for 95
- [Leaving on a jet plane](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/leaving-on-a-jet-plane) - Or three... Next week, the whole clan (grandparents included) are heading out on a grand South American adventure. The trip should be fantastic- as we will get to show Sam off to a multitude of friends and family. For Irene, it will be a great opportunity to speak Spanish as she prepares to start her
- [Travels in a Thin Country](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/travels-in-a-thin-country) - While I wish our trip had just ended, the reality is we got home on July 4th... but things were crazed and complicated on our arrival (New puppy + my 2 night stay in the hospital for back issues) so it has taken me until today to finally be able to write about our adventures
- [Singing to Soothe the Savage Preemie](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/singing-to-soothe-the-savage-preemie) - A recent study by the American Academy of Pediatrics has shown the positive benefits of singing to your preemie. Thank god! At least now I can stop apologizing in my head for subjecting my wonderful nurses to my terrible singing voice for all those months! I wasn't just singing for myself - I was singing
- [Compare and Contrast](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/compare-and-contrast) - Disclaimer: Since I am sure this might worry one particular friend - let me go on record... I LOVE your son. I celebrate his amazing progress. I love seeing him every week. I want nothing but for him to continue to be a presence in my home and my life. Please, do not be disheartened
- [Therpaist Chemistry is Everything](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/therpaist-chemistry-is-everything) - As Sam and I start down the road of Autism Spectrum Therapy, we are getting to know a bunch of different therapists and therapy types. We have been very lucky so far with who we have been paired with - except for one. So, I did what any mama bear mom should do, I gutted
- [One Month Into ABA Therapy](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/one-month-into-aba-therapy) - Wow. I mean W.O.W. We are one month into Sam's ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) Therapy and what a month it has been. We are truly blessed to have selected the ABA company we did (Milestones), had the good fortune to have two of the most amazing therapists assigned to Sam's case (Ilona and Cammie), and
- [Once Tiny, Now Average](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/once-tiny-now-average) - I know. It's not often you hear a parent bragging about their child being average... but for the parent of a mico-preemie, average is something we often only dream of. Think about it, when your baby starts life at just one pound twelve ounces and only twelve inches long, the thought of registering on the
- [I'll take that diagnosis](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/ill-take-that-diagnosis) - It could have been so much worse. I was sure that our appointment on Wednesday at the High Risk Follow-Up clinic was going to go so differently than it went. With all of the talk of Autism over the last month, I had let myself become consumed with the reality that I was sure was
- [Where to start?](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/where-to-start) - Honestly. I am not sure I even know where to start - or where this post will end up. My mind is a jumble with all of the evaluations and recommendations and changes that I am just overwhelmed with it all. Since I triumphantly posted that Sam did not have autism, but PDD-NOS a shit
- [World Prematurity Day](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/world-prematurity-day) - Had you asked me last year if I knew there was such a thing as Prematurity Awareness Month or a World Prematurity Day, my answer would have been a resounding no. It would never have occurred to me that premature birth was something that needed to be paid attention to- especially here in the US.
- [Do I Want To Know?](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/do-i-want-to-know) - Ignorance is bliss. I made it through my six days in trendelenberg and pre-term labor by not knowing the real danger both Sam and I were in. I knew it was bad, but I intentionally kept myself as far from the details as possible. When the neonatologist came to talk to Peter about Sam's survival
- [Last night I put on heels....](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/last-night-i-put-on-heels) - ... and a dress and (gasp) a little make up! That's right, I went out. No. Peter and I didn't magically find a way to go on a mid-week date. Instead, I had a hot date with Irene, her friend Robin and Robin's mom, Lisa. I was lucky enough to be invited to the SHN
- [What... me worry?](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/what-me-worry) - It has been a while since I wrote a down post... but the time has finally come. The past few weeks I have noticed a few things in Sam that I find concerning. Then, at Occupational Therapy yesterday, his therapist also mentioned she was concerned about his speech patterns. Add to that three nights of
- [Of Milk, Poop and Diaper Rashes](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/of-milk-poop-and-diaper-rashes) - Let me start by screaming this from my little soap box... I DID IT! Sam is officially weaned. Yes, after hemming and hawing over this since March of this year, I finally did it. I have had many stops and starts, but this time, I stuck to my guns. Yes, it helped that my guns
- [Losing oneself in your family](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/losing-oneself-in-your-family) - Sometimes it's hard to be the mom. It can be even harder when you are an uber-organized, planning four steps ahead, take charge kind of mom. It becomes so easy to be the one ensuring that everyone gets what they want and gets to do what they want to do. Everyone, that is, except for
- [Nebulizers, Weddings and Tooth extractions](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/nebulizers-weddings-and-tooth-extractions) - Since Sam's second birthday, things have been a whirlwind around here. Sam got really sick and had to begin a course of steroids and albuterol. Then, my brother, who currently lives in Peru, arrived for a visit. His visit was tied to a big family wedding down in Monterrey. Once Brian left, we had a
- [Have I Really Done It?](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/have-i-really-done-it) - Last Friday, I got Sam up from bed and brought him in to our bedroom to nurse. Totally normal start to the day for us. Except this time, it wasn't normal. This was the last time I was going to bring Sam in to nurse. That's right. After hemming and hawing over this issue for
- [I survived Sam's second birthday](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/i-survived-sams-second-birthday) - I did it! I managed to make it through Sam's second birthday without too much of an emotional break down. Maybe it was all the worry that I would break down, or maybe it was the exhaustion from a long work week, or maybe, just maybe I am starting to heal... whatever it was, today
- [The Therapy Fund | Vol 13](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-therapy-fund-vol-13) - How fitting that this post has the dubious honor of being lucky number 13. Cold, Flu and RSV season has officially begun. Last year, RSV landed us in Children's Hospital for 5 days. Protecting Sam from disease is hard, especially with his big sister back in that cesspool of disease known as Elementary School. This
- [And so it starts](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/and-so-it-starts) - We were having a a nice and quiet family diner at our favorite Italian Restaurant. Things had been light and playful. Irene was mixing her gelato with her spoon, turning it into gelato soup. Sam was making himself laugh by playing patty cake with nobody. And that's when they came. The tears. Yep. Once again,
- [Half-way through Sam's birthday... and I am holding up](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/half-way-through-sams-birthday-and-i-am-holding-up) - Sam's 2nd birthday is half-way over, and so far, I have managed to avoid tears. It helps that Sam has just been so damn cute this morning. The day got off to a great start when i went to get Sam dressed for his big day, pulled out his superman shirt, and he looked at
- [The Therapy Fund | Vol. 12](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-therapy-fund-vol-12) - My (almost) 7 Year Old Broke Me! That's right. My daughter made me cry. After months and months of her mouth, I finally reached a point where I could not take any more. It's not like there was one big incident that pushed me over the edge. It was just the culmination of everything boiling
- [And so we enter the two year countdown...](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/and-so-we-enter-the-two-year-countdown) - Today was the first day of 2nd grade for Irene. Aside from being an exciting time for us all... it also means we are entering into the "two years ago today" season. That's right, somehow, Sam's two year birthday is rapidly approaching. Honestly, I have no idea how that happened. His first year seemed to
