The Story of Nicholas' Early Arrival: He's Home

Sunday, April 19, 2009

He's Home

Going Home Outfit

Bear Comparison

In the car seat

Leaving the NICU

Saying good bye to his nurses

Home!

First feeding at home

In his swing

Nicholas made it home! It has been an exciting day and so far so good. He spent 163 days in the hospital and gained 9 pounds and grew 7 inches. We have done 2 feedings and already had to change his outfit because he sit up. He loves his swing. The animals have been good. Jasper watches him and is curious but very gentle. Bella has already given him tons of kisses on his feet. She is a little hyper right now but hopefully she gets used to him soon. Sydney, Zorro and Zoe are not very interested. Our monitor went off once because his lead came off but he has been fine. We have our first appointment with the pediatrician tomorrow morning.

8 comments:

KaytienKysmommaApril 19, 2009 at 7:27 PM
YAY!!! I am happy to hear he is home.
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Stan the ManApril 19, 2009 at 8:21 PM
Welcome to the world of cul de sacs and animals.
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Grandma TerriApril 19, 2009 at 8:23 PM
What wonderful news! So glad Nicholas' homecoming turned out to be a positive experience for everyone - animals included. Love to all.
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Aunt Heather :)April 19, 2009 at 10:38 PM
John and I are so happy Nicholas is finally home! We are glad the animals have welcomed him and that things are going well.
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UnknownApril 19, 2009 at 11:28 PM
I am so happy for all of you! Tears of joy are flowing now! Kisses to Baby Nicholas!
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JenniferApril 19, 2009 at 11:51 PM
Greetings from CA! I'm so happy for you guys!!! Nicholas looks so sweet in his swing. I hope you have a good first night with him.
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NixApril 20, 2009 at 4:18 AM
Welcome home Nicholas!! I hope you all enjoy the first night without too many alarms.
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Terry G.April 20, 2009 at 8:39 AM
I'm so happy for all of you. Now the joys of parenthood really kick in! I hope you'll keep us posted on Nicholas' progress now that he's home. I've been following his story all along.
Congratulations -

Terry G. (Grandma Mary Ann's friend)
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Preemie Experience

The Preemie Experience
The preemie experience is the shattering of all your dreams
For a normal, healthy delivery,
Of the ability to carry home a beautiful squirming bundle
After a short stay in the hospital.
It is lying there in your hospital room listening to
The happy sounds of whole families joined
Together by the birth of a grandchild, cousin, niece,
or nephew, and knowing that your
Child is miles away and may not survive long enough
For you to see or simply touch.
It is that first glimpse of a skinny, scrawny, not much bigger
Than a Barbie doll child
And feeling, fear, awe, and joy for such a fragile soul.
It is sitting by your baby’s “bedside” day after day,
Week after week, month after month,
Alternating between the emotional high of “Look, his eyes are open,” or “he’s crying!”
And the lows of “I’m sorry, something has shown up in the ultrasound,”
Or even “There is nothing we can do…”
It is hearing the alarms go off for the twentieth time in less
Than fifteen minutes because your
Child’s heart rate keeps hitting zero.
It is watching children dying around you, wondering if
Your child will be next.
It is hearing your child’s cry of distress as the nurses
Insert yet another IV and do another
Round of daily blood tests.
It is meeting other parents of children who are doing far better
And wondering, “Why me?”
And meeting parents of children who have just died,
And praising God for His mercy
To your child and feeling guilty because your child is alive
And someone else is grieving for theirs.
It is days of nightmarish testing and coping with less
Than positive results to the tests.
It is days of joy at seeing the first eyelash appear,
The child gain a whole ounce in one day,
And two bright shiny eyes look at you and into your soul,
And knowing that your child now recognizes you as Mama or Dada;
Or perhaps looks at you and does not see you at all…
It is that final hurdle before coming home!
It is the sorrow of waiting for the monitor company Representative to show you what to do
If the alarm sounds when your child is choking,
Gasping for breath, or simply dying.
It is the joy of just being away from all those nurses
And tubes and wires and beeps, and
Walking into the nursery you hastily prepared because,
after all,
The child wasn’t due for another four months!
It is thinking the nightmare is over…only to realize it still Continues in the form of
Such acronyms as PVL, RSV, BPD, CP and numerous others.
It is the final realization that those developmental delays
Have to be dealt with,
That reflux is a normal and unfortunate
occurrence in most preemies,
That the constant fight to gain weight is in direct proportion
To a preemie’s ability to do so.
It is watching a child struggle to pick up his or her head, sit, Crawl, or walk.
It is witnessing only silence when the child should be babbling,
Because the child cannot hear.
It is the mental images of a child running and playing
And communicating with others in a
Perfectly normal manner that are marred when you face years of therapy
In order to simply get the child to eat by himself or herself,
To talk or walk and then run.

The preemie experience is a journey…A journey through your soul in order to find the faith and strength to cope,
A journey of the mind when you face the emotional weariness,
A journey of the heart…to accept that, no matter what,

This child is yours,
And you will love this child no matter what.

The Story of Nicholas' Early Arrival

Sunday, April 19, 2009

He's Home

8 comments:

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