I made it on the Vote O Rama leaderboard in 2nd place!

~ PCAP Neon Knights ~

Le Marche finanziano una serie di progetti di Centri Commerciali Naturali ad Ascoli Piceno e in 13 comuni della provincia ascolana. La Confcommercio e la Confesercenti hanno lavorato insieme raggiungento con la regione Marche un buon accordo. Il CCN di Ascoli riceverà un finanziamento di centomila euro per un progetto del valore di oltre 250mila euro. Il giro d’affari sfiorerà i 600mila euro, soldi iniettati da imprese commerciali private della zona e la Confcommercio. I comuni interessati sono Castel di Lama, San Benedetto del Tronto, Montedinove, Grottammare, Ripatransone, Acquaviva Picena, Monteprandone, Offida, Rotella, Colli del Tronto, Castignano, Montalto Marche  e Cupra Marittima.

Il direttore dell’organizzazione Giorgio Fiori è molto contento perchè con questa iniziativa si aiuteranno le piccole imprese schiacciate dalla grande distribuzione organizzata che nellele Marche è fortissima come già abbiamo visto su questo blog in precedenza.

A Minturno si creerà il centro Commerciale Naturale ‘La Via Appia’, anche grazie ad un finanziament a fondo perduto del Lazio per 150.000 euro. E’ una buona iniziativa per valorizzare ed aiutare il marketing dei piccoli commercianti e garantire ai cittadini un miglioramento della qualità di vita.
Minturno potrà così attrarre nuovi visitatori. Tanti diversi comuni Oltretutto sarà anche l’occasione per il Comune di Minturno di attirare nuovi flussi di consumatori. Diversi comuni della zona hanno aderito all’iniziativa come Castelforte, S.S.Cosma e Damiano, Fondi e Itri.

Eles envelhecem, mas não se entregam…

Marca criada para a Comunidade Cristã para as Nações com a temática solidária.

Cartaz para a Comunidade Cristã para as Nações em formato A3 para divulgar o acampamento da Igreja durante o feriado de carnaval de 2010.

Muito trabalho, comprometimento e solidariedade . Este é o espírito de todos que cooperam com o Natal Solidário Claro nestes 2 anos do projeto. A retribuição? A felicidade e a esperança por dias melhores estampada no rosto de todos os contemplados com as doações. A cada edição, um espaço maior, mais contribuições da sociedade e dos parceiros envolvidos.

Em 2008, começamos a divulgar o Natal Solidário Claro mais cedo. Com isso arrecadamos várias roupas, alimentos, brinquedos e utensílios domésticos o que representou um aumento de 35% na arrecadação em relação a 2007 e mais de 100 bicicletas, que foram selecionadas e doadas às instituições como a CNN.

E é com grande prazer que estamos mais um ano juntos com a CNN para arrecadar solidariedade e fazer um Natal mais feliz.

Juarez Oliveira Silva
Idade: 12 anos
Arinos – MG

“Tio, se eu olhar o carro você me dá uma meia?” – Foi com essa pergunta que o pequeno Juarez, ou Zeca, se destacou na multidão que se aglomerava na porta da escola antes de iniciarmos mais um lanche para as crianças. Incredulo, pedi para o garotinho, pequeno para os seus 12 anos, repetir o valor de sua remuneração. “Duas meia(sic) moço, eu vi a mulhé lá dentro com duas meia. Pode ser?”.

Zeca

Zeca é o tercerio filho de uma prole de sete irmãos, muito em breve 8, pois sua mãe, aos 32 anos, está “embuchada”. Junto com seus irmãos mais velhos, fazem qualquer tipo de serviço por alguns trocados para sustentar a familia. Seu pai, vaqueiro, não consegue trabalho e os poucos bicos  são para pagar a conta do bar.

Mas naquela tarde quente Zeca estava sendo o mais egoista que conseguia ser, pensava só nele ao trabalhar por um par de meias. Provavelmente levaria uma boa surra em casa se imaginassem que ele trabalhou por algo tão sem valor, que não valia meio kilo de farinha na mercearia.

Não tive escolha a não ser arranjar um par de meias para o garoto em meio a pilhas de roupas (sempre antes de um lanche para as crianças, o CCN faz um bazar com preços simbolicos para a comunidade), e qual não foi minha surpresa ao descobrir o interesse do garoto no tal par de meias.

