Homecoming

It all started with a phone call we'd been waiting for two and a half months to get.

I couldn't contain my excitement. I walked into the hospital, grinning wildly at any stranger who dared to look at me. I chattered non-stop to Michael and Sara about nonsense, really.

I stepped off the elevator onto the Level Two NICU on the second floor at Florida Childrens Hospital, and the unit secretary greeted us with a happy, "It's Homecoming Day!"

I promptly burst into tears.

This is the place we've called home for the past almost three months. It may have been a temporary home, but it's been HOME to us. We have ate here, slept here, cried here, laughed here, and made friends that have turned into family.

I washed my hands and thought, "This is the very last time I will scrub in."

I greeted the nurse, walked in, and saw all of June's things packed up on the counter. And teared up again.

The nurse said, "Let's get her diaper changed and you can nurse her while I go over the paperwork." She unhooked all of the remaining cords and I picked up my baby, CORD FREE, for the FIRST TIME EVER.

I was sure snot bubbling then!

We said our goodbyes. This one was especially hard:

If you remember Carrie, she made me a wonderful Mother's Day gift and has sent thoughtful gift after thoughtful gift to Sara during our stay here. She is truly a blessing and we will NEVER forget her. Today she left us with a blanket with a monky on it that Sara ADORES (how she knew that Sara likes monkeys I'll never know!) and she gave us a sweet plaque that said something about our journey just beginning.

I cried again.

Do you see a pattern here?

Anyway, we are all settled in for our last night (did I really just say that?) at the RMH. I can't even think about saying goodbye to our friends here (the other "lifers") in the morning. I am going to be a mess. I need to finish packing up our stuff, so I'm going to go for now, but I'll leave you with this sweet glimpse of what our life is like right now:



Good night, ya'll. :)