- [My journey to becoming a preemie mom began two years ago today](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/my-journey-to-becoming-a-preemie-mom-began-two-years-ago-today) - I have taken some time off from writing as my mind has been a jumble if thoughts and emotions. I have been weighed down by the herculean task of wrapping my head around all of the changes in my life over the past two years. Barreling towards Sam's second birthday has been really different than
- [The Therapy Fund | Vol. 11](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-therapy-fund-vol-11) - Last week, I took a week off from blogging and my life and kidnapped my 6.5 year old and took her on a trip to Disneyland. We had been talking about this trip for almost a year. She really wanted to go, and we had promised Rosa (our nanny's daughter and my defacto daughter) that
- [The Therapy Fund | Vol. 10](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-therapy-fund-vol-10) - My six-and-a-half year old has a possible terminal case of diarrhea of the mouth. The past few weeks have been rough around our house. It seems no matter what I do, it set’s Irene off. The other day, I committed the big sin of turning the radio off because Irene was in the back seat
- [Superheroes Come in Many Forms](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/superheroes-come-in-many-forms) - This past week has been a really inspiring one for me. I have seen a number of people shed their Clark Kent exterior and reveal the Superhero that lives inside of them. Each of these people have made me stop and look at my life and think about what I can do to bring out
- [My Breastfeeding Experiences: A Tale of Contrasts](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/my-breastfeeding-experiences-a-tale-of-contrasts) - This week is Breastfeeding Awareness Week, and without wading into any of the political mine fields, I wanted to share my two very different experiences with breastfeeding. Before I begin, let me start by saying that how you feed your baby is your choice. If you choose formula for your baby, who the hell am
- [The Therapy Fund | Vol. 9](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-therapy-fund-vol-9) - Dear God. The screaming. The ear piercing, toe curling, mind melting, soul crushing screaming that is emanating from my little boy these days. These screams often come without warning or reason, and last hours (ok, more like minutes, but they feel like hours). These screams are so impressive, our next door neighbors can hear them
- [How I Became An Accidental SAH/WFH Mom](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/how-i-became-an-accidental-sahwfh-mom) - Before I had my first kid, if you had asked me if I would ever want to be a stay-at-home-mom, I would have laughed at you. Then I had Irene. I did everything I could to take as much time off as possible. I was lucky that I worked for Yahoo! at the time. They
- [All about Kenna](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/all-about-kenna) - Today is a great day. Nothing really to report with Sam - he is just doing great. What makes today special is a preemie friend of ours is finally going home after 6 months (and one day) in the NICU. Now, a baby being released from the NICU is always a joyous thing. In this
- [The Therapy Fund | Vol. 8](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-therapy-fund-vol-8) - My blood came to a boil earlier this week thanks to an email from the lovely folks at BabyCenter.com. This all started innocently enough. I was having one of those preemie mom days. You know the one - where you are full of a bit of self pity and pride. I opened my email to
- [OT Update](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/ot-update) - Today was Sam's first OT appointment. As I mentioned yesterday, I was a bit anxious. I even found myself waking up a number of times during the night. Don't get me wrong, I KNOW that Sam is OK. He is developing beautifully. He is smart. He is funny. He has so much personality its a
- [The Therapy Fund | Vol. 6](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-therapy-fun-vol-6) - The NICU was an extremely traumatic place for me and my husband. I spent anywhere from 4-8 hours a day sitting next to Sam's isolette listening to a symphony of sounds made up of alarms, beeps, the whooshing and whirring of breathing devices, doctor and nurse chatter, and my own breathing. Every day when I
- [Waiting for OT](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/waiting-for-ot) - Back in May, I wrote about our 18-month evaluation at the high risk infant follow up clinic. I went into the appointment cocky and confident - sure that the doctor would take one look at my anti-preemie and tell us we didn't ever need to come back. Instead, we walked out with referrals to speech
- [The Therapy Fund | Vol. 5](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-therapy-fund-vol-5) - Postpartum Depression. All pregnant woman are warned about PPD. We are told what the warning signs are, and what to do if we feel that PPD is creeping into our lives. For the preemie mom, PPD is just one of the things we have to look out for. Surviving a preemie is very traumatic, and
- [The Therapy Fund | Vol 3 | The Art of Artichoking](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-therapy-fund-vol-3-the-art-of-artichoking) - This week, the therapy fund contribution is 100% for me. I am now 20+ months into breastfeeding my son. Of course, the first 3 months all pumping until Sam was old enough to latch and then strong enough to breastfeed all of his meals. But, ever since he came home from the hospital, Sam has
- [The Therapy Fund | Vol. 4](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-therapy-fund-vol-4) - I know I am not supposed to compare my children or assume that what worked for one will work for the other... but here I am, in a position where I let my "It worked for Irene" get in the way of common sense. You see, with Irene, if you told her no or to
- [Sleep Training: Week One](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/sleep-training-week-one) - As I mentioned in my second Therapy Fund post, Peter and I broke down and hired a sleep consultant to help us get Sam sleeping better. The plan we worked out was pretty simple: I was not allowed in the house between 7 pm - 7 am, and was not allowed to be near Sam
- [The Therapy Fund | Vol. 2](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-therapy-fund-vol-2) - In honor of Peter, Sam and myself.... The past few months with Sam have been hard. I have written a few times about the troubles we have had with getting Sam to sleep and keeping him asleep. Things really came to a head two weeks ago when Sam started taking two hours of rocking each
- [I've Been Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/ive-been-waiting-for-the-other-shoe-to-drop) - In the 20 months since Sam was born, we have been really lucky. Yes, he was just 24-weeks when he was born, spent 95 days in the NICU, had heart surgery and eye surgery... but other than a hospitalization for RSV last December, we have had no long term issues to deal with. So it
- [The Witching Hour(s)](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-witching-hours) - I had it easy with my first kid. At 3 months old, Irene slept through the night. Now, she goes to bed early and wakes up at a reasonable time. Sam, on the other hand, is not so easy. For a little while there, it looked like we were going to luck out and have
- [Going to New York](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/going-to-new-york) - Since my daughter was born 6.5 years ago I have taken a total of zero trips by myself. I have gone away with my husband, gone away with my mom, but I have not gone anywhere alone. Now, with Sam in the the picture, I have left my kids a total of three times: I
- [Sam's latest developments](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/sams-latest-developments) - Despite my fears that something is going to show up that is horribly wrong with Sam... he has been progressing and developing like a champ. Lately, his biggest area of development is speech. He has decided to skip over the easy words and moved on to more complex ones: chicken, again, monkey, butt down, and
- [I love the preemie community](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/i-love-the-preemie-community) - When I gave birth to Sam in 2010, I became a member of the preemie parent community. Those of you readers that have your own preemie know what I am talking about. For those without a preemie, let me tell you... in some ways you are really missing out. Nobody knows how to rally around
- [To wean or not to wean...](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/to-wean-or-not-to-wean) - Weaning. This is a totally new and foreign concept to me. With Irene, I didn't have to think about weaning at all. Between my low milk supply and Irene's strong will, the decision to wean was made for me when Irene was just six months old. In fact, my experience with Irene hung as a
- [Parents of Preemies Day](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/parents-of-preemies-day) - Today is the first ever Parents of Preemies Day. A day to celebrate the strength it takes to be a parent to a premature baby. It's funny, because as a parent of a preemie, this is something I see and recognize every day. It seems wrong to me to have a day to celebrate... me.