Na semana anterior, enquanto passava por um terreno baldio, Zeca encontrou a coisa mais valiosa de sua vida até então: um par de chuteiras. O calçado estava longe de ser novo, mas mesmo rasgado e muitos numeros maiores que o do garoto, era a coisa mais linda que ele já tinha visto, pois afinal, já que foi achada no lixo, era dele, só dele. A meias eram para evitar que o couro machucasse seu pé enquanto jogava no campinho.

Foi de episodios como esse que nasceu a idéia do Natal Solidário. Com o que é pouco para nós é póssivel dar muito para quem não tem nada.

Zeca ganhou um novo par de chuteiras e um meião “de profissional tio!!!”.

Il comune di Marsala ha approvato martedì scorso la costituzione di un Centro Commerciale Naturale, secondo le indicazioni dell’Assessore Regionale alla Cooperazione.

Questa bella iniziativa è stata promossa da Francesco Nicosia, Davide Licari e Maurizio Falco con l’appoggio indiretto della Regione Sicilia.

Il CCN coordina e integra in una politica comune un insieme di esercizi e negozianti che operano in una delimitata area urbana.  A Marsala se vorranno potranno associarsi tutte le aziende commerciali, di servizi o artigianali aventi sede legale nell’area circoscritta come “Centro Commerciale Naturale di Marsala”

cata

Sicilia scatenata: il sindaco di Catania, Raffaele Stancanelli domani presenterà a Palazzo degli Elefanti il progetto che comprende l’istituzione di ben sei centri commerciali naturali situati nel centro cittadino. L’assessore alle attività produttive sarà presente.

La Sicilia è una delle regioni più dinamiche nello sviluppo dei commerciali naturali (CCN). Questo è anche un modo intelligente di superare la crisi che affligge i commercianti. Consorzi di negozi stanno lavorando seriamente per organizzare e strutturare meglio questi CCN. A Palermo sono già stati aperti ben 6 centri commerciali naturali. Piccoli commercianti che si uniscono per migliorare insieme le attività, le vendite, il marketing dei propri negozi oltre che migliorare la qualità di vita del proprio quartiere.

Circa 60 gli operatori commerciali hanno costituito il Centro commerciale naturale di Comiso.

Presso la Sala Pietro Palazzo si è tenuta una nuova assemblea presenti amministratori, esercenti e rappresentanti di categoria e associazioni culturali, banchieri, il presidente della Crias Rosario Alescio, che ha spiegato il decreto  regionale riguardante i centri commerciali naturali.

Una bella notizia per Comiso e la provincia di Ragusa

Quantas vezes você já não se deparou com o problema de precisar urgentemente consultar um determinado artigo e constatar que ela não faz parte do acervo da sua biblioteca, ou pior, da sua universidade? Se você já lidou com esse problema, talvez já tenha se perguntado “por que não existe um catálogo unificado para revistas no Brasil? Assim posso saber em que biblioteca está a revista, e solicitar o artigo se for o caso…”  Pois saiba que este catálogo existe.

É o CCN, ou Catálogo Coletivo Nacional, coordenado pelo Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia (IBICT), instituição que também coordena o Comut (serviço de envio de cópias de documentos já comentado anteriormente neste blog). O CCN é formado pelos catálogos de periódicos de várias universidades do Brasil, e por meio dele você pode consultar previamente que bibliotecas possuem uma determinada revista. Talvez aquele item tão importante esteja bem do seu lado e você nem tenha se dado conta…

Interessado? Consulte a página do catálogo em http://ccn.ibict.br/busca.jsf É possível fazer consulta por título, assunto, local de publicação, idioma do texto e outras opções de pesquisa.

One time this dude who was totally worthless got fired from his job on account of he punched the piss out of his boss because his boss bitched at him one day when he showed up a half hour late smelling like beer and cigarettes. The worthless dude spent the last of the money he had on more beer and cigarettes and he didn’t have enough money to pay the rent so he started selling all his shit at the pawn shop but he spent that money on beer and cigarettes too and he couldn’t pay his rent and he got evicted and he had to go live with his brother.

Now his brother was worthless and unemployed too and he lived in a trailer and they both sat around all day and drank shitty beer and smoked generic cigarettes and watched TV. One night they both got drunk and they got in an argument over what dumbass TV show to watch, and they argued so long both shows they wanted to watch were over anyway, but one of the worthless brothers grabbed a shovel and conked the other worthless brother over the head with it and he croaked and the one worthless living brother threw his worthless dead brother’s body in the sewer and it floated away with the turds.

