We're having a slumber party with JD!

WOW, I'm over run with emotion tonight. We are "rooming in" with big boy JD (who by the way, hit 5 pounds tonight!) at the hospital - I guess they like to test our parenting ability before we take him out into the big bad world by ourselves. It's so much fun! They have us in a room downstairs from the NICU so we have a shot at this parenthood thing without any help for the night. I wish I put a bit more thought into making it more festive but I was so worried about getting to this point that I didn't think about what we would do in our room once we got him here. Oh well. I find that just staring at him with no tubes or wires is actually plenty fulfilling.



Here he is, watching his first (of many) World Series with Daddy. It's game three of the world series between Detroit and St. Louis. STL is ahead, 2 to nothing. Unfortunately, JD is sleeping soundly through the game, but he must be wondering what that sound of the tv is since he's so used to beeps and chaos. I wonder what is going through is little brain? We're about 30 minutes away from his next bottle so that is probably what he's dreaming about huh?

Tomorrow is a day that we have waited so long for. And until yesterday, I never really let myself think too much about their homecoming date because I've been cautioned for so long to just take it one day at a time. It will be one of the happiest days of my life thus far. And it will be tied with the day that Cole gets to come home, in the next week or two. Having both boys home will be heaven for both C. & I. It's time for us to get our family home and get on with our lives. We've been in limbo for so many months.

I know that leaving Cole here tomorrow will be awfully hard; and I'll cry my eyes out. But I'm sure that my tears will also be tears of joy, that we get to take one of the boys home. It's a bittersweet day - like so many others we've had throughout this journey.

Cole has really picked up the pace today ~ he's doing great with his feedings and his weight is increasing nicely each day. He knows that JD is leaving, I'm convinced. And he's going to do his darndest to follow closely in his foot steps. He's a fighter and he never gives up - I'll never underestimate him, that is for sure! He's our little miracle baby.

We're scheduled to be discharged sometime tomorrow (Wed). Which will be 8 weeks and one day after the day they were born (36 weeks and 2 days old gestational age). That's pretty good for preemies born at just over 2 pounds. We've come a long way baby! Until tomorrow - wish us luck tonight. And a little bit of sleep!

P.S. - The photo below is of C. snuggling in on THE COUCH for the night. After so many nights on the brutal couch while I was on bedrest, let it be known that I offered the bed and he declined it! He's actually more attached to the couch than he will ever admit I think....