Home Sweet Home...

From this:

To this just 10 days later...

This morning I woke up with knots in my stomach. Would today be the day or would Callum have to wait another day to come home? When I called the nurse in this morning around 2am to weigh Callum, I was nervous - please just let him not lose weight. When the nurse told me he had lost another 3 ounces I figured Callums chances of coming home were slim, especially since I thought he looked more jaundice. How did he lose another three ounces I thought? He had been eating well with lots of pee and poops. I started to doubt myself and how well Callum was nursing.

I can open my eyes now! They aren't swollen shut...

The thought of spending yet another night away from Kevin and the girls just broke my heart. How do people do this for months on end with their sick children? It is so difficult and I hate the feeling of being torn between home and with Callum. I waited impatiently for Callums neonatologist to come in and speak with us about the potential of him going home. It was the same doctor who cared for Callum on Saturday when he was critically ill. He said Callum could go home on one condition: if his bilirubin levels went up, he'd have to stay. He wasn't really concerned with Callums weight loss as they think it is just his body stabilizing after everything he went through. Callum had been nursing much better and with a lot less vomiting. The doc told me that he couldn't believe he was even sending this child home already - stating he was a week ahead of schedule!

Not too long after the doc left our room I waited. And waited. And waited for the bilirubin results. Finally the nurse came in to give me the news......................they went down! It took almost everything I had not to scream in excitement. I picked our sweet boy up and kissed him. Tears filled my eyes. I couldn't believe the time has come to finally bring our little prince home. Ten days filled with so many emotions. I looked at our sweetheart and couldn't believe that sweet baby had gone through so much yet looked so beautiful and perfect. I called Kevin to tell him the amazing news. He yelled in excitement, so loud, the nurse heard him.

Kevin and the girls came to pick us up. The girls were beside themselves in excitement. Kevin and I looked at each other and thought "holy shit. four kids. we are insane!" And, we are. The girls couldn't get enough of their little brother.

The girls excited to bring their brother home!!! 

So far, Callum has been doing great! He has been nursing really well. Pooping a ton. And no pukes! He's such a calm baby and I hope it continues. The docs told us that he will probably be very mellow for a while as he continues to recover from everything he has gone through. We gave him a bath and the girls watched with excitement.

I think Kevin and I have hit a wall. It will definitely take a few days to recover emotionally and physically with what we have gone through. I can't wait to take time with the girls and just enjoy everyone being together again. It's been 12+ days since we've had any sort of normalcy to our life and I'm ready...I haven't been anywhere else besides the hospital and our home. I've rushed the girls and haven't been able to spend as much time with them and it hurt so bad. I'm so glad it is over...

Thank you to all who have prayed for Callum. Helped our family. We cannot thank you all enough.