Parker is Coming Home!

Well, it's official! Parker will be coming home Thursday!

Yep, the docs decided that Parker is well enough to come home so he will no longer be a "ward of an institution" beginning Thursday. Tomorrow night John and I are "rooming in". This means we will stay over night in the NICU with Parker in a room similar to my labor and delivery room. There is a bed, bathroom, television, phone and all of the hookups for Parker if he needs them. His crib and oxygen will be brought into the room and we will do a "trial run" with him over night. Because he will come home on an apnea monitor we are trying to get one delivered to the NICU so we can test it out as well. Exciting!

So before Parker leaves he will get a hearing test, immunizations, and a car seat test. The car seat test is interesting - we put Parker in his car seat and he has to stay there for an hour and be monitored. He has to be able to sit in a car seat without desatting or having any major problems. Who knew there was such a thing, but I get it! John and I have to watch a bunch of videos before discharge, our own little "tests": infant CPR/FA, car seat safety, Shaken Baby Syndrome, and RSV. Luckily we watched all but RSV when I was in Labor and Delivery. I think we'll be MORE than prepared for bringing these guys home!

Parker had his MRI today and what turmoil! When I called this morning the nurse told me that they'd stopped Parker's feedings and she was putting in an IV because we was going to be intubated and put "under" for the MRI. What the...this was NOT the plan that we discussed with the docs yesterday! John called and talked to the charge nurse who agreed to try the "feed and comfort" plan before moving to intubation. Good grief! So they fed Parker, who hadn't eaten for 6 hours, and took him down for the xray. According to the nurse he did well and only needed major calming once during the procedure. Whew...we are soooo glad we didn't need sedation or intubation - that would put us back another day or two! The results of his MRI won't be known until tomorrow.

Tyler is still struggling to take his bottles. He had two wonderful feedings today and two not so wonderful, sleepy feedings. Poor guy just tuckers out! It's really going to kill me to have him in the hospital while Parker is home. Ugh!

So, we are one more step closer to getting our love bugs home! What a journey this has been - a foggy, scary, tiring and rewarding journey. A part of me still doesn't believe that Parker is actually coming home - I really have to see it to believe it!