Dear Savannah,

What a week we have had! On Monday I took your mommy in for her post-delivery check-up. The doctor wasn�t happy with the way the healing was progressing and decided to readmit her to the hospital. She has infection in the scar tissue area of the incision for the cesarean, along with the beginnings of cellulitis. Your grandmother and I are keeping you while she is in the hospital. You are a little bit fussy at night, but I still contribute that to excessive gas. You are still going after that bottle as if no one has ever fed you. Being a little aggressive has caused you to swallow more air than I am used to seeing. It�s not causing any serious troubles yet, other than making you go from what appears deep sleep to vibrating wail in less that one second! I will be glad when some time has passed so that I can get you started on some thinned rice to both push the gas on through and give you something more solid to sleep more than two hours.

Your mommy was in the hospital from Monday until late Wednesday night. The doctors finally agreed to allow her to come home to you only if she agreed to continue the antibiotic IV for three more days. A nice nurse came out and helped her get it all started, and make sure we all knew how to do everything. It looks really strange to see her sitting in the rocker holding you and having an IV tube in her arm. No one is really comfortable with it, especially your mom! Sunday morning is the last dose, and I will be glad when the thing is out. While your mommy was in the hospital your grandmother and I took turns keeping you. I had the day shift, save Tuesday, when your grandma thought you were being particularly fussy. I have no idea why, but as soon as I pick you up, or she hands you to me, within seconds you are sound asleep. I have trouble sometimes getting you to take your whole bottle because you go to sleep on me!

You are focusing a bit more now. I can see you staring at things a little longer. You still, however, respond to your mother�s voice more than anyone else�s.

Here's a snapshot of you sleeping.

On Thursday your mommy and I trimmed your fingernails for the first time. It was necessary, because they had grown long enough to cut your face. That wouldn�t do, so I bought this funny little contraption with baby nail trimmers that have a magnifying glass attached to them so that we can see not to cut into the quick of your nails. That would just kill me if I hurt you, and well, in all honesty, your old man can�t see quite as well as he once could.

Friday was the Fourth of July, America�s birthday. In celebration we had a cookout, went and watched the town�s fireworks display and then came home and set our own fireworks off. You were right there with us, well, until the bottle rockets, when your mommy decided it was getting a little carried away and took you back inside. I don�t know for sure if you could see the explosions or not, but you didn�t have a bad reaction to them.

Today is Saturday and we have decided to take you to the doctor Monday morning. You are scheduled for your first visit anyway, and we are concerned about what appears to be a tiny blister on your upper lip. Are you being so aggressive with your bottle as to make a blister? We changed back to the faster flow nipples to keep you from working so hard in case that was the cause, but we have to really watch you carefully because at the flow you tend to choke easy. It�s a tad nerving really, but I�m sure it will get better. The gas is still a very serious problem for you, and at times it seem explosive devices have been mysteriously implanted into your diaper. Without warning they go off, startling me pretty badly. I think tonight after all the prepared formulae is gone, I will get some slightly different. The same brand is available like you had at the hospital, but with different additives, called advanced. Supposedly it has more nutrients and additives more like breast milk. I hope it makes you feel better and possibly stop this gas problem. I know I am a worry wart, but, yes, I am worried.

Everyone has made notice how you are able to pick your head up and maintain it in an upright position while looking around. The books say this isn�t supposed to happen for another several weeks, but is not entirely uncommon. You go girl! I keep looking into your eyes and wonder about what kind of personality you will have. I wonder what you will do in life. I think about how badly I want you to succeed and more than anything be happy in your life. I am really lucky. I have two of the most beautiful girls there ever was. I think I will go and clean the shotguns now, because without a doubt, I�m going to have to fight those heathen boys off!

Here in the office I have a police scanner set up, but not for the police, but it�s tuned to the frequency of your baby monitor. I enjoy sitting here as I work and listen to you coo and even breathe. I like knowing that should something happen and you get really upset, I will know it as well as everybody else.

I love you sweetheart! Have sweet dreams.