The day has come! We are finally going home!
It was like a day of disbelief. We finally get to go home! I finally go to put him in the car seat for a reason other than a test! How happy we were to finally be going home was unmeasurable.
Holy CRAP, we have two children.. KIDS...plural!
It was so hard to believe that we finally get to head home, and that we finally get to start wandering towards our new normal.
The Travel Home
It was so hard to believe that we have two kids. Yes, I gave birth and fully realized I had another child. But it wasn't until we moved Pipers car seat from the middle spot to the side of the car, and put Ollies car seat in the car that it hit us.
"You get to take that walk"
To keep the jinx from creeping in on our positive vibes, the nurse practitioner called us being discharged "going for a walk" because in the NICU land, its like babies can hear that they are making progress and then suddenly do the opposite of that. Kind of like when you ask your newborn not to pee on you, and the do.
Our sweet nurse told us that it would take maybe an hour or two to get discharged but it actually took a little longer. At this point, I didn't even care. I knew we were finally coming home and thats all that mattered.
We had to get his hearing test retested because he failed in one year due to having more cartilage in his tiny ear and couldn't let the sound get to it fully. But we are happy to say that he passed with flying colors. We were so thankful for that because one. it wasn't one more thing we would have to treat and two. since my husband has family history on both sides of hearing lose, we would assume either one of out children would have it. But they don't! So it must be my good genes that they snagged. Because lets face it, if I can hear my husband mumble under his breathe then that must mean I have good hearing! LOL!
Starting Our Discharge
I couldn't wait to get home. I knew that it was going to be hard, but I just wanted to start that part of our parenting journey. We brought our daughter with us, because CHOA greatly caters to children (obviously) and she could play at the playground and play room right around the corner from our room. We had tons of paperwork to go through and a few doctor visits (just to recheck and let me know when the next appointment is for) and then we were ready to go.
We got a wagon (because they give little kids these red wagons to rid in) to put all our stuff in, my diaper bag full of stuff, and got us set up with our machines. I had already practiced using the feeding pump during our stay there so I could get used to it, and we had a side satchel with the sleep apnea machine in it. We were ready to roll. Ryan went with piper to get the car pulled up to the front and a nurse followed me up to the car to make sure everything was set.
We got the car seat base put in and pipers car seat all settled in (which by the way she was now in front of a tv behind the seat to watch her movies in, talk about big girl), and Ryan came around to put the feeding machine and holder in the trunk along with the bags we had. I clicked little man into the base and said good bye to the nurse. We are FINALLY driving off with out KIDS in the car at the same time! And for Ollie, his second car ride ever!
I couldn't help but stare at him the entire car ride. Ryan went the slowest I've ever seen him drive (aside from when we had piper). He was avoiding every bump or going the actual speed limit down one of the worse highways in Georgia in my opinion. (275 to 75 intersection)
We finally get home and all reality hits us that he is finally home, and we are complete.