They never even found the body and the worthless brother went on drinking beer and smoking cigarettes and watching TV in the trailer and didn’t even go to jail because nobody even noticed that his dumbass worthless dead brother was gone and one day the worthless brother went to the store to get a pack of generic cigarettes and he bought a lottery ticket and he won a shitload of money and now he lives in this real nice house and fucks all sorts of women and drinks beer and smokes cigarettes and snorts cocaine all day long and he doesn’t even have any health problems. There is no god. THE END

Do you want to see your small group grow spiritually? Then you will want to be sure that you attend the 2009 Group Life Conference on Saturday, October 24. One-day conference  is being hosted at Crossroads Community Church live via satellite. Take a few minutes to watch the promotional video video below so you can see the great lineup of speakers and the pertinant and helpful topics they are going to bring us!

Wendell Anderson and I went to the Group Life Conference in Chicago a few years ago. I remember he and I dreaming about how awesome it would be to take all of our small group leaders to this conference. But in difficult times like this, who can afford to take time off work, drive to Chicago, pay for a hotel  and food and then pay for the conference registration on top of that.

Here’s the solution! You get the same conference in one day hosted via satellite for the low price of $59.oo per person ($39.00 for small group leaders who are members of Crossroads). I also have free tickets for any small group leaders that are willing to come and help serve at the conference by greeting, working in the Cafe or cleaning.

The conference begins at 9:30 AM (doors open at 9:00 AM) and will conclude at 3:30 PM. Go to the Crossroads Community Church website to buy tickets, see the schedule and learn more about this exciting opportunity for small group leaders at Crossroads Community Church.

If you are Small Group Leader at Crossroads and wish to buy a ticket or if you have any questions at all please email me and I’ll get right back to you!

I’ll see you at the 2009 Group Life Conference!

You can watch Tony Blair’s  interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour here:

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NEW YORK (CNN) — Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Wednesday that he believes within weeks Israel and the Palestinian Authority will begin talks aimed at a permanent resolution of their decades-long conflict.

“I think that’s what will happen, actually, over the next few weeks,” Blair told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Wednesday.

“In the end, the issue really is this: What is the context within which this negotiation is being launched?” he said.

“The worry for the Palestinians is that, if you don’t lay down some conditions … the negotiation won’t be credible. What the Israelis say is, ‘Look, we’ll negotiate without precondition. We’re not prepared until we start negotiating to yield this or yield that,’” he said on CNN’s new show “Amanpour.”

“Now, personally, I think … what will happen and should happen is that we try and put together the best possible context of the launch of the negotiation. It may not be everything that everyone wants, but get the thing under way.”

On Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama urged Israel and the Palestinian Authority to get moving on talks.

“Simply put, it is past time to talk about starting negotiations. It is time to move forward,” Obama told reporters before meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

In his address to the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, Obama again made a strong call for renewed efforts to reach a Middle East agreement that creates a secure Israel and an independent Palestinian state.

“The time has come to re-launch negotiations — without preconditions — that address the permanent-status issues: security for Israelis and Palestinians, borders, refugees and Jerusalem,”.

“The goal is clear: two states living side by side in peace and security — a Jewish state of Israel, with true security for all Israelis; and a viable, independent Palestinian state with contiguous territory that ends the occupation that began in 1967, and realizes the potential of the Palestinian people.”

An International Peace Institute opinion poll, released to CNN’s “Amanpour” program showed 55 percent of Palestinians wanted a two-state solution, and are ready to be “peace partners” with Israel to achieve it.

There are a couple of things that are hard for me to believe. One of them is that it is August 31st. The other is that Elijah is coming home tomorrow.

Of course, he doesn’t know that. The NICU, to him, has been home these past six plus weeks. For him, it will be a strange place with odd smells (that’d be me, sorry) and furry creatures. (Furry creatures that will probably drooling over any spilled milk.)

Eli looked great all snug in his bed. He’d had a “snack” at 6:30 tonight, so he really didn’t eat at 8.

We also had company from Washington. Cathy and Cliff (the man of many names) Bruhn were in town and stopped in. Their timing was perfect because of how close Eli was to coming home.

At about 8:00 p.m., Eli got a little fussy and was going to down on his pacifier, so we decided to feed him.

They laughed at me while I was doing Cares. It’s hard not to. I’ve been doing it only for a few weeks now so it takes some conscious thought and/or effort.