- [18 Month Check-up](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/18-month-check-up) - Yep. You read that right. Sam is now 18 months old (actual). It's so hard to believe how far we have come. Think about it, Sam has grown 18 inches since he was born. Eighteen inches - that is the size of an American Girl doll - that is more than double his birth height
- [The difference one person can make](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-difference-one-person-can-make) - So, my last post ended on a paranoia note. Yes, I constantly worry that something is going to show up with Sam that will prove to the world that he was, in fact a preemie. I have a terrible time accepting that I can give birth to a 24 weeker and have only emotional scars
- [How one word can brighten my day](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/how-one-word-can-brighten-my-day) - After a long 15.5 month slog, Sam has finally managed to say the one thing that every mother longs to hear: "Mama". For months (and I mean months) I have listened to Sam call me, the wall, Peter, his books, well, everything, "dada". I coached, I cajoled. I did everything I could to get that
- [NICU Survival Kit](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/nicu-survival-kit) - Welcome to Prematurity Awareness Month... and my book publication month. In honor of these two big events, I have committed myself to writing a new post a week. So, you are going to be spending some time in the NICU. Your baby is fully taken care of. They have everything they could possibly need. You,
- [Acronyms acronyms acronyms](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/acronyms-acronyms-acronyms) - Welcome to Prematurity Awareness Month... and my book publication month. In honor of these two big events, I have committed myself to writing a new post a week. Say that fast five times. Ok. Don't. I got tongue tied after the first one. When you are in the NICU (ah yes - the first acronym)
- [The Therapy Fund | Vol. 1](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-therapy-fund-vol-1) - Introducing a new category of posts... This one focuses on what parenting lapse occurred this week to cause me to add money to the Therapy Fund jar. The jar is not earmarked for any one particular family member, because at the rate we are going, all of us will need therapy every now and then.
- [Milestones and progress](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/milestones-and-progress) - The past month has been one of major milestones reached - on all parts. So many... where to start. IRENE Irene has had a great few months. She is really doing well at school and has discovered her deep love of reading. I am not talking little picture books, I am talking chapter books... big
- [Those three little letters every preemie mom fears... RSV](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/those-three-little-letters-every-preemie-mom-fears-rsv) - As a preemie parent, you have the fear of RSV drilled into you from the moment the season begins. We are told in that first year of life not to take our preemies into crowds or indoor public locations from November to May. We go every month to get our $1500 Synergist shots. We wash
- [How to train a baby?](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/how-to-train-a-baby) - I have read all the books out there on sleep training, and I have to say I am at a loss. Don't get me wrong, Sam is a pretty good sleeper overall. Most nights he will sleep around 12 hours. So, you may be asking yourself, what could I possibly be complaining about? Well, two
- [It must be the holiday season](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/it-must-be-the-holiday-season) - The past few weeks around the Harris-Odum household have been filled with people, good food, amazing developments from our anti-preemie and a big fundraising drive for the Alta Bates NICU. First- to the family updates. Thanksgiving this year was especially special for us as it was the first time we all celebrated as a four
- [Paying it forward](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/paying-it-forward) - Sam and I stopped by the NICU today for a quick little visit with some of our favorite people. It's always nice to bring Sam to the NICU and the staff that work there. I sometimes forget how nice it must be for them to see one of their former babies looking like such a
- [A little on the sad side today](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/a-little-on-the-sad-side-today) - The past year has been one of so much loss and so much pain. I am starting to realize that through all of this, the thing I have lost the most is myself. I have spent so much time focusing on the needs of everyone around me... friends, family, Sam... that I have lost me
- [I've been a bad bad blogger](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/ive-been-a-bad-bad-blogger) - My in-laws pointed out that since Sam's birthday almost two months ago I have written nothing. Not a word. They had diligently checked every morning, just in case I might have posted an update. Every morning they were disappointed. I wish I had a better excuse than "I have two kids and a part-time gig"...
- [Sam's Birthday Party](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/sams-birthday-party) - On September 17, we threw a major birthday party for Sam. In many ways, this was less of a birthday party and more of a celebration of all the people that helped us get to this milestone. I think we invited the entire NICU and almost all our friends and family. In all about 80
- [Separation Anxiety](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/separation-anxiety) - I knew this day would come. Eventually we would have to address separation anxiety. I mean, eventually I would need to get back to work (or at least sort of). Little did I realize that the person having the most trouble would be ME! I think Sam is having more fun with the two different
- [One year ago today... A letter to my son](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/one-year-ago-today-a-letter-to-my-son) - Dear Sam: It was on this day one year ago that you entered our lives. You were... shall we say... early. Really really early. We were not expecting to meet you until January 4th, but you just had other plans. The six days prior to your arrival were hard and scary. The 95 days you
- [One year ago today... (part 6)... and Happy Neonatal Nurse Appreciation Day](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/one-year-ago-today-part-6-and-happy-neonatal-nurse-appreciation-day) - One year ago today, the euphoria of reaching 24 weeks started to wane as my contractions started to increase. Then, in the blink of an eye, the euphoria was gone as it was discovered I was leaking amniotic fluid and was now in danger of having my sac rupture with just the slightest movement. The
- [One year ago today... part 5](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/one-year-ago-today-part-5) - One year ago today, as I lay in trendelenberg, suffering from headaches and back aches, I celebrated. For it was on this day one year ago that I crossed the magical 24-week mark, and my baby went from having almost no chance of survival to a 40% chance of survival. For 4 days, I lay
- [One year ago today (and yesterday)...](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/one-year-ago-today-and-yesterday) - Its funny, as I get closer to Sam's birthday, things are getting a little easier. Who knows, maybe my roller coaster will follow the path in I took in the hospital last year. My 2nd and third full days in the hospital were probably my best. My back and hips only ached a little, my
- [One year ago today - part 2](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/one-year-ago-today-part-2) - I meant to post this this morning...alas... One year ago today, I woke up in a hospital bed, tilted at a 30-degree angle, being pumped full of magnesium sulfate, with all the blood rushing to my head, so overwhelmed that I didn't even realize it was 9/11. As I lay there, listening to the sounds
- [One year ago today...](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/one-year-ago-today) - In the first of what will be a number of "one year ago today..." posts I foresee this week... Let me just say that this anniversary sucks. This is not something to celebrate. It was one year ago today that my world crashed down around me. From a simple chat at my mother's breakfast table
- [And now for a long overdue moment of zen](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/and-now-for-a-long-overdue-moment-of-zen)
- [Self pity](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/self-pity) - As I leave Bennett's birthday party I find myself overcome with emotion. I think seeing the outpouring of love from Elisa's extended friends and family has gotten me reflecting on my own extended network. When the shit hit the fan, I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support we got from friends near
- [Happy Birthday Bennett](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/happy-birthday-bennett) - Today is Sam's NICU buddy Bennett's birthday. Many of you have learned abut Bennett from reading my blog, and I just wanted to take a moment to say what a great day today is. Bennett is a boy who has beaten more odds in his one year of life than most of us will face
