Happy Mother's Day!

While Lilah is not home for this Mother's Day like I had originally hoped for, I think the day is coming soon. I went into the hospital Friday morning, after I had my six week post natal check-up. They were just starting morning rounds, and I got to talk with the neo doc on call. He told me that she has made great progress and she should be coming home soon. They might even move her into the step-down nursey in a couple days. She has been taking about 90% of her feedings by bottle, and he was really impressed with how she has been eating, considering she just had major surgery a week and a half ago. Her sutures in her head came out last week, and they will be taking the stitches in her belly out within the next couple days. The nurse said they would be giving me a homeward bound folder to look over with info that will prepare us for taking her home. They also told me they might send her home on oxygen, because if we wait until she is weaned she could be in there for a while longer. If it comes down to the only thing keeping her there is the oxygen, then they will just send her home on it. They asked me if I would be willing to do that, and I told them at this point I'd be willing to do anything, as long as she can come home. Yesterday when I arrived there they had a paper hanging above her crib that was titled Discharge Goals and had a list of things she has to accomplish in order to come home. Next to each goal was a space to enter the date she accomplished that. So far the only one checked off was the maintain tempature in an open crib one lol Here is a picture of it below:

It's kind of hard to see, but it sure seems like a long list. The nurse pointed out that a lot of them are things WE have to do like watch a CPR video, talk to the Discharge Planner, have a doctor set up for her etc. Some of the things are easy like getting a Hepatitis B vaccine and a hearing screening. She has to pass a car seat test which means she has to sit in the car seat for the duration of the ride home (25 minutes) hooked up to monitors and see how her body responds to it. The nurse reassured me that she would meet all these goals real soon. I hope so!

Mother's Day was today, and Josh and the kids did everything to make sure it was special. Josh took Ethan to get me a necklace yesterday, and Ethan couldn't wait to give it to me so I recieved it a day early. Chevelle made me something in school along with a poem she wrote. It was really sweet. Tyler made me a card and cleaned my house (possibly the best present of all). Even Kat gave me a card. Today when I went to pick up Josh at his shop he had flowers and a card for me. I always enjoy getting cards from him, because he rarely gives them. This time he wrote something really sweet and heartfelt and it made me cry. The best part of Mother's Day was seeing Lilah and I even recieved something from her (: The director of The March of Dimes made this for all the moms in the NICU:

Here is a Mother's day photo courtesy of Chevelle:

I have to say by far this is the best Mother's Day I've ever had because I feel like my family is finally complete. Tyler is up with us, and Lilah is here. I always felt that even after I had Chevelle and Ethan there was supposed to be someone else. I don't have that feeling this time around. We have finally built the family we always wanted. I have to say though it won't feel 100% complete until Lilah is home, and of course there will always be a spot that is empty because Brittany isn't here, but that spot will never be filled up by another child, it is meant to stay empty. I truly am in a good place right now, and I don't think I would be in this place if it wasn't for the journey we have been going through with Lilah. Something like this really puts things in perspective. It is time to go to bed, hopefully the next time I post it will be with a discharge date!