Watching the nurses change babies you’d swear they had some sort of “baby changing rodeo.” I suppose it gives “8 Seconds” a whole new meaning. Especially if it’s a boy. You never know what direction that stuff’s going fly…

I asked the nurse if he had a “Code Brown.” Apparently, for all the issues we’ve had, he’s pretty regular now. 11:00 is his magic time. Good news, as always.

After I took his temperature and changed his diaper, the nurse, Helen, came in to weigh him.

His weight was up again. 7 pounds, 7 ounces and change. He was almost this heavy once before. Or, if he was, it was because of some constipation issues so that weight didn’t last. This one, I think, will.

Helen filled his bottle to the top, but she didn’t need to. He took about 10 CCs and was done. I burped him and tried again, but no dice. He went to sleep. I was pretty warm, so that does contribute to his sleepiness.

We had a nice visit with Cliff and Cathy and, after seeing them off, we put Eli back to bed and came home. It was sort of bittersweet. I’m delighted to be able to bring him home and start our new adventure, but, as I said earlier, the NICU has been his home for over six weeks. I’m going to miss everyone.

They’ve got a scrapbooking group that meets on Wednesdays. I think Martha is going to continue with them to sort of stay in touch. Once we’ve found a routine, we’ll have to look for ways to help give back to the people in the NICU. They’ve been great. (Even the ones that we’ve had issues with were talented and skilled at their jobs.) I’m glad to be almost free of the hospital, but they’ll be missed.

That and I’m not sure if I’ll continue the blog. When he’s at home, it’s probably not going to be nearly as dramatic. Though, I enjoy writing, so we’ll see.

Sorry there’s not a lot of news tonight.

Thanks for reading. Good night and God bless you.

Today marks 6 weeks in the NICU. 42 days of ups and downs.

This was an up day as it looks as if our days there are numbered. Barring any last minute emergency, we expect to be discharged from the hospital on Tuesday. (We’re planning on doing it in the evening so I can work one extra day before I take some time to help at home.)

The nurses all have the same taboo about telling babies they’re going to go home. Not that they’d understand, but home to them is where they’ve been. (In our case, 6 weeks.)

To say that I/we’re excited is an understatement. It’s better than being ready for the last day of school.

He still looks great. He’s growing and got good color.

This evening, when we visited, we got there early enough for cares. We’re not sure of his schedule, so we were prepared to wait. We talked with tonight’s nurse, Beth, and she said he’d been fed last at 5 p.m. At 8, almost like clockwork, he got fussy and was definitely hungry.

We started his Cares and Beth came into help. They really want the parents to do the work when they’re there. After all, someone’s got to do it when we’re home. The huge bonus is that there’s someone *right there* to ask with questions. No poop tonight, and I forgot to ask we if he’d had a “Code Brown” during the day.

His weight is back to what it was a week ago. 7 pounds, 6 ounces.

Tonight, we tried using bottles/nipples from home. We used the slow flow nipple, but it was still just a little too fast for him. Still, he ate everything that he was given, nearly 60 CCs. (Minus the few that leaked or were spit up.) Appetite is good. Body temperature is good. Feeding is good. Most excellent!

I burped him a few times without problem. He still has some reflux issues and is getting meds for it. It’s not just that he tends to spit-up. His milk just seems to work its way back up his throat. If he’d just barf, we’d be in better shape, I think. The reflux meds just minimize any sort of damage that might be done by the acid in his stomach.

The nurses come in and flirt with him, it’s so cute. They say he looks like his dad, but I see a lot of Martha in him. Martha and his Grandpa Bob. Lot’s of Grandpa Bob.

I don’t have a lot of pictures from the CCN because there’s not much light in there. In the urgent care part of the NICU and the Intermediate Care ward, the lights are on, but they provide lots of shade for the babies. In the E and F Pods (which is the CCN) the rooms have lots of lighting, but it’s almost always low. We turn the lights on while changing diapers and getting measurements/temperature, but that’s it.)

Like last night, he was very alert while feeding. He was looking around trying to see anything that made noise. That’s a new thing that’s happened just this week. Before, he’d open his eyes during some of his cares and I’d be lucky to get a picture. He prefers the lights to be on the low side, but he’s very aware of what’s going on around him.

Everyone says that babies like to be swaddled. Apparently, it comforts them and makes them feel like they were when they were in the womb. Elijah seems to be good with that for a while then he’ll start to work his way out of his bonds.

After eating, I just held him and let him fall asleep.