- [A little weepy and other ramblings](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/a-little-weepy-and-other-ramblings) - As we near the one-year (can you believe it!) mark of when this whole preemie ordeal began, I find myself on the verge of tears- pretty much all the time. I have a feeling the next two weeks leading up to Sam's birthday are just going to be really hard emotional ones for me. Today
- [Greetings from Mexico](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/greetings-from-mexico) - What was i thinking?! Airplanes are full of germs! How will I explain to a doctor in Mexico about my son's actual age and corrected age? What if he has another asymptomatic ear infection? Oh god... what if it is symptomatic and I can't remember which antibiotic he is allergic to? Yep- I am a
- [Reflecting on my birthday](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/reflecting-on-my-birthday) - I know... technically my birthday was a few days ago... but still... It's funny how one event can just shift your perception on everything. If you had asked me last year on my birthday what I thought the coming year would be like, I can guarantee you I would not have described what happened. Now,
- [When does the worry and fear end?](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/when-does-the-worry-and-fear-end) - I know. I know. You never really stop worrying about your kids. That is the burden every parent must carry. What I am talking about is the overwhelming, soul crushing fear that something terrible will go wrong. After all, preemies are so fragile when they come into this world. Every day- hell every hour- brings
- [The long video is finally live!](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-long-video-is-finally-live) - Finally... they finished the longer video about Sam and my story:
- [Where has the month gone?!](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/where-has-the-month-gone) - Wait... It's August? How the heck did that happen? One minute I am whining about my parents being in Africa for a month and the next thing I know... that month is over, mom has had her surgery and is already complianing about being bored with her recovery time. I guess being overwhelmed with things
- [Overwhelmed... but happy](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/overwhelmed-but-happy) - This is not something I admit very often, but the past few weeks I have been overwhelmed with everything I am trying to do. It is a new feeling for me, and I have to say... I do not like it. I guess I have a limit. To recap- this is what I have on
- [Laying low](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/laying-low) - Sam and I have been laying low, avoiding all the paparazzi that have been stalking us since our TV debut. Well, not really, but wouldn't it be funny if it were true. The ads have been running for over a week now, and from what I can tell, lots of people have seen them. I
- [A TV Star is born](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/a-tv-star-is-born) - I have made a few allusions to a project that Sam and I have been working on and I can now tell everyone about it.... I was contacted about 3 months ago by Sutter Health and their ad agency to see if I would be willing to have my story told as part of their
- [Major milestones have been reached](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/major-milestones-have-been-reached) - Sorry to leave everyone hanging after my last post. The shoe never fell... but my instinct was right that something was off with Sam. Turns out he had a minor ear infection. 4 doses of amoxicillin and a bad reaction (diarrhea) and voila- the ears cleared right up! Which leaves us with a week or
- [Waiting for the other shoe to drop](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/waiting-for-the-other-shoe-to-drop) - I joke a lot about how Sam is the anti-preemie. Hell, just look at the new name for the blog. In so many ways it is true. He has very few issues and is not at Children's Hospital every day for appointments or tests like some of the other preemie mom's I know. This lack
- [Sometimes being a mom is hard](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/sometimes-being-a-mom-is-hard) - What a trying week. I don't know if someone spiked the kids food or what, but this has just been one of those weeks that make you long for the days before you had kids. Everyone is healthy- its just their behavior that leave something to be desired. Irene is a pretty good kid overall.
- [Long time... no write](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/long-time-no-write) - I could spin a number of excuses, but really, I just don't have any good ones. I have not been especially busy- but somehow I have just not found the time to write. And now, with a totally crazy week, here I am at the keyboard. Go figure. First for the update: Sam has his
- [Big changes - and I am not talking about Sam](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/big-changes-and-i-am-not-talking-about-sam) - This week is all about some big things that happened for Irene and me. We pick up where my last post left off- extolling the virtues of my wonderful parents who have taken Irene to Lake Tahoe for an extended visit! Irene loves being with my mom and dad- and Peter and I were really
- [A weekend without Irene](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/a-weekend-without-irene) - Its spring break time here in the Oakland public school system and my parents have taken Irene to Lake Tahoe for the week. Yes, you read that right, we are Irene free from April 15-23. The freedom is a bit paralyzing. So many things we could do, we just don't know where to start! Aside
- [A fun week](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/a-fun-week) - What a week. After 7 months of giving Irene just some of my attention, I decided it was time to make her the focus and take her away for a night. This of course meant leaving Sam for the first time and having to pump again- if just for one day. It all seemed worth
- [A week of lots of ups... and just one down](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/a-week-of-lots-of-ups-and-just-one-down) - Its been a while since I have been able to write. My intention is to put out a weekly update, but sometimes that is just not possible. At least this time, my excuse is we were having too much fun. Believe it or not, the Oakland public schools were closed last Thursday for Cesar Chavez
- [Sam in print](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/sam-in-print) - A local magazine interviewed me about being a preemie mom. If you are interested (and can forgive the registration and interface) check it out: Bay Area Parent Magazine - Pages 40-42.
- [A remarkable  - if rainy - week](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/a-remarkable-if-rainy-week) - This past week started off like a dream! For the first time since Irene entered kindergarten, I was able to volunteer in her class. Irene has a wonderful teacher, Mr. Thompson, who really is able to engage, entertain and educate a room full of unruly kindergartners (with Irene as one of the ring leaders). I
- [Hard to believe... but Sam is 6 months old](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/hard-to-believe-but-sam-is-6-months-old) - Wow. 6 months have passed since Sam was born. It is so hard to believe. In one way, this has been the longest 6 months of my life, and in another it has gone by so fast. I can't believe that just 6 months ago I was lying in Room 8 of L&D, enduring my
- [The pity party is still in effect](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-pity-party-is-still-in-effect) - This week has been a bit better ending on a mix of the highest high and the lowest low... Most of the week has been consumed with my looming return to work date of April 4. It is so hard for me to believe that I have been off work for a little over 6
- [A little video to make you smile](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/a-little-video-to-make-you-smile-2) - Sam discovered playing with toys today!
- [Its my pity party...](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/its-my-pity-party) - What an emotional week. So much has been going on, I don't even know how to capture it all. Its important to make it clear that everyone is OK, but emotionally, this week has been a killer. Irene The past few weeks have been really rough with Irene. She has been acting out a lot.
- [A long week for the Harris-Odums](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/a-long-week-for-the-harris-odums) - This past week is not one I ever want to repeat. After our Monday visit to the ER, we tried to take it very very easy at home. Sam seemed to be doing OK. He was eating and sleeping like a champ. Mom, on the other hand, was working on little to no sleep. Tuesday
- [We broke the baby](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/we-broke-the-baby) - The old adage that you will not break the baby holds true... unless the baby rolls off of your chest, bounces off a mattress, hits a bed frame made of re-bar and then lands on the floor. In that situation... you might break the baby. A bit of an exaggeration, but Sam does have 3
- [Jan 29-Feb 10](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/jan-29-feb-10) - My last post was a bit down. What can I say, its hard being a mom to a preemie. I am trying to do better about getting out of the house but it is still hard and isolating. For those that read my last post and have reached out, thank you. It really did help!
