Dalley's Dialogue: Ground Hog's Day?

Fun Fact:

My name is Dalley Raye Garfield

This is a Dally. This is where my first name comes from.

But if you've ever wondered where my middle name came from.... wonder no more!

I was named after some of the best... and brightest... and brilliant ladies on the planet.

My Mom's sisters.

And I have each one of them wrapped around my tiny.... extra long finger-nailed fingers.... 

(Mom's afraid of the nail clippers) *Insert shoulder shrug*

R for Aunt Rachelle

AY for Aunt Shay

E for Aunt Emilee

They are always calling me Dallicious....

Can you blame them?

And by "they"... I mean... mostly me. But I'm expecting the nickname to catch on any day now....

To the hundreds..... nay THOUSANDS..... (maybe closer to 37).... of people that have been waiting for an update.... HERE I AM!

The truth is....... my days feel a bit like ground hogs day. Not much changes.

Here's a run down of my "exciting" days:

I usually sleep until about 11:00 AM. Mom does not hate this.

I only wake up during the night when I need to throw up.

Orrrrr... when I go to the bathroom. 

Eating during the night is easy.... 

It's about the only perk to having my ganster-tube. I don't have to wake up to eat like other babies. Mom just dumps the milk in the bag and turns on the pump. If she times it just right... I don't even wake up!

Once I'm awake, Mom takes me out to the living room. The living room sometimes feels like confinement. Because I'm hooked up to the oxygen concentrator, my feeding tube, and the pulse-ox machine, it's really hard to take me anywhere.

So, the living room is where we live.

I work out a lot. 

I'm training for the 2020 Olympic games in Japan.

I am thinking about competing in the Still Rings event.

I also spend my days trying to get rid of these stupid tubes taped to my face. I HATE these tubes.

Sometimes the battle between the tubes and I results in blood shed.

This requires mom to get creative with keeping the tubes stuck to my face. For some reason... she never chooses my side.

 Between training for the olympics, fighting with my tubes.... the rest of my days are usually filled with playing with my toys...

And snuggles with Mom and Dad.

Me and Mom.....matchy matchy!!

But sometimes Dad tries to make me study with him.....

But... I'm usually like....

"NOOOO....This is BOOOORING!"

Despite most of my days feeling the same, there have been a few things happen to break up the repetition.

Like doctors appointments.... which I hate.

Trying to learn to eat by mouth.... which is really hard.

First Holidays... which I love!

My first time shopping trip to target... which was........interesting. 

First time going to a friends house.... which was a party!

..... a DIAPER CHANGING PARTY AT BRECKLYN'S!....

First time petting a puppy.... which only would have been better had this been my pony.... but whatever.

And finally... getting to meet more cousins for the first time... which I also loved!

Two cousins that I simultaneous TOOK DOWN in an arm wrestling contest... I might add.

Is arm wrestling an olympic event?....

Because it should be! I think I'll enter that event as well..

Tokyo 2020 here I come!

I also had my 7 month birthday. So.... to keep the tradition going.......

I present to you......

5 days old

1 Month Old

2 Months Old

3 Months Old

4 Months Old

5 Months Old

6 Months Old

7 Months Old. 10 LB 8 OZ. 21 inches long.

In 3 weeks, Dad has a long break from school and we get to go to Idaho for 3 whole weeks!!! I am excited.... but not nearly as excited as Mom and Dad seem to be. 

They act like they're all busy and stressed out.... pssshhhh.

What a bunch of whiners.

Until next time......

This is Dallicious..... signing out.

Dalley's Dialogue: How I'm doing.

I'M A PREEMIE! COULDN'T BE PROUDER! IF YOU CAN'T HEAR ME, I'LL YELL A LITTLE LOUDER!

I'M A PREEMIE! COULDN'T BE PROUDER! IF YOU CAN'T HEAR ME I'LL YELL A LITTLE LOUDER!

If you were like me..... and thought the life of a preemie got smooth and easy when they got out of the NICU.... then I hate to be the bearer of bad news.... but we were wrong. Smooth and easy it is not!

Better? Yes!

Easier? No. 

 But... we "wee" ones are tough.

