Normalcy...

Since Callum was born I've been craving a bit of normalcy. I've been craving our day-to-day crazy life that I love. Playing with our girls. Racing around in the morning to get everyone dressed, hair done and ready to tackle our day, but since Callum was born, our life has been anything but "normal" - of course, when a change like the arrival of a new baby occurs, there is a "new normal", but the life we were living in the days after Callum's birth was anything but normal.

We were in survival mode and thankfully we had amazing family and friends who were on standby 24/7 to help us out at any time. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have been able to spend as much time as we needed to with Callum. It was a huge relief to be able to call someone and have them there for us whenever we needed...It was one less thing we had to worry about, so thank you to all who were there for us.

Now that Callum has been home for just over a week we have been trying to get back into a "normal" routine. The first week was filled with Kevin and I trying to overcome what we had just gone through. The whole experience was pretty traumatic and when Callum came home, it was like we hit a wall and we were left saying "Whoa.....what the......" We were tired. Mentally exhausted really. Even though we were getting plenty of sleep, it still didn't feel like it was enough. I was stressed because I wanted to make sure Callum was thriving at home. Was he gaining weight? Doing everything he should? I felt as though he was - you know, plenty of wet diapers, lots of poop and a content baby. But was it enough? It appeared that he really stepped up his nursing - more demanding and figuring out that the "milk bar" is open all night long.

On Wednesday, we had a visiting nurse come to assess Callum. The nurse examined him and was surprised at how well he appeared. She read through his history and couldn't believe Callum looked so healthy and came home so soon after he was extubated. Then, the moment of truth came - his weight. One week before he weighed 6lbs (down from 6lbs1oz at discharge), and today he was...............6lbs9oz!!! A 9oz weight gain in ONE week!!! I was so proud and I felt an immediate weight lifted off of my chest. He was doing as well as I thought he was and it felt so good to have affirmation of that. Our little boy was thriving and growing - doing everything he should be. His respiratory rate still fluctuates from above normal to normal, but that is to be expected for a while, so we will still monitor that, but for now, Callum is progressing perfectly. We still worry about him developmentally, but that is something we will always worry about, and unfortunately, we won't have any answers until he grows and develops.

The girls have also settled down. The first few days after we came home was a bit of an adjustment, but the last few days have been better. They seem to be back to their happy-go-lucky selves and that makes things much easier. The weather has also been better, too. We've been able to get outside more and just have fun with the girls. Mairead has been working hard at riding her bike without her training wheels and I'd have to say she is doing awesome! The girls are bouncing fools in their bounce house and Clara is really enjoying it this year!

I am glad things are finally starting to settle for us and I can feel the stress lessen. Callum continues to progress and the girls continue to love, hug and smother their little brother. Kevin and I are starting to relax a bit and just enjoy our four beautiful kids...