Home Sweet Home!

We are HOME!!! AMEN!
Bella was discharged yesterday afternoon and we got home just before the torrential rain hit East Orlando. Leaving the NICU with Bella was quite emotional. We were leaving our safe haven that kept Bella safe for 10 days and now they were trusting us to take her home. We built even stronger relationships with the doctors and nurses that took care of both Gabi and Bella. The fact that they took care of both our daughters meant so much to us! For some reason saying goodbye was hard to all of them, and I was a blubbering idiot crying as transportation took me to meet Anthony at the main entrance of the hospital. Don't get me wrong they were tears of joy and happiness,

The drive home was a little scary. We had no idea if she was in her car seat right. I mean, the car seat is installed right but she is so tiny, she just didn't look like she was in right. The alarm went off twice in the car, but Bella was fine. We have to keep reminding ourselves that we need to look at Bella first and not get fixated on the monitor. We got home and Jupiter was oblivious to Bella. Within 2 hours, Bella peed on me, spit up a bottle, and we noticed a large water stain on the ceiling of Bella's room from all the rain we had. But we had our baby girl home so it was okay. We did manage to get 3 hours of sleep. I think the transition of the drive home, and being in a new environment was a big deal for her...so we just rolled with the punches. Anthony was great and got up with me to change her diaper and I nursed her. Anthony will give her a bottle once or twice to give me a break from nursing. He is such a great Daddy! We do feel a little captive with the monitor in the house. The reason is, the monitor should be plugged in at all times. It does have a battery of 18 hours but they say save that for when you are out and about. So we feel like a camera crew. If i need to take Bella into another room, Anthony follows behind me with the wires as I carry the monitor on my shoulder!

She had her first appt with the pediatrician today and I am happy to say that she weighs 6lbs 4 oz. A whole ounce bigger than when she was born! So she is definitely getting enough of my milk. The doctor said Bella looks great and we have another follow up just for a weight check next week.

Many of our friends and family have asked how we feel now that we are home. Well of course we are ecstatic! At the same time things feel so surreal. Almost as if..."Is this really happening to us?" We waited so long for this, and after a 10 uncertain days we are home! Many people we encountered at the RMH and hospital would ask us "Is this your first?" We knew better who to tell and who not to tell. One woman we shared the Fl. Hospital Shuttle with asked about Bella. We told her she was 36 weeks mature and she was our first baby. She then went on to tell us that her granddaughter was born premature and that she was perfect on the outside but not on the inside! Anthony and I were floored that this woman said this to us! Just what we needed to hear. We brushed it off the best we could. We trust that Bella is going to be okay developmentally. The Speech therapist in me is concerned, but I know to take it one day at a time. Our doctor told me today "Don't go looking for trouble" and I like that saying. A friend of ours told us that for some reason God chooses people to go through these things. Now if you would of told us that two years ago, we would of lashed out at you! But after Bella's birth and everything we experienced we do believe he chose us for some reason to go through all this. Who knows, maybe it's to touch other NICU parents in some way, or to help other parents who have had a loss, and want to have another baby. We are not sure why he has chosen us and we are not going to ask, but we do know that God has blessed us and continues to care and provide for us.

Now enjoy Bella's pictures she had taken in the hospital!



Slideshow

Bella's Hospital Photo shoot

Album