- [The joys of having a preemie in RSV season](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/the-joys-of-having-a-preemie-in-rsv-season) - Having a newborn is an isolating enough experience. You are tired, lucky to have showered, and home when everyone is at work. At least you are able to go to Target or where ever for an activity. Sadly, for the parent to a preemie in RSV season, even this simple pleasure is denied. You are
- [Jan 15-Jan 28](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/jan-15-jan-28) - Sam has done really well off of the additive. He is now 8 lbs 8 ozs and is having much less gas than he had been having. The best part is we are now down to one bottle a day and I am free from the pump! For the first time since Sept 16 I
- [Jan 14-Jan 20](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/jan-14-jan-20) - This was a big milestone week for Sam as he hit 4 months old on Sunday! Such a simple thing to say, but just so loaded with baggage. Its funny, every time someone asks me how old my baby is, I hesitate. Do I give the easy answer and give his corrected age (2 weeks)
- [Jan 6-Jan 13](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/jan-6-jan-13) - Now it is all coming back to me... the sleep deprivation, the inability to get anything done, the life changes that happen with a new born. Don't get me wrong, having Sam home is fantastic, but my god am I tired. My little angel is a very noisy sleeper... when he sleeps. Otherwise, he is
- [Crazy couple of days](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/crazy-couple-of-days) - Sam's due date (aka his "re-birthday") has come and gone, and to celebrate, Sam has been growing like a weed! In the past 9 days Sam has gained 14 ounces! He now weighs a hefty 6lbs 9.2 ounces. To quote my friend Gwen, Sam is solid. He just feels like a normal, healthy, stocky baby
- [Reflections on 2010 and an update](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/reflections-on-2010-and-an-update) - 2010 was a mixed bag of a year. Things started off with high hopes. Peter and I figured that after 2009, 2010 had to be good. January was uneventful, but come February, the pendulum started to shift. First, I slipped on a wet floor an completely herniated a disc in my back, then the earthquake
- [A little video to make you smile](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/a-little-video-to-make-you-smile)
- [Departure Day videos](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/departure-day-videos) - For those of you interested in watching lots of video of Sam's grand departure from the NICU... Video#1: Staring Laura, Sam, Melissa and the voice of Peter Video#2: Staring Laura, Sam, and the voice of Peter Video #3: Staring (in order): Sam, Melissa, Laura, some nurses whose names I do not know, Blanca (waving in
- [December 26: The first few days](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/december-26-the-first-few-days) - What an exhausting and wonderful 7 days it has been. Having Sam home is a total dream. Don't get me wrong, I am so exhausted I am not sure I know my own name. I think the combination of lack of sleep, moving Irene from her current room to her new princess pink room, having
- [December 21: Sam's departure from the NICU and first 24 hours at home](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/december-21-sams-departure-from-the-nicu-and-first-24-hours-at-home) - Wow. I am still in shock that we are home. After 95 days of the NICU routine, this abrupt change just feels so... abrupt! I am not complaining... trust me. I am just adjusting. The past 24 hours have been a total whirlwind. We started yesterday off by having one last family breakfast for a
- [Day 95: December 20](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-95-december-20) - Free at last. Free at last. Thank the entire Alta Bates NICU team... we are free at last!! I will write more tomorrow about the experience tomorrow. For now, I need to sleep! Here are a few pics from the great escape staring Sam and Laura.
- [Day 94: December 19 - Sam's LAST NIGHT IN THE NICU!!!!](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-94-december-19-sams-last-night-in-the-nicu) - Ok- so I may be jinxing it... but... this should be Sam's last night in Alta Bates hospital. I am a shocked that we are finally here. All the things we were going to do before Sam came home we have been trying to get done in one day. Right now, Peter is painting Irene's
- [Day 93: December 18](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-93-december-18) - The fear is starting to seep in. What happens if Sam has a Brady or desat at home and we don't have a monitor on him to tell us. I will place money that neither Peter nor I sleep the first few nights Sam is home. It's funny, because until a few days ago I
- [Day 92: December 17](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-92-december-17) - No news is good news. We made it through the day with one Brady due to spit up so they didn't count it. We are one day closer to my life as a NICU prisoner coming to an end.
- [Day 91: December 16 (Happy 3 month birthday!)](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-91-december-16-happy-3-month-birthday) - The countdown is in full swing! Sam is set to go home in 4 days unless he has a brady. So far... so good. Every single test Sam needs to pass before he can go home he has now passed: Hearing test: check! Passed with flying colors All feeds taken from breast or bottle: check!
- [Days 89 and 90: December 14 (Sam is 38 weeks) and December 15](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/days-89-and-90-december-14-sam-is-38-weeks-and-december-15) - Sorry for the lack of a post yesterday. Between Irene vomiting and me feeling like crap, I was just not in any shape to write. Plus, for the first time since Sam was born I went 2 whole days without seeing him! The good news is he was not alone. For the first time since
- [Day 88: December 13](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-88-december-13) - For the first time since October I didn't get to see Sam today. Aside from Irene still being really sick, I am now sick and not welcome in the NICU. That means Sam spent the day with a bottle and no mom. I guess the one benefit was Laura got to spend some good quality
- [Day 87: December 12](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-87-december-12) - What a day. Hell. What a weekend. We had ourselves a challenging one. Sam, for the most part, was a rock star. Irene, on the other hand, was one sick little girl. Peter and I were divided between the two. I think things really came to a head today with Irene's fever spiking up to
- [Day 86: December 11](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-86-december-11) - Sam continues to shine as we work our way to freedom. I am very hopeful we will be sent home by the end of this week, but there are no guarantees. First, nobody has actually told me we should be home be the end of this week and second... nobody has told me we will
- [Day 85: December 10](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-85-december-10) - Sam is on a roll. Aside from the good report from the eye doctor yesterday, here are a few of his accomplishments: It has now been 3 days since his last brady (and counting) He has been able to maintain his body temperature for the past 2.5 days (and counting) He gain 4 ounces in
- [Day 84: December 9 (Happy 12 week birthday!)](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-84-december-9-happy-12-week-birthday) - Today was a great day! The eye surgeon came in for Sam's first follow up exam and told us that everything looks really good. I think the direct quote was "I would be shocked if things took a turn for the worse". I am translating that to mean, Sam's retina is nicely attached and should
- [Day 83: December 8](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-83-december-8) - Sam had a pretty good day today. We are bouncing back and forth between the open crib and the heated crib. The good news is he is spending less and less time in the heated crib. The other good news is he nursed twice today. I honestly believe he is ready to start getting bottles,
- [Day 82: December 7](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-82-december-7) - A pretty quiet day in the NICU. Sam was a little less alert than yesterday, but that might have to do with the fact that he is back on full feeds. He also was moved out of the isolette at around midnight and put into an open crib. That lasted until about 7 pm today
- [Day 81: December 6](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-81-december-6) - Today brought relief... to my freezer space! The Mothers Milk Bank of San Jose cam and picked up approx. 1000 ounces of milk. While this helped, it just put a little dent in the supply in my freezer(s). They are going to send me a cooler this week so I can send even more milk
- [Day 80: December 5](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-80-december-5) - Yesterday felt a bit like I may have hit bottom. Of course writing a blog post at 1:30 am is never a good idea! In any event, in the light of day and with a bit of sleep, i woke up feeling a bit better than the night before. I know I worried a number
- [Day 79: December 4](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-79-december-4) - Sleep deprivation and the stress of the past few days has started to take it's toll. The positive facade I have managed to have for the past 70+ days has tarted to crumble. Little things now seem like major problems. I am taking everything much harder and having the worst time seeing the light at
- [Day 78: December 3](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-78-december-3) - I am working on 6 hours of sleep over a 48 hour period... so this will be brief. Sam is continuing to recover from the surgery, but it is taking some time to get the sedatives out of his system. While I try to get some sleep, I will give you just a few images
- [Day 77: December 2 (Sam is 11 weeks old)](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-77-december-2-sam-is-11-weeks-old) - Just a quick update to let everyone know that Sam had the surgery this evenisng. He tolerated it really well. We will not know how successful it was for a few weeks, but at least the surgery is behind us. Whatever was making Sam sick yesterday cleared up as suddenly as it came on. No
- [Day 76: December 1](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-76-december-1) - It's 11:50 at night and I am writing from the NICU. never a good sign. At about 6 pm, the doctor called to say there was some concern with Sam. He was very lethargic and having trouble digesting all of his food. They suspected that there might be an infection and were going to draw
- [Day 75: November 30 (35 weeks gestational age)](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-75-november-30-35-weeks-gestational-age) - Today was a long day in the NICU. I got there at 10:30 and didn't leave until 9 pm. Part of the time, Peter and I were attending Infant CPR/Discharge class. Didn't really learn anything new- but it was good to get the class out of the way. The main development of the day was
- [Day 74: November 29](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-74-november-29) - Ugh. I am just so over the NICU. As much as I complained about not being ready for Sam to come home the week of 12/6... now that he is not going to come home that week I am totally upset. I love the people at the NICU... but god... I am SO over it!
