The day has arrived - Emerson's Discharge Day!
I was a little bit nervous on the way to the hospital today. I thought something might have happened through the night that would delay Emerson's discharge.
When we got to Emerson's room he was not in his crib. We also didn't see any of the nurses....and I said to Grant, I hope everything is ok!! Shortly after that Kelly came in and said she almost got away with him! :) He was actually being circumcised. Labor and Delivery was swamped the night before with 12 deliveries! Phew! So his circumcision was moved to today. A few minutes later he was back, looking adorable with his surgery hat on :) They said he did great. Our little champion :)
Dr. Dewer stopped in to see if we had any questions. He went over all the appointments we should make in the upcoming week, circumcision care, and discharge instructions. This is real - they are really discharging him! We got a little off topic and found out that Dr. Dewer and his wife are runners! They lived in Cincinnati and his wife ran the flying pig. And he has ran in the Freep Relay. I knew there was something extra special about Dr. Dewer! Besides the fact that he has been an incredible doctor to Emerson of course ;)
Once they handed Emerson over to me, his mouth was moving nonstop. Baby boy was hungry! And he took close to 40cc in 15 minutes!
Just as we finished feeding, the Bella Baby Photographer arrived. Belle Baby Photography is a company that has free lance photographers come to the hospital and take first photos of your baby. Its a complimentary photo shoot with the photos in an online photo gallery where you can purchase prints. We already have a newborn photo shoot scheduled after Emerson's original due date, but figured what the heck. This hospital has been our home for the last 25 days and taking pictures on our last day, the day that Emerson was strong enough to come home, was a momentous day that should be documented. :) And everyone knows how much I love pictures! You can never have to many ;) I was so happy that Baby Bella was able to fit us in on such a short notice. I wasn't really thinking about the photo props until the photographer asked me if I had any. LOL Wished I would have brought in one of his blankets! The first blanket he had in the nursery would have been perfect. The photographer did have a cute basket as a prop though. We went down to one of the other nursery rooms that had a window so we could have more natural light. The photographer asked if we could take his leads off, and Kelly said absolutely as long as he was with us. As I took them off I thought this is another big moment. His leads are officially coming off for good. This is really happening! How will we survive not staring at the monitors for his heart rate and oxygen stats!
We took a couple pictures in the outfit/swaddle sack we had him in, a few in just his diaper with us holding him, than put him in the outfit we had for him to wear home. It worked for winging it. LOL He looked so adorable in the poses. As she tried to pose him, Emerson of course wanted to do his own thing. That little man does not like to be bothered when he is sleepy! LOL Looking forward to seeing how they turned out :)
Once we got back into Emerson's room the wait game begun. He would have to pee before he could be discharged. This would help ensure that there were no problems with the circumcision. So he slept, Grant took a nap, and I sort of just sat there with my thoughts. The million thoughts going through my head.
A few people stopped by to tell us congrats, wish us good luck, and say their goodbyes. Dr. Dewer came by one last time before he left for the day. I gave him a big hug, thanking him again for everyone, and asked him to send our gratitude to Dr. Boxwalla as well. What amazing neonatologist we had through the ups and downs! Trish also came by. I don't know her exact title, nurse/patient coordinator? Our midwife told us Trish is the one who knows each patients case and preps all the staff. Love how its team care for each patient, no matter if your a midwife or OB patient. I felt like everyone down to the cleaning crew were so compassionate and caring, remembering Emerson and us through the last 3.5 weeks. Those smiling faces are what got me through most days!
It was time for Emerson's next feeding but still no pee. I think he was holding out to say goodbye to the night nurses :) I fed him and Kelly showed me how to care for his circumcision. He seemed to be doing ok with the circ...but it looked painful! We would need to put A & D ointment on a gauze and lay that on top of his penis for a couple days. That will help the diaper not stick directly to his penis. Ouch, right? Glad he's so young he wont remember this.
