discharge take 3

It's a little before 3 am and I have not seemed to be able to peel my eyes off Madelyn long enough to sleep much myself. You would think the fact that she is hooked up to all these monitors would be reassuring enough for me to get some sleep. I think that they are. I don't know that it is actually nerves keeping me up as much as it is the sheer joy and excitement that I am experiencing for the situation we are in. Today we are getting discharged. This will be Madelyn's third attempt at being discharged. You may remember that last Monday (feels like is has been MUCH longer than that) was the first time we thought we were going home. Despite being apnea free for 5 consecutive days, some morning labs that day decided for us that it would be better to stay for one more day. The second discharge attempt came a day later and was a success! Around lunch time we were handed Madelyn's discharge papers and allowed to load her up in the car to take her home.

*Speaking of car...about 30 minutes before we were actually given the papers, Luke and I were in Madelyn's NICU room with her...giddy about getting to take our princess home for the very first time! The unit secretary popped her head in the room. In a friendly voice she informed us that one of us needed to go downstairs to meet with security. "Someone hit your car in the parking lot". We looked at each other and laughed. SERIOUSLY?? We have been parked in one of the hospital parking lots 24 hours a day for 12 days straight and 30 minutes before we are supposed to head home someone hits our car?? At this point Luke was holding Madelyn while I gathered all of her things together (much like he was just a few hours ago...)so I went down. I asked the man at the information desk where to meet security. "Oh. You are the ONE? (you know...in that dramatic slow motion-could have won an Oscar for his performance kind of voice?) Your car is the one that has been hit?" At this point I am expecting to see our bumper dangling on to the pavement while the front end of our car is smashed in to a tree (even though we had not parked by a tree) and am contemplating which family member's car we are going to ask to borrow to go home. By golly we were going home! It was a scratch. The pretty deep 12 inch by 8 inch scratches that go all the way through...but it was all cosmetic none the less!*

**Can I add a P.S. to that story?? What makes it all the more funny/ironic/make you want to pull your hair out is that the day before some of the most awesome people we know did one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for us and took our car (without our knowledge) to have the front windshield replaced. Even though we have had this brand new car for less than 4 months, as luck would have it a rock hit the windshield and the crack was starting to get larger. The next day it gets hit in the parking lot. It's one of those things that if you allow yourself to, you can get mad about. Madelyn however, puts a whole new perspective on scratches to paint.**

Ok. Back to discharge #2. We made it home. Discharge #2 equals success!! I know that today will be a success also. Discharge #3 won't have to go down as an "attempt" but rather as a success. Let's just pray our car has a good day too. Ha!

Get a look at how cute she is all curled up on her daddy's chest. I love this picture. I love how her tiny legs are virtually unseen because she has them pulled up to her chin.
Funny story. During the sleepless days that we spent at the NICU there were many moments that in the midst of our sleep deprivation we (ok...I) had some rather unintelligent moments. Notice the green stripe on Madelyn's diaper?? One of her (awesome) NICU nurses was informing us that the yellow stripe on Pamper's diapers turns green when they are dirty. I thought this was pretty cool. When my brother and sister in law came to visit I was telling them about this neat bit of information but the words were just not there. In front of the same nurse, I told them that the diaper lights up when Madelyn poops or pees in it. Without missing a beat, the nurse interjects..."Yes, your baby's diaper comes equipped with LED lights that light up when she poops. Awesome, huh?" I think I laughed harder than anyone at my own stupidity. Like I said, I am blaming it on the lack of sleep. I think I am going to be blaming all my stupid comments for the next 18 years on sleep deprivation.

Speaking of sleep deprivation. I think I am going to put Madelyn back in her "clear plastic box-crib-thing" and try to get a little sleep before she gets hungry again.

*Kathryn