- [Day 73: November 28](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-73-november-28) - Today felt like a continuation of yesterday. We are still in the spot I hate- and probably will be for a few days. Assuming he needs eye surgery, they will move him from nursery 3 back to nursery 2 where he will be for a few days. Then he will go back to nursery 3
- [Day 72: November 27](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-72-november-27) - It's been a along time since my NICU visits were hard, so I guess I was due. Today turned out to be one fo the lowest in days. I should have knownit would be baD when I spilled a full cup of hot coffee on me at breakfast. I got to the hospital (after a
- [Day 71: November 26 (Happy birthday Yayo)](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-71-november-26-happy-birthday-yayo) - As if one Thanksgiving was not enough, we celebrated again today with a combination Thanksgiving dinner with the Rosenberg/Ross clan / Alan Harris birthday. All in all a great day. Went to the hospital at 11 to see if Sam would breast feed. Dad joined me so he could spend some of his birthday with
- [Day 70: November 25 (Happy Thanksgiving!)](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-70-november-25-happy-thanksgiving) - I know, I know... I am a day behind. What can I say, all the turkey and pie has slowed me down. I got to spend just a little bit of time with Sam today. Between family visits and cooking, the day was just too filled. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I know
- [Day 69: November 24](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-69-november-24) - So I have decided the breastfeeding scale is evil. The past few times we have used it to see how much Sam got... It tells us zero. I can see he has latched. He is sucking. I can hear swallowing. There is no way he is getting nothing! I am so frustrated. I have enough
- [Day 68: November 23](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-68-november-23) - Sorry for not posting last night. Between exhaustion and computer issues, I just couldn't do it! There is not much to report from yesterday. It was another quiet, uneventful day in the NICU. Sam did get a nice visit from both of his parents thanks to an Irene sleepover at her grandparents house. Here are
- [Day 67: November 22](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-67-november-22) - I think I will let the pictures speak for themselves:
- [Day 66: November 21](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-66-november-21) - Despite all the good things that happened today- things didn't start off on the best footing. One of the most difficult things to do is plan a day. Between my pumping schedule, Sam's feeding schedule, and any social weekend plans, one slip in the schedule and everything goes to hell. Today, I had everything planned
- [Day 65: November 20](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-65-november-20) - Today Sam reached a really big milestone... he is now 4 pounds!!!
- [Day 64: November 19](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-64-november-19) - Not too much new in Sam's world. He is just doing so well- especially now that the cannula is off. Its funny, but without the cannula the number of brady and apnea events has really dropped off. Here are today's highlights: Sam now weighs 3 pounds 14.8 ounces. I am confident that he will be
- [Day 63: November 18](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-63-november-18)
- [Day 62: November 17](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-62-november-17) - Happy National Prematurity Awareness Day. To celebrate, Sam slept pretty much the entire day- especially when I was there to breastfeed. Good thing he is cute! Today's post is all a moment of zen:
- [Day 61: November 16 (Happy 2 month birthday!)](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-61-november-16-happy-2-month-birthday) - Well, 24+ hours in and Sam is still off the cannula! What a major stud! Everyone I talked to today feels pretty confident that Sam will go home around the week of December 7th. For those of you counting, that's 3.5 weeks from now. G.U.L.P. In other news, I did a little exercise today and
- [Day 60: November 15](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-60-november-15) - Wow. I am still speechless from the events of today. At around 1:45 I was starting to get things ready to hold Sam when I noticed that his nose cannula's were not staying in his nose, but he was still having really good oxygenation. When the team came to his room for rounds, I pointed
- [Day 59: November 14](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-59-november-14) - A few big things happened today: Irene has entered into new territory... visiting her brother two days in a row! Sam felt sun on his skin for the first time ever: Sam had one of his best breastfeeding sessions to date. He latched on, stayed awake, and really got a good amount of milk for
- [Day 58, Novemeber 13](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-58-novemeber-13) - Another Saturday, another full Harris-Odum family visit at Alta Bates. It just warms my heart when Irene asks if she can go see Sam! It also made Peter's day as it meant he would get to see his son. And his son could see him: Here are a few other images and one video from
- [Day 57: November 12](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-57-november-12) - Today's weight: 3 pounds 8 ounces. Such a cutie. Other than that, nothing else to report. God I love my boring kid! And now, today's moment of zen:
- [Day 56: November 11 (Happy 8th week birthday!)](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-56-november-11-happy-8th-week-birthday) - Another great day at the NICU with a nice long visit from Lisa Harter and a rare double parent visit! Lisa took some really cool pictures of Sam. I am looking forward to getting my hands on the images and sharing them all with you. And now your moment of Zen:
- [Day 55: November 10](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-55-november-10) - Sam had his first minor setback in weeks today... and it really wasn't much of a setback. I mentioned yesterday that they had reduced the flow on his cannula from 2 liters to 1 liter. By this morning, Sam was back on 2 liters. He just wasn't ready for the change. Honestly, I am OK
- [Day 54: November 9](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-54-november-9) - Sam is now officially 32 weeks gestational age. I would have loved for him to reach that age still in utero... but that was just not meant to be. It is hard for me to believe that we have come as far as we can. I mean, 60 days ago I was admitted to the
- [Day 53: November 8](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-53-november-8) - Today we did a little experiment. We weighed Sam before putting him on the breast, and then weighed him again after he spent 30 minutes sucking. Well... it is now official... I have a breastfeeding baby! We were able to see a slight gain in weight in those 30 minutes- meaning Sam is not only
- [Day 52: Novemeber 7](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-52-novemeber-7) - Not too much to report today- except for Sam's size. He is now 3 lbs 4.9 ozs!! That boy is growing like a weed. He is now up to 28MLs a feed. You will notice that Sam's skin has a bit of a yellow tinge to it. He does have an elevated billiruben, but Dr.
- [Day 51: November 6](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-51-november-6) - A lovely Saturday in the Bay Area- and an even lovelier one in the Alta Bates NICU. First, Sam latched on and fed for a good 35 minutes.... then his big sister came to visit for 2 hours! Peter and Irene got to the NICU while Sam was out and feeding, and Irene just lit
- [Day 50: November 5](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-50-november-5) - I think one sentence says it all: SAM WEIGHS 3 LBS 1.2 OZS!!
- [Day 49: November 4 (Happy 7 week birthday Sam!)](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-49-november-4-happy-7-week-birthday-sam) - Sam had his head and abdomen ultrasound today. Once again, everything came back normal! No bleeds, nothing to worry about, just good normal news. Theresa tells me there will only be one more head ultrasound, and they will do that right around the time Sam is 37 weeks (he is currently 31 weeks). We spent
- [Day 48: November 3](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-48-november-3) - Sam had his first vaccinations today. The state of California requires all babies, regardless of gestational age, to be vaccinated for pertussis by the 6th week of life. So, poor little Sam got stuck with a needle today. Amazingly enough, he didn't seem to notice! Sucrose can be used in babies as a natural anesthetic.
