A dream becoming a reality!

So today Mark and I got up super duper early so that we could be at the hospital by 8am so that I could breast feed him. He took 4 bottles last night and did really good on the first 2 but the last 2 he had a few spit ups and was pretty sleepy. So we did his cares and I started to nurse him while Mark went to rounds (this is where the dr. meets with the nurse and nurse practitioner to get a plan for the day for Ethan.) They sat out there talking about the steps that we need to do so we could go home. I was nursing while this was going on but Ethan was not eating much at all and he was really really sleepy. Then I realized he was breathing harder and he just wasn't acting his normal self. SO I put him in his crib and went to rounds. I told them that I would like a blood gas done (where they poke his heal for blood to check the oxygen in his blood). They said that while I was nursing they decided if he still does good that we will take him home on Friday! Yeah I thought... but then I thought well lets not get too excited until the blood gas comes back. SO they did it AND it was perfect. Yep that is right, I made them poke his heal now 3 times just to ease my mind. Sorry Ethan... OK I am done now. No more poking.... well at least by the REQUEST of mom. But hey, now we know. He is doing great! So the plan is for me to spend the night at the hospital on Thursday and then Mark will come to pick us up on Friday after he is done with work to take our baby home with us! How stinkin exciting is that! I have been dreaming of this day but it seemed like forever for it to come! We have to go to Billings on Monday to have his eyes checked on again by the Dr. we saw there last time just to confirm everything is still ok. They have been checking his eyes weekly here but they do it with a camera and then send it to the Dr. So now the Dr. wants to see him in person just to sign off on him as long as everything is ok. So that will be our first major road trip... should be interesting! Then Tuesday we have an appointment with his pediatrician in Great Falls just to get to know him and he can read over Ethan's book of medical history... he might want a month for this! Oh and Thursday... so they will be showing me how everything works for Ethan since he will need a little extra. He will be going home on a monitor (hallelujah!) so that if he ever stops breathing it will go off (and I know it is very very loud as Ellie had one while she was here ;) and then he will also have some breathing treatments that we will have to give him. Nothing major it just helps him breath better. It is kind of like what people with asthma use but since we can't use an inhaler on him we need a special machine to do it.

So yes, I am very stinking excited. Ethan is doing sooooo good and we will soon be home as a family. Mark, me, Ethan and our 2 puppies (no they really are not puppies since they are 2 and 4 years old but we treat them like our babies ;) I do know that there have been parents that have a date set to go home and then for some reason the baby decides to not eat or something crazy and their date of discharge changes so I am prepared that may happen but praying that it wont ;)