Lauren is Home!!

Lauren has finally come home! She came home on Thursday 8/20/09. 92 LONG days after her birth. Sorry it has taken me so long to update on here. We have been very busy with trying to figure out a routine with Lauren and going to doctor's appointments. We've been to numerous pediatrician visits, weight checks and eye exams.

Lauren was able to come home oxygen free and without an apnea monitor. YAY! We were prepared for her to come home with both and she certainly surprised us with not needing either. Everyone kept telling us "when they get it (breathing), they get it." And well...she all of the sudden got it! She went a full 7 days with no apnea/bradycardia spells as of the day she was discharged. When she started to hit the 4-5 day mark they started talking about sending her home in a few days. We had planned for Friday 8/21 after I got off work, but our insurance kept calling the NICU asking for an anticipated discharge date and on Wednesday 8/19 they said that if she is ready to be discharged she needed to go tomorrow 8/20. They threatened to not pay for Friday's stay since she was "medically stable." So, needless to say we brought her home Thursday. Luckily, my work was very gracious and allowed me to get off work early Thursday to get up to the hospital and have Friday off.

I don't think either of us really got any sleep that first night home. I was so paranoid about her stopping breathing in her sleep that I just stared at her all night long. We have been adjusting well and I think Lauren is finally getting used to not being in the NICU anymore. She didn't eat very well the first 5 days or so, but is now doing better. We were concerned and talked to the pediatrician about it quite a bit and she said not to get too worked up over it. The new environment and having us around all the time was a big change for her. Lauren weighed 6lbs 0.7oz when she was discharged and was 6lbs 6oz as of yesterday, so she is still headed in the right direction. We will have her weight checked again on Tuesday.

Lauren has had a few eye exams since being discharged. We will be going up to the Casey Eye Institute in Portland Friday afternoon because there has been some progression with her ROP. Her Right eye is "pre" stage 3 and her Left eye is stage 3 and on the verge on needing Laser treatment. The eye doctor said that ROP is usually worst around the due date, which was 8/29. There is still a chance that things will regress on their own. Hopefully that will happen because I really do not want her to have surgery again. It has to be done under general anesthesia and she would hopefully be able to come home the same day, but could possibly have to stay in the NICU again. :( Let's keep our fingers crossed that her eyes will look better on Friday!

That's pretty much the most up to date info. I will try and be better about updating on here. It's too tempting to want to just sit down and cuddle with my sweet girl while she still lets me. I am so in love with being a mom. It is the most amazing, rewarding, joyous and best job in the world. I am so content with being home with her. It is nice to get out of the house and work too though. Oh...some of you have been asking. Adam is on FMLA leave until 10/1 and I will hopefully take some time off after that. Adam is such a wonderful dad...it makes my heart melt to see him with her.

Talk to ya'll soon!