The day we were so eagerly longing for.....finally coming home!! We could finally be watching her in her own bassinet...looking down at her in awe of how far she's come to get home to mommy & daddy! 1.18.12 was a day mixed with SOOOO many emotions. Sophia was on her way home with us, we finally were leaving the hospital with our baby to take her home where she belongs!!! All the gratitude we feel towards the NICU team is greater than any of our words can express & we will truly miss them, but oohhh how good it feels to have our baby home!! Welcome home princess on the 98th day I finally get to have you home. Mommy was full of joy & at the same time fear because now the little princess special care is in my hands. There was equipment everywhere as you can see in the pictures below....as you know she came home on oxygen & monitor & a bunch of meds so it was kind of like taking over the nurses role....I guess the scariest part was thinking of all the stories I heard in the NICU of once the baby was home they could still have episodes especially those O2 dependant babies.....but of course at the end of each day all I could do is hope for the best & be prepared for the worst!! So on the fridge went the CPR instructions...planned route to the hospital (luckily 5mins. away) & of course all the planning would go out the door if something were to happen because I knew I'd panic!! : / Anyhow I was extremely overwhelmed the first day bringing Gorda home perhaps because of that episode she had as soon as we drove off from the hospital & than thinking where do I start...but as all things you prepare & adapt!! I made a schedule with all her medications & treatments to be posted in plain sight so I wouldn't forget, did as recommended & kept her on the same routine as the hospital, made a cabinet just for her with all her meds & pre-prepped bottles meaning cereal & formula already scooped so just add water at feed time, set up shop eg. all equipment & tools needed, & off we are to our new wonders just this time finally at HOME........AS A FAMILY!!!
OUR PRINCESS DRIVING HOME!!! AFTER SHE CALMED DOWN : 0 )
APNEA MONITOR & O2 TRAVEL TANK....EXTRA WHEEL ONE FOR THE HOME!!! & YES SINCE SHE HAD TO BE ON O2 AT ALL TIMES IF YOU GO OUT OF HOUSE YOU HAVE TO TAKE BOTH OF THESE TWO PIECES OF EQUIPMENT (LOWER END OF PIC) & IF YOU WALK AROUND HOUSE WITH HER YOU TAKE THE ONE U SEE WITH WHEELS (TOP END OF PIC). SHE BASICALLY HAS TO BE CONNECTED TO O2 AT AL TIMES.
THE BLUE MACHINE U SEE THERE IS THE CONTINOUS PRODUCING O2 THAT RUNS ON ELECTRICITY (OTHERS ARE TANKS) THIS ONE IS TO BE USED BY HER PLACE OF SLEEP AT NIGHT. EXTREMELY LOUD SOUNDS LIKE A GENERATOR & PRODUCES ALOT OF HEAT....ROOM FELT LIKE A SAUNA.
THE BUTTERFLY FLEW HOME!!
HER OUTIFT TO COME HOME HAS A LITTLE BUTTERFLY ON IT WINNIE THE POOH IS RUNNING AFTER IT..OF COURSE I PICKED IT BECAUSE OF THE BUTTERFLY & IT SAYS "COME FLY WITH ME"
HEAVEN ON EARTH...OUR FIRST NIGHT HOME.......
MY LITTLE 5 POUND 8 OUNCE PRECIOUS LITTLE MIRACLE!!