No drama. No adventure. Just sweet dreams.

Tomorrow, Monday, he’ll have an ultrasound done on his head as a follow-up to previous ultrasounds. That should be the last major (if you can call that major) procedure before he comes home.

Lots of little things to do at home to get ready. It’s hard to believe that it’s almost time.

Thanks for reading… Good night and God Bless.

Earlier, at our first visit of the day, Elijah just seemed more alive than he’s ever been. Not that I’ve ever thought he was unwell. Though, in truth, we never had anything to compare him to. Looking at him over the past six weeks, I’ve seen a little boy struggling to eat and grow. Today, and I don’t know why, it just felt to me like something has changed; that we’ve made it past a hurdle.

Part of it may be that it was just so easy for me to pick him up out of his crib and just hold him. I didn’t even really need permission (though I did ask); I just was able to scoop him up out of his bed. He’s still being monitored in the CCN, but just barely.

Don’t be fooled though, that room is wired to the hilt with gadgets and equipment if there’s any sort of emergency.

For tonight, in some ways it feels like Pinocchio when he finds out he’s a real boy. There’s something almost magic about it.

We did have a small episode this afternoon when his respiration rate triggered an alarm which brought in a nurse. Though, I think it was just either his reflux or a bowel movement. (During the latter, he’ll hold his breath for a moment.)

He’d eaten before we got there, so we didn’t get t do his Cares. However, I did, as I just mentioned, opt to hold him. He spit up a little bit. Not so much as to warrant any sort of concern. Again, it’s probably just the reflux. The key is to keep his head elevated. (Which I was doing.)

This afternoon’s nurse suggested that he might come home as early as Monday. My response to her was that I wasn’t sure that he was really ready. His feedings have just barely come under control and I don’t want a relapse. Also, I’d like to see if we could try to get back on breast milk before we come home. Though, that’s not a requirement.

Talking to the doctor last night, he seemed to feel that a couple more days of observation would be okay. God willing, there’s an end to our NICU adventure in sight.

As an aside, the nurses and staff of the NICU don’t talk about “going home.” Instead, they call it things like “going out for pizza” or “ready to go get ice cream.” Saying you’re ready to “go home” tends to jinx it.

Tonight, Helen was our nurse (our “primary care” nurse) and she was assisted by Priscilla. Helen delivered some really good news.

He ate 80 CCs of milk at his last feeding. 80! I had to ask the nurse to repeat herself because I didn’t believe her. She said *not* to pick him up because of this. I can’t say that I blame her. Let sleeping dogs lie and let full babies sleep.

Also, when I asked her about a bowel movement, she had to go look in Eli’s log book. She came back and said this afternoon he had a “large brown.”

Wow. These are the two big things I’ve been praying for… eating and pooping.

I talked a little more with Helen about how much longer before “going for ice cream.” She said that Monday was a possibility, but that I’d already nixed it. I explained to her about my desire to be sure he was tolerating his feedings because we’ve had great feedings in the past only to deal with serious gastronomic distress.

In short, I wanted to be sure.

So, we may be out of the NICU this week… even the Magic 8 Ball says so.

Monday, he’ll have a follow-up ultrasound of his head. He had one shortly after birth and then at two weeks. The one right after his birth was to be sure there wasn’t any sort of bleeding in his brain. Monday’s ultrasound is just a second followup and routine.

Everything else is up to Elijah.

I can’t hardly believe it. Even for baby steps, these feel like big steps.

Good night and God bless.

I’ll say it first, then you can say it with me. Continuous Care Nursery. Alright, all together now…

Continuous Care Nursery.

For short, you can call it the CCN. We are officially in the third stage of care in the NICU. You have to walk through the doors that say Neonatal Intensive Care but the CCN is as far removed from the bells, alarms, chirps, and whistles that are part of life in the NICU.

I got the call right before lunch today. I recognized the Area Code and prefix, it was the hospital. With some trepidation, I answered the phone thinking something was wrong.

Thankfully, the nurse started by saying, “Elijah is fine.” That’s a perfect way to start any conversation with someone from the hospital. The nurse continued by stating that she’d left a message on the machine at home to call back, but opted to try the other numbers she had on file.

After rounds this a.m., it was decided that he was cleared to be moved to the CCN. He’s in the F-Pod, room 85. His feeding schedule was also being changed. Rather than getting Cares every 3 hours, Eli is to be fed whenever he cries for food. He must eat at least 200 CCs every 12 hours. This is equivalent of eating 50 CCs every 3 hours. Any less, and he might be sent back to the I-Pod.

