Early days in ths Sunnybrook NICU ... at this point Peter was on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to support his breathing, but the CPAP mask (which you'll see in photos below) was taken off every four hours so that the nurses could give his face a break and a little massage. These "handling" times were very special for us because we got to see Peter's little face. 
Mum's first cuddle ... About a week into Peter's life (if you look closely you can see my IV in the picture), his nurse (Nicole - thank you!) gives me my first chance to provide kangaroo care, in which the baby is held skin-to-skin against the parent's chest. Kangaroo care is supposed to aid in a premature baby's development by regulating breathing and body temperature and promoting rest. If nothing else, it is a delightful way to spend an evening ... 
First family photo.
Mark's first cuddle (I was a little annoyed that he was given more cuddle time than I was the first time, but tried to be a grown-up about it) ...
... and our second family photo! 
The object in front of Peter's face is "blow-by" oxygen, which was placed near him in the early weeks while he was off the CPAP machine for handling times, to give him an extra boost. Back then he didn't last long before his nurse had to turn the CPAP back on. The tube in Peter's mouth was an oral-gastric (OG) tube, used to feed him my expressed breast milk because he was too young to coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing. While the CPAP prongs were in his nose an OG tube was used, but when Peter was eventually taken off the CPAP for good they replaced it with a nasal-gastric (NG) tube. Peter delighted in yanking out the various lines, prongs and tubes he was subjected to in the NICU (a sign of things to come ...). 
Peter gives us his Marlon Brando impression during a cuddle with Mum. 
This was one of our favourite NICU photos of Peter, partly because he looks gigantic in it. The cast-like thing on his arm is his peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line, which is basically an IV that is inserted quite far into the body so that it doesn't need to be changed regularly, sparing Peter some pain and suffering. 
A visit from Granddad and Uncle Nick.
A visit from Granny and a cuddle with Mum. This photo was taken just before Mother's Day. Peter was off the CPAP, taking all of his feeds by NG tube (rather than by IV), and ready to be transferred to level 2 care.
Nothing much going on here, except of course for Peter's general adorableness ...
... ditto.
A classic Peter face. This photo was taken at St. Joe's shortly after Peter graduated from an isolette (baby incubator) into a "cot" (which is one of those plastic basinets they put babies in at the hospital ... I like to think of them as baby bins). In those days Peter didn't object to being put down on his back. *Sigh*.
Me giving Peter a bath (a.k.a. water torture). There's also a video of this, ahem, experience, but I refuse to share it on the basis that I look far too awkward and amateurish. 
Peter had to learn to bottle feed in the NICU because breastfeeding is very challenging for premature babies, but they still need to practise their suck-swallow-breathe coordination.
Me concentrating very, very hard on giving Peter a bottle.
Peter on the morning of discharge (i.e. homecoming) day. The night prior, Mark and I stayed in the "care-by-parent" room, in which parents are given an opportunity to practise caring for their child for a full 24 hours with the nursing staff just across the hall. Peter chose the moment we settled into the room to announce to the world that he was done with being put down to sleep. Anywhere. Ever.
A last family photo before leaving the hospital.
Peter is all set for the ride home, looking so, so tiny in his enormous car seat. I sat next to him in the backseat and watched his breathing like a hawk all five minutes of the drive from St. Joe's to our house.
When we got home, Amber and Pascale had decorated our house with balloons and "Welcome Home" signs, and had tidied up and left us treats. Thanks, girls! As if this day could have been any sweeter ...
