Landree's LAST DAY in the NICU: Day 23

April 29, 2012

Could it be? Landree's last day in this place? Yes! She was coming home - today! I'm pretty sure April 29, 2012 will stand out in my mind just as much as April 3, 2012 (her birthday) will...the day she "graduated" from the NICU. Hallelujah! 

I woke up that morning (well, I woke up several times that morning seeing as that LC eats every three hours), I was ready to go! I fed her, got my things together and sat in the windowless room and patiently waited for something to happen...{sound of crickets chirping}...nope. No one came for a while. I figured today was not going to be about my schedule at all, but would revolve around the doctors and nurses. Ok. I could wait - because, at last, we were going home!!!

I decided to take a nap after LC's 9am feed...good thing for me, she decided to take one, too. My parents came up to see her around 10:00. This was good, at least I had some company. 

It was a good day, all around for a couple of us in the NICU. I don't think I've talked much about them in the blog - and I don't know why, because they are wonderful people, but LC had a little roommate during her stay. His name is Wyatt. A precious, precious little guy who was born six and a half weeks early. Over the course of our stay, Austin and I became good friends with his parents and thank goodness for Jamie, his mom. There were a few days where I would've been bored to tears had she not been in the room to talk and keep me company. It was good to have some adult interaction! Landree and Wyatt's due dates were originally a month apart. Landree's was April 21st and Wyatt was May 21st. Dr. M decided to take Landree three weeks early, and Wyatt just decided he would come six and a half weeks early! Crazy coincidence, Dr. McClintock delivered Wyatt, also! We also found out we're going to the same pediatrician. Wyatt and Landree were in the NICU three weeks together. She was born on Tuesday and he was born on Thursday. The crazy thing...they both ended up being discharged on the same day! Two different babies, two different issues, discharged on the same day. It was almost like they had bonded in some way while being in the room together over those few weeks. I was glad to get a picture with Jamie and Wyatt before they left. We will miss them! We had some good, long talks in that NICU room. We exchanged information and agreed to get together once things settled down. I can't wait to see them again!

After the Hogans left, I was even more ancy! I couldn't wait for Dr. Khan to come down and give us the go ahead. I asked the nurse if she could call her to see when she would be in. After all, Austin was at home waiting with AB for me to tell him when to come up there. Dr. Khan said she would be down within the hour...THE HOUR?!?!...so I waited even more patiently (hard for me to do) and told Austin to leave within the hour. 

FINALLY, she got there and told me we were good to go. She examined LC one last time and I was able to snap their picture together. Afterall, this was the doctor who saved me from going bananas and transferring my child to another hospital and starting this daunting process all over again!!!! 

LC's nurse when we were discharged and who had taken care of her a few times before was Marita. I was so glad to have her again, especially the day we left. Here they are together.

LC has a beautiful pink going-home dress that my mom bought her and it's what she was going to come home in, when we thought she was coming home the first time. After we came home without her I would look at that dress and burst into tears. It was a reminder of my baby who was living at the hospital and not at home. Austin had to hide it from me. Since AB was able to be there on the day LC came home, I put them in their matching big sis/little sis shirts and hot pink pants. It was fitting for how long AB waited to be with her little sister.

They wheeled LC and I out and we were able to put her in her carseat and GO HOME!!!! I almost couldn't believe it. It was surreal actually leaving the hospital with my baby.

I've had AB's bouncy seat and swing out for a couple of months, anticipating LC's arrival. That little bouncy has been staring me in the face this last month waiting for my baby to be in it. Another thing that made me cry every time I looked at it. Yesterday when we got home, I walked over and put LC in it. Perfect. She was home. Exactly where she needed to be.