Bright as the Dallas Sky: Homecoming

Henry came home from the hospital on November 11, when he was 13 days old. Having him at home with us is like a party every day, a party that I was waiting to throw for the two long weeks since he was born. It is bittersweet though, since Parker is still in the NICU. Knowing that Henry is with us all day every day, getting snuggles and kisses, while Parker is still in his little bed at the hospital gives me plenty of tears and heartache. Now that we have Henry at home, I can’t go visit Parker as often, since we can’t take Henry back up to the hospital. So either Mark and I go one at a time when he is home from work, or we get our parents to come stay at the house with Henry while we go up to the hospital. This means that we really only get to see P for a few hours each day. It tugs at my heart for sure.

Well we just got some great news that will hopefully be putting all this behind us for good! Parker’s nurse practitioner called to let us know that they are taking his feeding tube out today (!!!) and letting him try all eight feedings a day on his own (!!!) If he can successfully eat on his own for 48 hours, he gets to come home!! So that would mean Parker will be home with us on Tuesday. Henry had the same process when he was discharged and passed his 48 hour observation with no problems, so I just know his brother will have the same results. After a month and a half of being at or going to the hospital daily, the thought of being at home with our whole family all day is like Christmas come early. {Side note: I don’t even want to think about how much we’ve paid the hospital in parking fees alone. No free parking over almost 50 days of visits, eek.}

So please pray for our sweet Parker, that he has no problems over the next two days, so we can get him out of there for good and at home with us!! Henry is anxious to show his brother the ropes of living at home. And these two boys haven’t been side by side since they were in the womb. Now that they are nearly three weeks old, I can’t wait to get them back snuggled up together. I think Parker owes Henry some kicks and jabs :)

And now, to celebrate Parker’s upcoming homecoming, here’s some pictures from when Henry came home last week!

Even though I’d been walking in and out of that hospital for the past ten days, they still had to wheel me out in a wheelchair holding Henry when it was finally time to leave.