We're Home!

Yep, you read that right! Luke was able to be discharged from the NICU on Friday afternoon! It was a very busy, but very happy day! We've since been working on getting into our new routine of having seven children at home!

So, let me finish Luke's NICU story. 

You last heard from me on Tuesday... Luke had ripped out his NG tube and had to have it replaced. Well, on Wednesday morning he ripped out the NG tube again (and they had made sure it was taped well, and very close to his nose to try to prevent that). They decided to see how he'd do without it since he obviously didn't like it in. 

Here he is after eating 6 feedings all by himself (no tube and nothing stuck to his face for the FIRST time!)

On Thursday we had our first (and last) care conference. We were told that as long as Luke eats all his feedings he'd be discharged on Friday. The doctor also told me something I didn't know when he did his summary of Luke's condition. He said that BOTH of Luke's lungs had collapsed, not just the left lung as I had thought. I am going to confirm this tomorrow with Luke's pediatrician...but I was very shocked because we were not told that he had gotten that bad. 

The rest of Thursday was nerve racking...he HAD to eat. Then, at his 6 o'clock feeding he didn't eat well. It was so disappointing. I thought for SURE this meant we'd be there for another two days minimum.... I came back at 9pm and was told he didn't finish his feeding for the nurse either- but he didn't have an NG tube in! The nurse said they would see how he did the rest of the night. The 9pm feeding went a little better, but he still didn't take it all....and the midnight feeding he did well taking all 60cc's. 

So, on Friday morning I walked to the NICU nervous to hear how Luke had done. The nurse said he had taken the rest of his feedings and she had requested the doctor's orders for discharge! We just had to wait for the doctor to officially sign off and my husband to get to the hospital and we would be free to go! 

I spent the remainder of the day in the NICU with Luke, afraid that if I left him before my husband got there he'd not eat or something would go wrong.

I think he knew he was going home, he seemed so peaceful!

When my husband finally got there I had just finished signing all the paperwork, and acknowledging that I believed the baby I was taking home was my own.  I had quite the store of breastmilk in the NICU freezer and the nurse asked if we had brought a cooler- we had not. So, she suggested we go purchase one. So, we left Luke one last time in the care of the NICU team and went to get a cooler and check me out of the hospitality house that I had been staying in. 

When we got back we got Luke dressed and snuggled him into his carseat for the trip home.

The car seat looks soo huge! 

We were escorted out and on our way!

It's been a great weekend, we've been enjoying being home and having the entire family together.