Catching Pee.

So in the midst of all the chaos and drama we have had good laughs. But last night was the best laugh of all. We were faced with the dilemma of how to do you get a week old micro preemie to give you a urine sample without having to use a catheter. They make a device called a U-bag that is made to catch pee. Its a plastic bag that has a small hole at the top that tapes around the "pee pee" area. In theory this should work right? LOL um NOPE! It sort of goes in the bag and then if you don't notice it the seal of the tape isn't that strong... and the urine leaks out. Not to mention my child miraculously pooped, yes pooped, in the first bag. Not sure how she got poo in it with no pee. She is talented I suppose. So here we were after 2 hours of trying to "catch pee" and our nurse Darrin (yes he is male) comes up with a plan.

He decided that to better work with the physics of gravity that she should be on her tummy. This way the pee could flow in but not flow out. And to better add to the effect we propped burp cloths under her head and upper body so her butt would be slanted down, thus using gravity as our ally. And to add to safety mommy stood by her side to hold her in the position so she could not roll and hurt herself. As we positioned this tiny 1 lb 13 oz baby girl I noticed something new and exciting. SHE HAD OPENED AN EYE! Up till now her eyes had been fused shut still. So here is my babies first view of the world; Daddy, Mommy, and this strange other man sticking a baggy to her pee pee then flipping her over onto a pyramid of burp cloths and then demanding a sample of urine. It was adorable. The best part, none of it upset her too much and what little it did mommy just cooed and held her till it was better.

And yes, after 2-3 minutes she gave us a large donation. Good job Juliet, good job. :-) And as soon as the U-bag was removed, she pooped, again, EVERYWHERE. Yes even in adversity we can find moments of laughter, and make memories to embarrass my daughter with in front of future boyfriends. I have included a picture below of the said little butt and U-bag. (Pre-poo catastrophe.)

At the beginning.

There is a song by the Dixie Chicks that is called "The Long Way Around." 8 years ago I started a journey into adulthood. 8 years isn't really that long, unless you end up taking the long way around. :-) Joe and my roads through life from meeting each other, courting, marrying, foster care, adoption, infertility, foster/adoption loss, more infertility, conceiving, and now Micro Preemie, have been anything but normal. So here we are defining our own normal. And you know what, we have learned to love it! The long way around sure has some bumpy dirt roads, sharp curves, slippery slopes, but most important, IT HAS SOME BEAUTIFUL VIEWS.

This is the beginning of the chapter of JULIET MAE ADAMS. The first princess of our family. (I get to be Queen.)

She is remarkable. She is amazing. She is hope.

She came into this world at a small 1 pound 12 ounces and 14 inches. But she is deep and amazing as the sea. She is a fighter. I want people to read her story, to read our families story. Family is why we are here on Earth, and mine is amazing. I hope people will be lifted up by our stories. The good and the bad. Please comment, share, and pray and hope along with us. And thank you. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers, without them I would have crashed years ago. More important without my Heavenly Father nothing would be possible. Thank you Father.