Welcome Home

August 11th will always be an important date as that is the day we got to bring home our precious baby boy from the hospital. It was a very long 6+ weeks in the hospital and I can't believe I survived. There were definitely days where I wondered how I was ever going to make it to the end. I also had days where I didn't think discharge day would ever come and the hospital was going to keep him forever. 

On Saturday morning during doctor rounds is when I got the best news ever that Max would come home the following day as long as he passed the car seat challenge. Once he passed it I was still worried that something would come up that would prevent the discharge from happening. Then on Sunday morning my phone rang and it was the NICU and I was worried at what they were going to say. Did something happen since last night that is going to prevent him from coming home? Nope, that wasn't it. They wanted to tell me to bring a large cooler for my breast milk they had stored away in their deep Freezer.  They had 11 large bags filled with milk containers. WOW! They also officially announced the Doctor's orders to start discharge and he can go home after 2:30pm. After that very positive phone call we hurried up on cleaning the house and took off to the hospital for our last NICU visit. The last time I would have to enter a secured room via a telephone, sign my name on paper saying I am not sick and the last time I would have a nurse watching over me as I took care of my baby. Don't get me wrong, I did not hate the NICU. In fact it's a great hospital with amazing nurses that I got to know quite well. In fact there are a couple nurses that I will even miss. 

We got to the hospital at 12:30 to start the discharge process. We also took our first family photo before it was time to get wheeled out via the red wagon.

Max is all strapped in and ready to go home.

As exciting as this day was, I was also extremely nervous. Now we are "full-time parents" who are 100% responsible for this little life. No nurses around to help and ask random questions to. Nope, now it's all on Andy and I. 

On the car ride home I sat in the back with Max staring at him to make sure he was breathing and could really truly handle his car seat. Yes, he did a great job on the ride home as he slept the whole way.

We got him home safe and sound and I just sat on the couch staring at him forever as I was in happy land because my whole family is together at home.

Daddy son time.

The first day was great as he just ate, pooped and slept. I did not sleep that night as I was so concerned if he was breathing or not. I did not have a machine to tell me is he has stopped breathing like in the hospital. Instead I just constantly looked in his bassinet as it was next to the bed. Yes, he made it through the first night with us as parents. I call that success!