Can the real Marissa Skipper please stand up?

So far, I have been spit-up on just about every day, peed on twice (literally on me because I was carrying him from the tub to the towel) and sprayed during a diaper change 3 times.  I actually went about an hour with my pee shirt on tonight before thinking, "Hmm...this is kind of gross.  I should probably change."

I have also used my pinkie as a paci.  You haven't lived until a toothless creature in a onesie has went to town on your finger...

My name is Marissa Skipper, and I am a mom (everybody: Hi, Marissa!)

This is ALL probably the...I'm not going to say weirdest...most interesting experience of my life.  I find myself doing things that I never thought I would for no other reason than I never thought some of these things were even possibilities in my life.  I never thought being exposed to bodily fluids on a daily basis was really something I would have to experience.  Call me naive, but I was never a baby-on-the-brain type of girl.  I just knew I wanted to have some...didn't realize how a baby totally dominates your life, though.

I can remember knowing people who had kids back in my childless days, and saying to them, "Yea I was totally gonna ask you to come, but then I remembered you were tied down!" and laughing as I said it, as if the person thought being tied down was funny.

Last week a friend of mine told me she went out to eat at my favorite restaurant and was going to ask me to go but then she remembered I had Jonathan and wouldn't have anyone to watch him (my, my, my...how the tables have turned).  At that moment I realize that every parent I've ever known had at once been unattached to a child, had a life of their own.  Now, as many before me have done, I have resigned myself to our child.  He dictates when and for how long I sleep, eat, feed him, bathe him, and even cuddle with Jeff.

Ah, the things you do for love.

 Now to Jonathan, the reason you read this blog (it's ok, my own mother doesn't even ask about me anymore - it's "How's the baby?")

About 2 months ago Jonathan had some shots into his eyes to promote healthy growth of blood vessels to his retinas.  The shots were successful and the doctor has loved what he was seeing until last Tuesday.  He said the healthy blood vessels were starting to get squiggly which is not what he wants to see.  It appears there is an area of the retina in both eyes that still does not have blood vessels attached to it (so it isn't working).  That area is sending a signal out to the eye saying, "I need blood!"  That is what makes the bad blood vessels grow, and can result in retina detachment.  Usually, the doctor will use a laser and burn up those bad areas of the retina.  He couldn't do that a couple of months ago because he would have practically burned up Jonathan's entire retina.  Now, though, it is looking like he is going to destroy these small retina parts.  It shouldn't affect his vision too much though, because his right eye can make up for the loss of vision in his left eye, and vice versa.  BUT we haven't gotten any for sure word that the laser procedure will happen, that is just the impression I got from the last visit.  We go back this coming Tuesday for another exam.

 Jonathan also saw the pulminologist (lung doctor) 

for the first time on Tuesday.  He is doing fine, she 

said, but not well enough to lose the oxygen or apnea 

monitor (bummer).  She started him on Albuterol and 

Pulmicort twice a day using a nebulizer to try and 

strengthen his lungs, and help get him off the oxygen 

sooner.  We did our first breathing treatment today and 

although he wasn't crazy about it, he did pretty well.  

The plan is to continue this for a month and go see the 

pulminary Dr. again, then hopefully we can go to oxygen 

only at night.

That's pretty much it, now.  We see the neurologist next week and he will be looking at Jonathan's brain, and hopefully we get some good news there!