Home sweet home

Today is the day...the day we've been waiting for all along. The day we've waited 125 days for.
This morning we brought our little fella home, right where he belongs, for the very first time.

It was an early start this morning...2am in fact. Little scrap started off with a feed at 10pm and a sleep until 2am, and that was the best part of the night. Another feed at 2am, wide awake at 3am, more food at 4am, then 5, and again at 6am (from what in can recall). Perhaps the stress and lack of routine had affected mummy's supply and little man wasn't getting enough milk. Anyway, Jensen had to have his final measurements done between 3 and 6am so I made good use of this time and wheeled Sir Wide Awake into the nursery at 3am.

18 weeks ago we entered the NICU with a very little man weighing just 633g, length of 30.3 cms, and a head circumference of 21.2cms. Too precious to hold. We leave today, with a not so little man weighing 2.3kgs, length of 40.5cms, and head circumference of 32.5 cms, with him in our arms.

Carmel, one of the discharge nurses followed us home today to do a final check on the oxygen equipment that arrived yesterday. Mummy sat in the back with Jensen, just to see how he was travelling. He kicked up quite the stink getting into the car, but fell asleep upon commencement of movement and was transferred nicely into his little bassinet at home. He has spent the day sleeping and eating, with a few sweeping glances of his new environment in between. I was worried that I might forget we have him here, but needn't have as his little squeaky cry can easily be heard and attended to. It's just so nice having him home here, with us, and Phil and I are enjoying our first night of not having to leave the house after hurriedly scoffing down our dinner, and are looking forward to a lazy morning tomorrow.

Today has been a very long day, we arrived home this morning at around 11am, but it felt like late afternoon. After packing up what seemed a lifetime supply of everything, completing our discharge checklist, doing basic life skills lesson, and dressing little man in his special 'leaving hospital' outfit, we made our way through the NICU to say our goodbyes and give our gifts to the nursing staff. Goodbyes were emotional, with nurses coming out of their pods to bid us a happy farewell, lots of cuddles and teary eyes.

We leave with mixed emotions, not knowing life as a parent outside the hospital walls, leaving the constant support of the nurses and doctors, saying goodbye to the place that saved our son's life, and a place we have called home these past 4 1/2 months. Yet, finally taking our little boy home, where he belongs, something we have wished for since the beginning of time, so excited to be starting our life as a family in our own home, and not a hospital, being full-time parents, not part-time, and just sitting staring, and cuddling our beautiful little 'well enough to come home' man.

I will keep the blog going when I can, I can't promise regularly, but am hoping for once a week/fortnight depending on what's going on with us, and what time I have now we are home. I plan on making the blog into a book after his first birthday. Handing it to him one day for some light reading about his hasty, and trying little start to his life.

I'd like to say thank you to all of our ' supporters' throughout this time. Some that are family, and friends, some that we have known forever, some not so long, and some we have never met. It means the world to know we have so many people who love and care for us, willing us to get through this in one piece and start our new chapter at home together.

We are so very proud of Jensen. The battles he has faced and overcome, his strength, determination, and strong will. We have created such an incredible little boy, and look forward to the rest of our lives together.

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