Soon it was time for the night nurses to arrive. Michelle and Nicole were on tonight. Nicole came over to wish us good luck and tell us how happy she was for us. She was on L & D, so we wouldn't see her when we were leaving. I think of all the nurses, Nicole probably saw me the most emotional. Night time is when we left, and those few words she would ask me, How are you doing?, would always start the water works. Amazing how you can feel so close to people you just met 3 weeks ago, eh? :)
I checked Emerson's diaper around 7 and there looked like there was pee but it might of been A & D Ointment, so Grant called Kelly in to check. And she confirmed - its pee! WooHOO! Guess Emerson was waiting to say goodbye to his Aunties :) Michelle and Kelly got in some last minute snuggles with Emerson, while we double checked that we had everything. I took some last minute pictures and than Grant got Emerson in the car seat. We needed a little assistance from Kelly and Michelle on that! What are we going to do without them???!!!! Michelle suggested that we go walk through labor and delivery on our way out and say goodbye to all the nurses. Fantastic idea :)
Sadly, we said our goodbyes to Kelly, which was hard to do! Really going to miss her!! And Michelle, Emerson, and I made our way through labor and delivery. A lot of the nurses were in the OR, prepping for a c-section. But we saw a few nurses who got to say goodbye to Emerson, including Nicole again so squeezed in one more goodbye hug from her to. We peeked by the OR and a handful of nurses came out to say goodbye. One of those nurses took care of me when I was admitted. And Lynn, one of the midwives I got to know well was also there. More hugs, congratulations, and goodbyes. Im surprised I wasnt a ball of tears by this point!
Michelle (carrying Emerson in his carseat) walked me down to the main entrance while Grant pulled the car up. One last walk through the hospital. This place has felt like a second home! We had Grant come inside so Michelle could take a, We Made It! photo of Emerson and us :) Grant took the car seat from Michelle and got Emerson all locked in. Michelle was such a cute, protective Auntie. Had Grant double check the car seat, and watched us drive away :)
It was close to 9pm when we left the hospital, so it was dark out. Even though Emerson passed the car seat test, I was still shining my phone light on his face to check his coloring. He was fast asleep, and color was great! :)
When we got home we introduced the dogs, one by one. They were very interested, and sat a few feet away sniffing the air, and feet because thats as close as Id let them get! I wonder if they recognized his scent. We have been bringing home blankets he slept on, so they would get use to his scent. As we laid Emerson in the bassinet, they sniffed under, the top, and all the sides of the bassinet. LOL Than they laid down and kept a watch on him. Adorable. When we would feed Emerson they would all sit around me in a circle, watching his every move. I was a little worried how they would react, but they were good dogs! These four are going to be best buddies :)
I really expected to be an emotional wreck leaving the hospital. The last couple days when I thought about it, including when I was sitting with my thoughts waiting for Emerson to pee, tears would start flowing. It wasn't until later that night that it all hit me. I was feeding Emerson, staring at him, and just overwhelmed with emotions. The tears were covering my face. With joy that he's in my arms, at HOME! Scared of being a new mom. Fear of being a bad mom! Sadness of missing the amazing NICU nurses. Happy that he is healthy, strong, and growing! As I finished feeding Emerson, Grant swaddled him up and put him in the bassinet, than came over to hug me and without any words said, I knew we were going to be ok. Transition is never easy. But is no stranger to us these day! Just have to keep in mind the best advice I ever received about transition. Feel what you need to feel, and always be kind to yourself. I think I can handle that :)
Welcome Home Baby Emerson. Welcome Home. :)
Notes from MyPreemieApp:
October 2, 2013 – Today Emerson Robert Goulet is 3 weeks and 4 days old and weighs 3 lbs 14 ozs. The nurse taking care of Emerson Robert Goulet is Kelly.
We made progress. Going home: !!!!!
Another big event. Surgery: Circumcision
Melissa is feeling Excited and Nervous.
Melissa is looking forward to: Our First Night At Home!
