He's Home!!

He's HOME!!!

Six and a half weeks weeks old and weighing in at 5 lbs. 9 oz., and he finally made it home. We're so excited and happy to have him here with us! I prayed all week that we could have a miracle- Baby Joel Frankie would figure out how to breathe and be able to come home. I had Joel give him a blessing too. And what do ya know! Our prayers (and I know many of yours) were answered and we got our miracle. He's home!

I had butterflies in my stomach as we walked the halls of the hospital toward the NICU for the last time. I wondered outloud to Joel if this is what it feels like to adopt a baby. It kind of does feel like I adopted my own child. I have this tiny baby but without the exhaustion and soreness from delivering a baby. Even though we love having him home with us it is a little weird too. For so long he was this sweet darling baby we got to visit everyday. Now he lives with us. I don't know how to explain it. Just trust me that it's weird- a very good weird.



He failed his car seat test they do, so we had to rent a car bed. But when they first put him in it Joel and I were not happy because the poor thing looked so uncomfortable, like it was more dangerous for him to be in the car bed than the car seat! But they fiddled with the straps and got them to work better, although I still think he's too big for the car bed. Oh well. It's not like I'm going to be driving him around a million places. It's interesting how things have changed since Noah left the NICU at 4 lbs. 8 oz. He was in a regular car seat, and I remember the straps were way loose, but they still let him go home. This time it wasn't so easy.

Joel was not a happy camper that they made him sit in the car bed for an hour for another test. What were they going to do if he failed it? There's not exactly another option. Would they have made him stay another week or two until he was bigger? Joel and I would have carried him and walked the five miles home if that were the case. Luckily it didn't come to that.




So far he is the easiest baby to take care of. When he's not eating, he's either sleeping or just busy being cute. It's awesome having a newborn and the physical energy to take care of him and your other kids. I guess there are positives to having a baby in the NICU for 6 1/2 weeks.




The kids love him soooo much! Clara likes "feeding" him with this binky. She sticks her finger in the hole and feels him suck on her finger. I can tell she's going to be a little too helpful, but I love it anyway. I'm so glad they love him so much. He's going to be a spoiled little boy!




He is a very noisy boy! I tried last night to sleep with him in the room but finally moved him to the hall in the middle of the night. He's a great sleeper, but he grunts and groans all the time because he's also very gassy. Luckily the gas doesn't make him crabby. Just noisy and stinky.



We are one big happy family because our Baby Joel Frankie is finally home! I'm so happy that I get to be his mom now. It gets old having other people in charge of your child's well being. They did a great job and I'll actually miss seeing those sweet nurses everyday, but now it's my turn.