Bringing Aaron Home
Yesterday we knew we were getting close to the going home date because we were doing all of the "right before you go home" stuff. David and I went to training for Aaron's sleep monitor and infant CPR. We watched a video about safe sleeping and another done by one of the neonatologists discussing what to expect after discharge. Aaron was given his car seat test, and we made sure we were signed up for the developmental program that the hospital offers.
While I was on my way back to the hospital last night, David's mom called me from there excited that Aaron was possibly going home the next day. The nurse hadn't actually said that to me, so I talked to her as soon as I arrived! She said that she couldn't promise anything but that she didn't know what else the doctors would be looking for. Of course, Aaron wanted his last night to be memorable, so he had a visit from some friends--Melissa and Kelly--and he nursed for the first time (a big deal for a little guy).
This morning, as Isaac and I were getting ready to go to the hospital, I got a call from Aaron's nurse telling me that he had been discharged! I took a little extra time at home to put away all of his clothes so that I wouldn't have to worry about it later. I got to the hospital just in time for him to eat, so the lactation consultant came to work with us. She said he was a champ and doing a perfect job--another thing to praise God for!
Between last night and this morning, several of Aaron's caregivers came by to see him. Dr. Ethington, his admitting physician, came by to talk to me. He expressed how happy he was to see Aaron ready to go home so quickly. He told me that Aaron was always his first stop of the morning, and he would spend 30-45 minutes just going over his orders for the day. He was so thrilled that Aaron had overcome so much! He also expressed his desire for us to be involved in the clinic offered by the hospital to help monitor Aaron's development. He said he had no doubt Aaron would thrive because of all of the family and friend support he has. One of Aaron's primary nurses also stopped by to see him. Ashley had him the first four nights of his life as well as an additional three days later during his stay. She told us that she had come in earlier this morning to cuddle with Aaron and she had just held him and cried. Several times over the past four weeks, the faith and trust she saw in us seemed to minister to her. I pray that one day we will either be able to lead her to Christ or hear that she began to trust Him as her Saviour!
After all of his caregiver visits, David and I just had to be shown how to mix his milk with the bit of formula he gets and how to measure and mix his vitamins. Then we loaded everything up and left. I just cried while walking down the hallway. I cried because I was happy. I cried because I was nervous. I cried because I am thankful. I cried because I feel so blessed! And I know I will continue to cry for various reasons. I will cry when I remember that my baby was born dead and that his apgar score was a 0 at birth and a 2 five minutes later. (If you are unfamiliar with APGAR scores, you can see a chart here: kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_center/q_a/apgar.html.) I will cry when I remember the paralyzed state they put him in. I will cry when I see the pictures of his first few days of life. I will cry when I see the progression visible in his pictures after those first few days. I will cry when I remember you, your prayers, your support, your love. I will cry when I remember that I chose to trust God without knowing the outcome; I will cry when I remember that God was in control of the whole situation and that He used (and is using) it to show Himself to thousands of people. And I hope that I get the chance to cry when hearing that Aaron's testimony is what led many to Christ. Tears of fear, joy, weariness, relief, trust, faith.
So we are home now. Aaron still has a lot of milestones to meet, and I have no doubt that he will meet them. God is in complete control, and I trust Him to complete His work in Aaron, in me, in you, in his care staff, and in the many others impacted by this situation. God is so, so good! Please continue to pray! I will continue to post updates on Aaron's health, so feel free to subscribe to my blog. I will also be posting some of the lessons God has taught me throughout this process; I pray that they will minister to you as well.
After all of his caregiver visits, David and I just had to be shown how to mix his milk with the bit of formula he gets and how to measure and mix his vitamins. Then we loaded everything up and left. I just cried while walking down the hallway. I cried because I was happy. I cried because I was nervous. I cried because I am thankful. I cried because I feel so blessed! And I know I will continue to cry for various reasons. I will cry when I remember that my baby was born dead and that his apgar score was a 0 at birth and a 2 five minutes later. (If you are unfamiliar with APGAR scores, you can see a chart here: kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_center/q_a/apgar.html.) I will cry when I remember the paralyzed state they put him in. I will cry when I see the pictures of his first few days of life. I will cry when I see the progression visible in his pictures after those first few days. I will cry when I remember you, your prayers, your support, your love. I will cry when I remember that I chose to trust God without knowing the outcome; I will cry when I remember that God was in control of the whole situation and that He used (and is using) it to show Himself to thousands of people. And I hope that I get the chance to cry when hearing that Aaron's testimony is what led many to Christ. Tears of fear, joy, weariness, relief, trust, faith.
So we are home now. Aaron still has a lot of milestones to meet, and I have no doubt that he will meet them. God is in complete control, and I trust Him to complete His work in Aaron, in me, in you, in his care staff, and in the many others impacted by this situation. God is so, so good! Please continue to pray! I will continue to post updates on Aaron's health, so feel free to subscribe to my blog. I will also be posting some of the lessons God has taught me throughout this process; I pray that they will minister to you as well.
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