99 days in the hospital and Olivia is finally home. Mike, Savanah and I are ecstatic. Sunday Mike and i spent the night in the hospital with Olivia as part of the requirement before she could come home. It was the strangest feeling because she was completely "wireless". For the very first time we could pick her and carry her around w/o worrying about pulling wires or tubes. It was great to change her and see her bare chest ... no more sticky pads leaving terrible red blotches...no more monitors beeping .... I can't even explain how that feels after so many weeks of knowing nothing else but that.
We are doing our best to keep her on some sort of schedule. The nurses really had a great thing going on with feedings every four hours as well as the night and day schedule. Last night after her 8 o'clock feed i turned off the lights and she fell fast asleep. When she woke for her middle of the night snacks it was the same thing...just get down to business and then sleep. During the day it is different ... we eat and then spend time taking everything in, looking around, talking our peanut language of grunts and snorts (no cooing yet ... we still have the tell tale premature baby grunts going on).
Today (Wed) I took Olivia on our first outing. She had an eye exam this morning (still about a level 2 zone 2 as she has always been) and we'll go out again tomorrow for an appointment with her pediatrician. These doctors don't waste any time wanting to see her once she gets out of the hospital.
I got the kind of comments today that everyone warned me I would.... "wow she's small, are you sure she's 3 months old?" ... and no one had to warn me about how protective I would feel of her, that I already knew. BACK OFF STRANGERS...THIS IS NOT A FREAK SHOW EXHIBIT. Maybe i didn't really think that in capital letters...but I did wish there was a seperate waiting room just for neurotic mom's like me.
Apologies for not writing sooner...i've been sleeping when she sleeps and of course enjoying her when she is awake. It feels a lot like time was warped and even though she was born months ago, these last few days feel very much like those of a mom with a newborn who has just come home after a two day hospital stay.
Olivia is wonderful and the NC Melvilles are extremely happy! I hope everyone reading this is doing just as well.
2 comments:
thank you thank you thank you for posting and for sharing this whole journey with all of us. we love you guys all so much and we feel grateful to be part of your lives. glad you are enjoying every moment ~ what a joy she is! yay Olivia! 143.
I am so happy that you posted pictures! Thank you! I can't wait for her to be ready for visitors! I am very excited! I am patient and will wait as long as you need me to before I visit!
Congratulations on Oliva's homecoming! 143
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