Getting ready

For the past few days, the nurses have been giving JR and me not-so-subtle hints about when Evan will be coming home. Like the nurses going down their special checklist and asking if we know how to do things like give him his vitamins, give him a bath, etc. Or like this morning when the nurse said we need to set up a carseat trial. I know from my readings that their policy is to do this the day before or the day of going home. I looked at her stunned. "What, you don't have one yet?!" she said. "Uh, no, I mean, yeah, we have one...It's just not installed yet..." I stuttered. "Well you better get going on that!"

Of course we have been waiting for this day to come. Of course we are thrilled and eager to get him home. But suddenly we're racing against the clock to get everything ready. With coming 7 weeks early, then the stress of him being in the NICU for nearly 4 weeks, we haven't prepared much.

Not that I'm complaining! Every time I wake up in the middle of the night to pump (oh, the joys of pumping breastmilk 8 times a day!), I am less groggy because I just think how soon I'll be waking up to my adorable Evan's cries and not the beeping of an alarm clock. And I get so happy thinking about having him next to me all the time, where I can pick him up all the time and hold him in my arms...

So far the estimate homecoming is "Thursday-ish". They can't give an exact day yet, because it all depends on Evan and how he does. So far he's doing wonderful--"nippling" (yes, that's a verb in the NICU) all his feedings and then is hungry for more. That's my little champion!