NICU chapter closed.

Three weeks over 3 months...I'll take it! AND on Thanksgiving. What a day!

I guess like they say once that light goes off it really just goes off! It was a bit nerve wracking to take the feeding tube out and just let her go because she was still pretty sleepy sometimes and still would only bf 6 minutes or so for a couple feeds but then the next feed would bf for like 15 minutes so it would all even out.

So we took the tube out Tuesday, roomed in on wednesday, and came home Thursday morning.

And she has done fantastic! The feed before we went home she literally bf for like 20-25 minutes! Little miss piggy! Then she did it again last night! I just love her so much and I'm SO grateful I have a baby that likes to eat.

On our way down the elevator to the car my nurse Shiela told me she had never discharged a baby on thanksgiving and she was tearing up. It was so sweet. Then after we loaded her in the car and I drove away I just started bawling. I had only cried because of being sad a couple times our whole NICU stay (once I came home without her and another time when I dropped Jayda off and she told me she wanted to be with me) and I finally just broke down.

It just felt like a load off of me. For the last 2 years we've had to worry about getting pregnant, staying pregnant, and then getting her out of the NICU. Finally I didnt have to and that felt so good. I finally have my two girls together. I dont have to go to countless drs appts, get blood draws, or cry tears of sadness that I still didnt have my baby or worrying she wouldnt get home safe.

She's so perfect. Jayda is in love with her. She was singing rock-a-bye-baby to an ACTUAL baby yesterday and she was obsessed with her little hands. Its definetely going to be a transition having 2 kids (it really aint no joke!) but I'm so glad I feel so complete.

In my last blog post I talked about how we didnt want to come home on Thanksgiving but Dr. Carrol the neonatologist said she was ready so there was no reason for her to stay another day. He offered to discharge her after our thanksgiving dinner but I said who am I kidding I wouldnt even go anyways because I had to come bf her every 3 hours plus I just wanted my baby home with me. So I stayed home and cuddled her in bed all day and Chase took Jayda to my mother in laws house and just brought home so leftovers for me. It really was the best thanksgiving I've ever had though. Thats what its all about.

Plus I guess the reason I didnt want to go home was because I was just nervous she would do the same thing Jayda did and stop eating once we got home so I wanted to make sure she was good and ready to come home. Dr. Carrol just said I wasnt used to boring babies that came home at 36 weeks. But the big difference between her and Jayda is that Jayda had bad oral aversion. She had a tube sucking crap out of her tummy for 2 months and had GI and reflux issues that I'm sure hurt her tummy. Haven never had those issues (in fact rarely spits up at all...knock on wood) and loves to eat. She actually lets me know when she is hungry (mostly...shes still sleepy sometimes but it all evens out throughout the day).

She came home at 36 weeks gestation exactly...weighing 5lbs 2oz and 18 1/2 in (she grew back after shrinking a half inch from her cone head. She breastfeeds during the day and takes bottles at night. Mainly because I have to pump still (the LC said until she is about 6-7lbs and can fully empty me and to keep my supply up) and bottles are easier for her at night when shes really sleepy. Once I dont have to pump anymore and shes stronger especially at night then we'll mainly be breastfeeding. So right now I feel like I'm feeding twins... the babes and that damn pump. But its so worth it. I wanted to breastfeed so bad and I'm glad I've stuck with it.

Overall, just in pure bliss and man that feels good! I'm so grateful for our NICU. They really rolled out the red carpet for me and just treated me so awesome. I'm also so grateful for awesome family and friends that helped us so much. We really couldnt have done it without them.

For now were so just so grateful to be normal. And I cant believe we have two kids AND a baby for Christmas this year. What a great year!