Double Trouble: 71 Days

A year ago exactly today was Paige day. After 71 days in the NICU she was released! It was again one of the happiest and scariest days in our lives. Oh and exhausting! We were so excited to having her come home, she even came with an instruction manual! (The very thick file the NICU gives you concerning all her meds and new drs , therapists and what we needed to do) This was after a pretty much sleepless night "rooming in".

Rooming in is where the parents stay the night in the hospital with the baby off all her monitors in ready to go home conditions, almost like parents of term babies! Except there were no rooms available and we had to stay in the closet they called a room at the front of the NICU. There was a twin bed, and a recliner that you had to decide, either recline, or put your feet up. Not room for both.

Since this was the twin with soooo many episodes that caused her heart to stop, and that bed was tiny, Chris and I took shift alternately sleeping and watching to make sure she was still breathing. That awful bathroom light wouldn't stay on, you had to move the door to keep it on. The awake parent watched movies on the Ipad and kept an eye one her. Turns out she's a very noisy sleeper! It was even harder knowing Ella was just yard away, but this was Paige's night. We were sooo worn out by that morning and then had to go through discharge, not a short process. Finally, elated we left the hospital with Paige that afternoon. It was so hot she couldn't even wear the coat that went with the outfit her dad picked out.

Once we got home Chris and I looked at each other like, what do we do? There are no doctors or nurses to tell us! The hospital did not send her home on a monitor but I was terrified of her not being on one. A friend had given us one that clipped to her diaper but she was to tiny! Poor Chris, he was up late that night again installing the Angel Care monitor in her bed that would alert if she stopped breathing. My mom had gone back to the hospital to be with Ella for a little while and got home in the middle of this excitement.

In the middle of the night it did alert, I thought she was choking but after a call to nurse Kimber, we found out it was normal and back to bed we went. For a little while anyway.

Now that tiny little girl is happy, healthy and LOUD! She was once called the "screecher" and can still yell mama and dad the loudest across any space! She's even almost walking! So Happy 1 Year of being home to my beautiful little girl. I love you Paige!