Heh... Heh... get it? ........We "wee" ones.....?...???

Oh man...I crack myself up sometimes. 

Anyway, I've been home for a whole month now. 

Things are good.... hard.... but good.

I still have to go to a lot of different doctors....ALL ....THE.... TIME!! 

Heart doctor...eye doctor....GI doctor..... comprehensive care doctor... Nutritionist.... Pediatrician.... The list goes on and on.

A few weeks ago Mom had to take me to the GI doctor to learn how to change out my "Gangster" tube.

Any of you "softies" out there may need to look away for this next picture. This is what it looks like when my "gangster" tube is completely out. 

I was hoping they were taking it out for good, buuuuut....... no such luck. 

G-tube for life!!!!

Just kidding.... 

But...As it goes for now... my belly still has two buttons!

If you are wondering how long they plan to make me have this G-tube... then the answer is.... I don't know. 

As soon as I can eat by mouth. I've had some set-backs with that since coming home so it's not likely going to be anytime soon.

Mom hopes I will no longer need the tube by my first birthday. 

But.... unfortunate for her... I make the rules around here. So... it'll come out when I'm good and ready!

Psssshaah!

Last week I went to the heart doctor to see how my heart has been doing since my surgery. My grandma got to come and spend the ENTIRE day with me and Mom! It was so much fun!

At least.... it WAS fun until they put some cold stuff on my chest to look at my heart with this machine. That part wasn't so fun... and I made sure to make my grievances known!

I cried and wiggled to my "hearts" content..... just to get back at them.

Heh... heh... Get it? My "hearts" content?!

There I go again...! Another knee-slapper! Ha!

I digress..... My heart is looking good since the surgery. I still have some pulmonary hypertension but they will check it again in a few months to see if it's getting better.. If it's looking better in a few months... then MAYBE they will start to wean my oxygen.

Aside from all of the doctors appointments.... my days are pretty great.

I have got to meet about half of my cousins. 

This is my cousin.....she's my dimple twin.... She was my first cousin that got to hold me. If I look mad in the picture..... I'm not. My tummy just hurt. Either way...we are already great friend! She is always shopping for toys and clothes that she thinks I will like. We even have a few matching outfits!

She's got a sista's back!

This is my other cousin. She likes to hold hands.

She also REALLY likes hugs...

But Mom only let her hold me for 2 seconds. 2 seconds!!!!??? That's it! 

 Geeeeez! Loosen the reins a little Mom! Goodness grief! 

Maybe Mom should try meditating... you know.... to help her to CHILL OUT! .... Meditating really brings your life back to center and helps you find your zen.

Trust me... I know. 

I'm known as the "Zen Master" around these parts.

"Ohmmmm. Ohmmmm."

My Aunt Shay also came to town and brought 2 of my cousins from Idaho. 

Aunt Shay was fun to snuggle with. 

I have to say... I agree with the great poet Shakespeare. 

In the words of Shakespeare, "Everybody loves a bossom for a pillow. Everybody loves a bosom." 

Amen to that Shakespeare!...Amen to that!

After hours of snuggling Aunt Shay... my cousin finally got her turn.

We had some laughs...

Mom let us eat chips on her bed..... That was a HUGE mistake!

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. 

We watched movies and just hung out.

It was a great day. 

And this is how my days are spent.....

I have also dubbed every Wednesday as "One Sock Wednesday". I have a feeling this trend is here to stay. Feel free to join in. 

On a side note.... somebody needs to come over and show Mom how to put a bow on my head the proper way. This bow placement feels more like a hat my jewish friends wear. 

Her sense of "Dalley style" is lacking......

Oh yeah!!!!! I almost forgot.... 

It was my birthday. You know what that means!.....

5 Days Old

1 Month Old

2 Months Old

3 Months Old

4 Months Old 

5 Months Old

6 Months Old

 Here's a side by side.....

1 Month and 1 lb 12 oz.

6 Months and 9 lb 12 oz.

Mind.... blown....  Am I right?

Well... Dad says it's time for me to go to bed. I'm not happy about it, and as usual... I am telling him all about it. but....I will continue my dialogue another day. 

Sleep tight friends.