Sleepover and a Homecoming

After 6 weeks in the nicu, we brought our baby home yesterday!  Thursday marked 1 week of not needing any extra oxygen (blow by) for Bayden and that was the requirement for discharge.  The nicu invited Gavin and I in for a sleepover to "room in" at the hospital to have a practice night with her monitor.  We packed our bags and got to the hospital that evening.  They set us up in a room like we were in when she was born and brought her bassinet in.  We did her bath and fed her and did lots of snuggling.  We tried to sleep but in those beds it was hard.  And I may have been staring at her monitor to make sure the little green light by the lungs picture was blinking.  The nurses brought in a bottle every 3 hours.  I decided to not stress about breastfeeding that night and just pumped.  The night went smoothly and she slept after each of her bottles until we got her up for the next one.

Friday morning we showered, got ready and hung out until her nurse was ready and then we took her back to the nicu to do discharge stuff.  I hugged some of our favorite nurses good bye and we were on our way at about 1:00, exactly 43 days since she was born.  As I pulled an oxygen tank behind me to bring home (just in case we need it), I told Bayden how embarrassing that is to haul around.  I'm sure she's thinking:  "like you weren't embarrassing me in the nicu?  you were the biggest baby in there, mother."

It felt so great to bring her home, but it feels so separate from her birth.  It's a different feeling that I'm not sure how to explain.  We spent yesterday cuddling, feeding, pumping, changing diapers, burping, a bath, and sleeping.  We couldn't be happier.

I'm still trying to figure out this breast feeding, bottles, and pumping schedule, but it will come.  It was easier Thursday night when a nurse brought me a warmed bottle of breast milk every 3 hours.  Gav will stay home part of next week to get settled and we also have a couple appointments.  I think her travels around town will require 2 adults for awhile.  I will post some pictures of her coming home later this week.  Feels good to be home!