So I stayed up all night at the NICU Saturday night, even though countless nurses tried to get me to go home, and Avery once again took EVERY SINGLE FEED from me. In that moment I decided i wasn't going to leave the NICU without Avery because i KNEW she was ready to come home. So I stayed again all day Sunday, with no sleep, feeding and cuddling Avery and proving to everyone that her time in the NICU was coming to an end. Sunday was tiring and hard for me watching other babies discharge and i was running on no sleep (but it was worth it). Phillip came to visit on Sunday and we had dinner together but I made sure that I was back in that NICU in time for every feed. I had a couple of nurses tell me that they were proud and impressed with my dedication to my girls. I did end up getting a 1.5hr nap in the car Sunday night before Phillip went home, I really think that was just what i needed to keep going. On Sunday when they wrote new orders for Avery, they wrote to completely discontinue gavage feedings because the charge nurse saw how well she was doing with her feeds and in her words "we don't want anyone to "accidentally" muck up our plans of getting her home".
By the time Monday morning rolled around I had pretty much every day shift nurse agreeing with me that Avery was ready to discharge, we just needed her neonatologist to agree and write the discharge orders when he made rounds. When Dr. Y (her neo) made rounds that morning he walked in to room 2, saw me and said uh oh because he knew something was up. When he got to Avery's dictations and writing orders, we talked (and some of the nurses in the room helped me). I told him that in the 3days i had been feeding her she took all her feeds, he noticed the 1 gavage feed and commented on it when Sandy (nurse practitioner) chimed in and said :"that is only because that is the 1 feeding mom was not here for". Dr. Y joked around and told me he was going to put her discharge up to a vote (little did he know that EVERY nurse in the room was on my side). After dragging me along for about 10mins and messing with me, he held up her form for new orders and in big letters it said "DISCHARGE". HOLY SHIT it was real, we were going home!!!!!!
I ran out to the waiting room and called Phillip, telling him to get Chloe ready A.S.A.P and head to the hospital because we were FINALLY bringing our baby girl home after 86days in the NICU. We were able to bring her home the day before her due date!!! When Chloe first saw Avery she didn't know what the car seat was or what to think. I lifted her up and asked her "are we bringing baby sister home now?" Chloe said "YES, can i kiss her now?!". It was a nice ride just the 4 of us and I had many tears, a combo of being completely exhausted and totally overwhelmed with finally being able to bring Avery home. We didn't tell anyone that we were discharging and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Since coming home there has been a HUGE adjustment period for both girls. Chloe is acting out and not really sure how to deal with her emotions, although she is AMAZING, caring and a great big sister to Avery. She just is having a hard time with the reality that Avery need a lot of attention and care, and mommy needs to provide 99% of that for Avery (plus not seeing me for 2days before that). Avery had an adjustment period too, home is a LOT different that being in the NICU. We seem to finally be settling in here with both girls, and I can't wait until it is a little warmer to take them both to visit McKenzie. Honestly I think the hardest part for me is having to drop everything i am doing to feed Avery every 3hrs.
Avery has some appts coming up like her first post-nicu weigh in at the pedi on Monday and her follow up eye exam on Tuesday. In 6months she will have her high risk follow up with the NICU to make she she is growing, developing and thriving.
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