I was a little bit nervous on the way to the hospital today. I thought something might have happened through the night that would delay Emerson's discharge.
When we got to Emerson's room he was not in his crib. We also didn't see any of the nurses....and I said to Grant, I hope everything is ok!! Shortly after that Kelly came in and said she almost got away with him! :) He was actually being circumcised. Labor and Delivery was swamped the night before with 12 deliveries! Phew! So his circumcision was moved to today. A few minutes later he was back, looking adorable with his surgery hat on :) They said he did great. Our little champion :)
Dr. Dewer stopped in to see if we had any questions. He went over all the appointments we should make in the upcoming week, circumcision care, and discharge instructions. This is real - they are really discharging him! We got a little off topic and found out that Dr. Dewer and his wife are runners! They lived in Cincinnati and his wife ran the flying pig. And he has ran in the Freep Relay. I knew there was something extra special about Dr. Dewer! Besides the fact that he has been an incredible doctor to Emerson of course ;)
Once they handed Emerson over to me, his mouth was moving nonstop. Baby boy was hungry! And he took close to 40cc in 15 minutes!
Just as we finished feeding, the Bella Baby Photographer arrived. Belle Baby Photography is a company that has free lance photographers come to the hospital and take first photos of your baby. Its a complimentary photo shoot with the photos in an online photo gallery where you can purchase prints. We already have a newborn photo shoot scheduled after Emerson's original due date, but figured what the heck. This hospital has been our home for the last 25 days and taking pictures on our last day, the day that Emerson was strong enough to come home, was a momentous day that should be documented. :) And everyone knows how much I love pictures! You can never have to many ;) I was so happy that Baby Bella was able to fit us in on such a short notice. I wasn't really thinking about the photo props until the photographer asked me if I had any. LOL Wished I would have brought in one of his blankets! The first blanket he had in the nursery would have been perfect. The photographer did have a cute basket as a prop though. We went down to one of the other nursery rooms that had a window so we could have more natural light. The photographer asked if we could take his leads off, and Kelly said absolutely as long as he was with us. As I took them off I thought this is another big moment. His leads are officially coming off for good. This is really happening! How will we survive not staring at the monitors for his heart rate and oxygen stats!
We took a couple pictures in the outfit/swaddle sack we had him in, a few in just his diaper with us holding him, than put him in the outfit we had for him to wear home. It worked for winging it. LOL He looked so adorable in the poses. As she tried to pose him, Emerson of course wanted to do his own thing. That little man does not like to be bothered when he is sleepy! LOL Looking forward to seeing how they turned out :)
Once we got back into Emerson's room the wait game begun. He would have to pee before he could be discharged. This would help ensure that there were no problems with the circumcision. So he slept, Grant took a nap, and I sort of just sat there with my thoughts. The million thoughts going through my head.
A few people stopped by to tell us congrats, wish us good luck, and say their goodbyes. Dr. Dewer came by one last time before he left for the day. I gave him a big hug, thanking him again for everyone, and asked him to send our gratitude to Dr. Boxwalla as well. What amazing neonatologist we had through the ups and downs! Trish also came by. I don't know her exact title, nurse/patient coordinator? Our midwife told us Trish is the one who knows each patients case and preps all the staff. Love how its team care for each patient, no matter if your a midwife or OB patient. I felt like everyone down to the cleaning crew were so compassionate and caring, remembering Emerson and us through the last 3.5 weeks. Those smiling faces are what got me through most days!
It was time for Emerson's next feeding but still no pee. I think he was holding out to say goodbye to the night nurses :) I fed him and Kelly showed me how to care for his circumcision. He seemed to be doing ok with the circ...but it looked painful! We would need to put A & D ointment on a gauze and lay that on top of his penis for a couple days. That will help the diaper not stick directly to his penis. Ouch, right? Glad he's so young he wont remember this.