- [Day 47: November 2](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-47-november-2) - It's election day, so I am hoping everyone out there has voted. In watching the returns, I am a bit concerned about the state of politics in this country! At least some of the crackpots running have lost (Yes, Christine O'Donnell I am talking about you!). But I digress. I arrived at the NICU just
- [Day 46: November 1](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-46-november-1) - To quote Theresa, this will be a pretty boring week for Sam... we hope. There is very little planned for Sam. I think they just want to let him have a week to just grow and thrive. I believe the term used to describe Sam in the NICU is he is now a "grower and
- [Day 45: October 31 (Happy Halloween)](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-45-october-31-happy-halloween) - Good news! The bad nurse was not with Sam today- one of our favorites, Gaye was! Phew! I was so worried that we were going to have a problem today, but Gaye to the rescue. My favorite thing was, when I called Gaye to see how Sam was doing, she had so little to say,
- [Day 44: October 30](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-44-october-30) - Sam is doing great on the nose cannulas. He has had only a few minor brady's and desats- nothing to worry about. His meals are up to 25 MLs a feed. He is doing so well on them and gaining weight that they keep upping the limit they will take him to. Sam is also
- [Day 42: October 28 (6 weeks old!)](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-42-october-28-6-weeks-old) - Mr. Sam does not fail to impress. Overnight, Sam had his PICC line removed and by 9 am, it was decided he was doing so well, that they wanted to take him off CPAP and put him on the nose cannulas full time. As of 8 pm, he was still on the cannulas and doing
- [Day 43: October 29](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-43-october-29) - Not much to report, so today's post will be image based: And your moment of zen:
- [Day 41: October 27](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-41-october-27) - Sam had a so-so night. Apparently he ran a little fever, which got everyone concerned that he had gotten an infection... or it was possible that the temperature gauge in the isolette stopped functioning, and he was being over heated by the bed. To be safe, they drew a bunch of blood to check for
- [Day 40: October 26](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-40-october-26) - When I arrived at the hospital, I had a little bit of a scare as Sam's stomach was looking a bit full. His nurse and Theresa were concerned enough to order an XRAY, as a big tummy can be an early sign of NEC (Necrotizing enterocolitis). NEC is the thing we fear the most right
- [Day 39: October 25](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-39-october-25) - Well, according to Theresa this is going to be a big week for Mr. Sam. A few major goals have been set for him, and if he can meet them, it would be fantastic! Here are the goals, as I understand them: Advance to 15 MLs per feed Discontinue the Fat Emulsion Discontinue the HA
- [Day 38: October 24](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-38-october-24) - This will be a quick post, as there was not much time to visit Sam today. Between getting back from Sausalito and getting things ready for Irene's birthday party, Sam had to take a back seat. I didn't even hold him today- which means he didn't get to do a cannula sprint. I guess I
- [Day 37: October 23](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-37-october-23) - Today, Peter and did a divide and conquer. We had a lot planned for the day, and the only way to pull it off was to split tasks. I was assigned a hospital visit and Peter was assigned to go with Irene to the Thornhill walkathon. We were then going to meet up at 4
- [Day 36: October 22](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-36-october-22) - First and foremost... i want to warn everyone that most likely there will be no update tomorrow, 10/23. It is Peter's birthday and a wedding reception for a friend, so Peter and I are actually taking a night off and going out. Today was probably my favorite day to date. Sam was doing well, I
- [Day 35: October 21 (Sam is now 5 weeks old!)](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-35-october-21-sam-is-now-5-weeks-old) - So, no news is really good news. Sam is just doing great. They have upped his feeds to 7 MLs every 3 hours and tomorrow they will start to increase his feeds until Sam is up to 15 MLs every 3 hours or a grand total of 120 MLS (4 ozs) every day. Once he
- [Day 34: October 20](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-34-october-20) - So, the past few posts have been pretty uneventful. To quote one person... even boring. Well, I am hoping that today's update will be as exciting for you as it is for me. First, Sam gained back all the weight he pooped out and then some. How now weighs 2 lbs 5.4 ozs. But more
- [Day 33: October 19](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-33-october-19) - Well- yesterday Sam was a bit constipated and weighed in at 2 lbs 5.2 ozs. Today, Sam is not as constipated and weighs in at 2 lbs 4.5 ozs. I guess he had quite a poopy diaper for the night shift. So glad I didn't have to change that one! Today was another quite/good day
- [Day 32: October 18](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-32-october-18) - As today is big sisters birthday, I will keep this post short and sweet. Sam is doing great. He now weight 2 lbs 5.2 ozs and measures a whopping 13.97 inches. His feeds have been increased from 2 MLs every 3 hours to 4 MLs every 3 hours, with the hope that they will increase
- [Day 31: October 17](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-31-october-17) - I woke up feeling much better- both in my throat and the rest of my body. I think the antibiotics may be working- which means a uterine infection is looking like it might be the answer. So, I guess that is the good and bad news. At least we know what is wrong, and I
- [Day 30: October 16](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-30-october-16) - Happy one month birthday Sam! To celebrate, your mom got a sore throat and had to miss seeing you for the first time since you were born. Lucky for mommy, Sam had a pretty quiet day today. He has been weened off of the morphine, put in the new isolette and moved back to the
- [Day 29: October 15](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-29-october-15) - Now that we are past the first 24+ hours after Sam's surgery, I am finally able to write about our experiences yesterday. We arrived at the hospital at 7 to be greeted by a lot of hustle of bustle in Sam's room. First, they had to move him from his isolette into an open bed
- [Day 28: October 14](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-28-october-14) - What can I say... I exhausted. I will write up details in the morning, but as of 11:30 pm Sam was doing well. They have been watching him closely and adjusting fluids and meds as necessary. So far, so good.
- [Quick Surgery update](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/quick-surgery-update) - The surgery went really well. It was not the largest PDA the surgeon had seen, but it was big. The surgeon feels that by closingnit, Sam should start to feel better soon. I'll write more later.