I must say that I prefer the schedule but only because it makes my life easier. If this helps Eli, then I’m all for it.

When I called Martha, I expressed some concern about how ready he was for CCN and that I hoped that they weren’t just going to try to send him home without seeing how well he’s reacted to the formula. So, we made a mental note to talk to the doctor.

We got to the hospital around 7 and looked for our new space. We found it without issue and Elijah was sleeping soundly.

The room was very different from what we’ve had so far. For all intents and purposes, it is a private room. It is probably 10 feet by 20 feet. Sizable enough for him, a couple of chairs, a futon-like couch (for sleep-overs) and monitoring equipment.

One wall was a set of glass doors… with a curtain for some privacy. (There’s a second curtain around the couch too.)

A very nice thing about this room is that it was quiet. No screaming babies. No alarms going off from other babies being in some sort of distress. It was so much more calm than I’ve been used to. It was almost disconcerting. However, I got over it, fast.

Tonight’s nurse was Beth and her assistant was Amanda. We chatted with them a bit about Eli’s care. It was what we mostly knew already. We asked to speak with the doctor just to get an idea on whether or not we were looking at a discharge in the near future.

While we waited for the doctor, I asked if I could hold him. Beth said this was fine. After holding him for about 30 minutes, he woke up and let us know, in no uncertain terms, that he needed some attention. Man, that kid has lungs. We figured it was dinnertime.

Beth came in to do Cares with us. She and Martha took his temperature, changed his diaper, adn weighed him. Temp was good, weight was not so good. While we know his weight will fluctuate, it is important that it doesn’t drop much at all. Tonight’s scale reading was 7 pounds 3 ounces. Three days ago, we were at 7 pounds, 6 ounces. Yesterday and the day before we were at 7 pounds, 5 ounces. Today’s drop was small, but noticeable. No red flags were waived and it was partially brushed off because they’re using a different scale. If his weight drops more, then they’ll look into it.

I got to feed him which is something that I really enjoy. His formula doesn’t have the most attractive smell, but he doesn’t seem to mind. It said on his chart to use the green slow-flow nipple, but I just shook my head and said no. Apparently, the nurse today said that she used the regular flow one and it just leaked out of the side of his mouth.

I was incredulous because, well, that’s who I am, and asked for the blue (regular flow) nipple. Beth had no problems with it and it worked out well. We burped several times during his feeding and he ate 55 CCs of formula. (Being a good dad, I even showed him a couple good burps. It helps, I think to lead by example.)

It might have been a little less than 55 CCs because he did spit up a little bit during one of his burps. But, it wasn’t much. Towards the end of his feeding Eli did get the hiccups. I wasn’t sure what to do about them, but he was rooting for food, so we just finished and the hiccups subsided quickly.

I held him for a bit and we put him to bed. The nurse, Beth, reviewed with us how to swaddle him. She explained that babies will comfort themselves with their hands, so rather than swaddling him with his hands by his sides, he was allowed to keep them by his face. After getting him all bundled up, we got him tucked into his Tucker Sling.

His current sling is rated for up to 7 pounds, so we’ll probably go home with a larger one because he’s already outgrowing it. Crazy. The nurse thinks that they’ll send us home with a foam wedge too to aid with the reflux. One less thing to worry about.

Before the doctor came up, we found out that Eli got his Hepatitis B vaccination. So, that’s good. He’ll get another set of preliminary vaccinations before he comes home, but I forget which ones they are right now.

When the doctor came up, he let us know that they were in no rush to send him home. If we had a concern about when they do decided to discharge, all we had to do is voice it, explain it, and request a different date. He does have to come home someday, after all. It was nice to know that if we feel he’s not ready that they’ll listen to us.

We talked about what they’re going to be looking for over the next few days and that, if all goes well, he’ll be set to come home.

The only tricky question for the night was about flu vaccinations. To protect Elijah from the swine flu (H1N1) Martha and I are going to get flu shots. We were wondering if Martha’s breast milk would provide antibodies for Elijah as well. He said wasn’t sure and would look into it.

So far, so good.

Eli hasn’t had his car seat test yet. Probably tonight, if all goes well. It has to be done 30 minutes before eating or an hour afterwords.  I expect he’ll pass with flying colors. Once he does (or doesn’t) I’ll let everyone know.

A much better day than I’d expected.

Stephen