Here's how it went...

Saturday we were told that we could take Meredith home on Sunday "with a heart/resp monitor" OR we could wait until Monday (the very next day) and she could go home "wireless"...Of course the thought of taking our baby home without wires was amazing - but we were a little puzzled at the magic of just one day. Would she REALLY be ok to take home if we waited just hours vs taking her home Sunday needing a monitor???? Finally Bran and I decided the best thing to do was to get her the heck out of the hospital and get her in to our wonderful pediatrician and let HIM call the shots from here on out!!

So Meredi came home with a monitor that she wears around her chest at night and in the car seat - and any time nobody is with her (like THAT ever happens). We saw Dr. O (ped) yesterday and it was so reassuring to talk with someone who has cared for our children for over a decade! He's calling the monitoring company and having them come out this week to swap monitors so they can get a download of any apneas or hi/lo heart rates that it recorded in the last 48 hrs. We think she's doing great - a typical newborn! We don't mind the monitor, and if our ped thought it would be wise to continue using it another week or two, it really wouldn't be a big deal!

So that's how we decided to get home - and here's what happened when we actually GOT home! I called Bran from my cell when I pulled into the drive way. He met me in the garage and carried Meredi into the house behind me - I went in with my camera locked and loaded!

Maddie caught us in the mudroom before we made it to the kitchen table (where everyone else was) - she got teary eyed - so I got teary eyed...lol. And then this



(Oh, and an apology to Steve Bates who had called as we were walking in - Maddie was holding the phone to give Brandon and I took it from her so I could get pictures of Bran with the baby and kids - I just held the phone in one hand and took pictures with the other - probably for almost a minute before Maddie said, "Mom, the phone is for dad..." and by then he had given up on me and hung up and called back! Sorry!)



After the initial shock was over, everyone got their turn holding the sister.

Jason


Madilyn


Jacob


Megan


Jared


Malorie


Melanie


Joseph

I think it's unanimous around here - Meredith is a keeper!

She has been just a joy. She is still on a 4 hour schedule which has been really nice. There's no doubt that being at home is the right place for her! The care we received in the NICU was amazing. And we will be forever grateful for everything that was done for Meredi - now we're being equally as impressed by the power of nurturing and love...the medicine that no doctor can administer!