- [Day 27: October 13](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-27-october-13) - I spent as much time as possible with Sam today knowing that the next few days with him were going to be rough. When I got to the hospital he looked good- really good. His color was nice and since he had been peeing a huge amount out, the puffiness from the day before was
- [Day 26: October 12](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-26-october-12) - So, today had two major events for Sam. The first was an echocardiogram and the second was the efforts to get an arterial line in place. It took a number of attempts to get an arterial line into Sam. The hope is this line would allow for accurate and constant reads on his blood pressure
- [Day 25: October 11](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-25-october-11) - Today was... well... uneventful. Sam had a good night on the ventilator. He started to pee around 5 am-which is great. He also responded really well to being on the vent. They talked about taking him on the vent today, but the doctor decided that Sam had earned himself a full day off. Their new
- [Day 24: October 10 addendum](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-24-october-10-addendum) - So, while they were trying to reintubate Sam, they found a blockage. It turns out he had a very severe mucus plug sitting on top of his vocal cords. This plug was blocking his airway, making it difficult for him to breathe. The moment the plug was out, Sam got a bit of his feistiness
- [Day 24: October 10](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-24-october-10) - Well, if yesterday was bad, today was just terrible. While Peter and I were visiting Sam, he had another terrible apnea event and had to be bagged. Even though he was not crashing, they called in the crash team. Seeing hoards of nurses and doctors running into my son's room was enough to set off
- [Day 23: October 9](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-23-october-9) - I will be brief tonight as, honestly, I am just spent. After the roller coaster of the past few days, I woke up this morning beat down, and my morning call to the NICU just sent that into overdrive. After having an OK day yesterday, Sam took a pretty bad turn during the night. They
- [Day 22: October 8](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-22-october-8) - After the roller coaster and emotional abuse that was yesterday, I was scared to even call the NICU in the morning. My emotions were ready to boil over, and honestly, I was not sure I had it in me to go through another day like yesterday. Poor Peter was trying to decide if he should
- [Day 21 (aka Week 3): October 7](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-21-aka-week-3-october-7) - Well- today was a day of contrasts. Some of the highest highs to date and one of the lowest lows. The day at the hospital started for me at 10:30 am. I got there and Sam was looking good. He was pretty stable- and according to his nurse, he had 4 bardy's overnight but all
- [Day 20: October 6](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-20-october-6) - I am happy to say that there is not too much to report from today. Sam had an uneventful night and a pretty uneventful day! He is peeing, his BUN and creatine are going down, he is looking more comfortable, he is more active, he is pooping again... basically, he had a great day! The
- [Day 19: October 5](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-19-october-5) - So after our late night at the hospital, it was really hard to get up today. I even slept through 2 pumping alarms! Once I finally got things (ahem) cleared up, I gave the hospital a call around 9:30 and got pretty good news: Sam was peeing up a storm- meaning his kidneys were starting
- [Day 18: October 4](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-18-october-4) - I am OK. I am tired, but I seem to be OK. I will be having a follow up ultrasound on Friday just to make 100% sure that everything with me is good. The medicine made me very crampy, so I spent the day back on percoset. As for Mr. Sam... he had a mixed
- [Day 17: October 3](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-17-october-3) - Today started off really nicely for all. All three of us slept until 8:30... something unheard of in this house since Irene was born. I guess we were all pretty exhausted. We made it to one of our favorite breakfast spots by 9:45- had a great meal and then head off to Target. A perfectly
- [Day 16: October 2](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-16-october-2) - What a roller-coaster! After I wrote about what a great day Sam was having, things took a funky turn. First came the call from Laura that for the first time in 15 days Sam was going to change rooms. Apparently this is totally common in the NICU, but for some reason this got me unsettled.
- [Day 15: October 1](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-15-october-1) - I am going to start this post by apologizing to everyone... i fell down on the job and didn't get any pictures of Sam today... so this post will be picture and video free. I will try not to fall down on the job again! So, they say there are good days and there are
- [Day 14 (aka week 2!): September 30](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-14-aka-week-2-september-30) - After a rough day yesterday, I woke up with all my fingers crossed that Sam would be having a better day today. I was not sure I could take it emotionally if today was another rough one. Lucky for me, he had a good night, and his kidney function was a bit better in the
- [Day 13: September 29](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-13-september-29) - One good day, one bad day... So, yesterday was the good day, I guess that makes today the bad day. When I arrived at the hospital, I was surprised to find Sam having his second blood transfusion. His first was on his second day of life. That one didn't bother me. This one, got to
- [Day 12: September 28 (updated with photos)](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-12-september-28) - Thanks to everyone that reached out with words of support after yesterdays post. All those positive emails and texts really helped to lift my spirits. I know yesterday was my first down day and am happy to say today was much different. The first thing in did when I woke up was to call the
- [Day 11: September 27 (updated with photo)](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-11-september-27) - I'll admit it. Today was a rough day for me. Up to now I have held up well, but the combination of heat, exhaustion, and well, a micro-preemie has finally gotten to me. Today started with Sam's echo to see how bad his PDA is. I arrived just as the tech was doing the exam.
- [Day 10: September 26](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-10-september-26) - Well, 2 days after threatening us with putting Sam back on the vent... he is still on the SiPAP. That is one strong, stubborn bugger. Apparently, he spent the night on just 21% oxygen, which is basically room air. The number of brady's also went down. There was one pretty severe cluster mid-morning, but Gaye,
- [Day 9: September 25](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-9-september-25) - So Sam made it through the night with only a few brady's! The nurses and doctors are now rethinking re-intubating him. Things may change overnight, but for now, Sam stays on the SiPAP machine. Personally, i think his stubborn streak kicked in. As anyone who knows me knows, i don't like being told I can't
- [Day 8: September 24](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-9-september-24) - Overall- I would say today was a good day. I was finally able to let out some of my emotions with a good cry fest at the therapist office. Nothing like bawling for an hour to make you feel better! After my cry session I came home to pump- my new pastime. [TMI Time] Pumping
- [Day 7 (or one week under our belt!): September 22](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-7-or-one-week-under-our-belt-september-22) - Happy 1-week birthday to you Sam! You celebrated by cutting down your brady's from 30 a day to under 20. Mom would prefer zero, but I will take a decline in brady's. Overall today was eventful for Sam, but not so eventful for us. Here are the highlights: One of Sam's nurses figured out his
- [Day 6: September 22](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-6-september-22) - What a difference a nurse makes! After a nice visit in the morning at home from Steph and Lisa, Peter and I finally headed to the hospital around 2 pm. We were on a mission to hold Sam and to confirm my mom's insistence that Sam had opened his eyes. We got there at a
- [Day 5: September 21](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-5-september-21) - This was not Sam's best day. He suffered a number of bradycardia (or brady) and apnea events today. These are things we will have to deal with a lot over the next few months, and so far, they are a little scary, but not too scary. In a preemie, one thing that happens often is
- [Day 4: September 20 (Melissa goes home)](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-4-september-20-melissa-goes-home) - So I woke up today with a huge bag of mixed emotions. I have been cleared for discharge- which is great. However, it means leaving Sam behind- which sucks. The entire day I have been flipping between excited and teary eyed. It seems so improbable to just walk away from the hospital, leaving Sam. I
- [Day 3: September 19](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-3-september-19) - Well last night was a much better night for mom. My fever finally broke at about 8 pm on the 18th and I made it thought the night without any fever spikes. Knowing that this was going to be the day I got to hold Sam, I did have a bit of trouble sleeping, but
- [Day 2: September 18](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-2-september-18) - Well- last night Sam had another great night, but mommy did not. I managed to spike a fever up to 103. They put me back on antibiotics and an IV and took enough blood to keep a vampire feed for a week. We will keep our fingers crossed that the antibiotics will knock out whatever
- [Day 1: September 17](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-1-september-17) - Sam had a really good night. He was very stable and acclimated to his new surroundings with ease. The big task of the day was for Irene to learn that she was now a big sister and for her to meet Sam. The plan was for Peter to pick her up early from school and
- [Day 0: September 16](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/day-0-september-16) - My mom, Stephanie and Mike Ross, and Judy Rosenberg got to see Samuel as he was whisked off to the NICU. My dad was getting a minute by minute report over the phone while he was out entertaining Irene. The next few hours are a bit of a blur to me, but I do remember
- [Preterm Labor: September 10-16](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/preterm-labor-september-10-16) - After getting home from work on September 10, I went to my parents house to pick up Irene. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened all day. I felt great- and was excited for a quiet weekend with Peter and Irene. Mom and I were chatting at the table while Irene was upstairs with my
- [Welcome to the story/saga of Sam](https://melissaharrisauthor.com/welcome-to-the-storysaga-of-sam) - We have decided to keep a blog to help us chronicle Sam's development, keep our friends and family informed, and to one day share with Sam so he will know more about how he came into our lives. This will also be a place for us to share how Irene is doing with all the

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