Soon it was time for the night nurses to arrive. Michelle and Nicole were on tonight. Nicole came over to wish us good luck and tell us how happy she was for us. She was on L & D, so we wouldn't see her when we were leaving. I think of all the nurses, Nicole probably saw me the most emotional. Night time is when we left, and those few words she would ask me, How are you doing?, would always start the water works. Amazing how you can feel so close to people you just met 3 weeks ago, eh? :)
I checked Emerson's diaper around 7 and there looked like there was pee but it might of been A & D Ointment, so Grant called Kelly in to check. And she confirmed - its pee! WooHOO! Guess Emerson was waiting to say goodbye to his Aunties :) Michelle and Kelly got in some last minute snuggles with Emerson, while we double checked that we had everything. I took some last minute pictures and than Grant got Emerson in the car seat. We needed a little assistance from Kelly and Michelle on that! What are we going to do without them???!!!! Michelle suggested that we go walk through labor and delivery on our way out and say goodbye to all the nurses. Fantastic idea :)
Sadly, we said our goodbyes to Kelly, which was hard to do! Really going to miss her!! And Michelle, Emerson, and I made our way through labor and delivery. A lot of the nurses were in the OR, prepping for a c-section. But we saw a few nurses who got to say goodbye to Emerson, including Nicole again so squeezed in one more goodbye hug from her to. We peeked by the OR and a handful of nurses came out to say goodbye. One of those nurses took care of me when I was admitted. And Lynn, one of the midwives I got to know well was also there. More hugs, congratulations, and goodbyes. Im surprised I wasnt a ball of tears by this point!
Michelle (carrying Emerson in his carseat) walked me down to the main entrance while Grant pulled the car up. One last walk through the hospital. This place has felt like a second home! We had Grant come inside so Michelle could take a, We Made It! photo of Emerson and us :) Grant took the car seat from Michelle and got Emerson all locked in. Michelle was such a cute, protective Auntie. Had Grant double check the car seat, and watched us drive away :)
It was close to 9pm when we left the hospital, so it was dark out. Even though Emerson passed the car seat test, I was still shining my phone light on his face to check his coloring. He was fast asleep, and color was great! :)
When we got home we introduced the dogs, one by one. They were very interested, and sat a few feet away sniffing the air, and feet because thats as close as Id let them get! I wonder if they recognized his scent. We have been bringing home blankets he slept on, so they would get use to his scent. As we laid Emerson in the bassinet, they sniffed under, the top, and all the sides of the bassinet. LOL Than they laid down and kept a watch on him. Adorable. When we would feed Emerson they would all sit around me in a circle, watching his every move. I was a little worried how they would react, but they were good dogs! These four are going to be best buddies :)
I really expected to be an emotional wreck leaving the hospital. The last couple days when I thought about it, including when I was sitting with my thoughts waiting for Emerson to pee, tears would start flowing. It wasn't until later that night that it all hit me. I was feeding Emerson, staring at him, and just overwhelmed with emotions. The tears were covering my face. With joy that he's in my arms, at HOME! Scared of being a new mom. Fear of being a bad mom! Sadness of missing the amazing NICU nurses. Happy that he is healthy, strong, and growing! As I finished feeding Emerson, Grant swaddled him up and put him in the bassinet, than came over to hug me and without any words said, I knew we were going to be ok. Transition is never easy. But is no stranger to us these day! Just have to keep in mind the best advice I ever received about transition. Feel what you need to feel, and always be kind to yourself. I think I can handle that :)
Welcome Home Baby Emerson. Welcome Home. :)
Notes from MyPreemieApp:
October 2, 2013 – Today Emerson Robert Goulet is 3 weeks and 4 days old and weighs 3 lbs 14 ozs. The nurse taking care of Emerson Robert Goulet is Kelly.
We made progress. Going home: !!!!!
Another big event. Surgery: Circumcision
Melissa is feeling Excited and Nervous.
Melissa is looking forward to: Our First Night At Home!
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