Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Sweet home Westchester

It's official! We are now a family of 4 under 1 roof! Bodie was officially discharged yesterday!!! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS - WITHOUT THEM, THIS WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED!

So sorry I am only just now getting to the blog to post about it - it's been a whirlwhind. We finally left the hospital around 9:30 last night (a big shout out to our friends Valerie and Rik Loyola for taking in Sierra at a moment's notice so we could be at the hospital - it takes a true friend to take a 2-year old for an indeterminate amount of time!) Today has been all about settling in, feeding Bodie and mixing milk bottles and medicines. It's taking me a while (all of the medicines have to be measured and thickened (he's currently on 6 of them - it took me 30 minutes to prep them tonight!) and his bottles are pumped breastmilk fortified with a high calorie formula and thickened), but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it sooner or later! I have a very detailed schedule, since they all are given at different times. Fun stuff! Anyway, that's why I haven't had a second to post yet!

It feels totally surreal to actually be home, but we are! Bodie came home on oxygen, but it's not as bad as I had imagined - we have a concentrator in the office and the company gave us a 25 foot tube, so we can easily move Bodie through the house. Not quite no tubes and wires, but as close as we can get! (Then, we have tanks of 02 for when we go out.) No idea how long Bodie will be on oxygen - the hope is that his lungs will strengthen on their own and we'll be able to wean him from the oxygen before the 2nd surgery.

Bodie is really doing great, considering. We have seen a complete change in his personality since coming home. At the hospital, he was known as the high maintenance kid, throwing a lot of fits and really hard to calm down (he kept his nurses on their toes! By the end, he was known as the kid you didn't wake up to do vitals unless you had a bottle ready for him!), but at home he's totally relaxed and happy. Loves to watch Sierra and sleep against me. Being home definitely works for him!

Speaking of Sierra, she is absolutely over the moon to have "Baby Bodie" home! She is always rushing to help bring a bottle, a pacifier or a diaper (regardless of whether he actually needs said item). She helped me give him a bath today and had so much fun! We're constantly trying to keep her from inadvertently hurting him, but I think that goes with the territory of having a newborn and a toddler. :-)

Lots more information to post later about what we have to look forward to in the coming months, but I wanted to post some pics of Bodie's first 24 hours at home.

Daddy, can you please sing some more? I love it!

Dear Jesus, please let me stay out of the hospital and home with mommy, daddy and Sierra!

Victory over the hospital!!! My bassinet is so much nicer than the hospital cribs...

Big sissie love


Bodie's not out of the woods yet (approximately 15% of kids who make it out of the hospital don't survive until the 2nd surgery - more about that in another post, since this is a celebration post!), so he needs your prayer as much as ever. Here are some specific prayer requests this week:
1. Pray that Bodie continues to eat well and thrive!
2. Bodie has lots of doctor's appts coming up (a well-child check with his pediatrician tomorrow and a follow-up hospital visit Friday) - pray that all appointments go well!
3. Between pumping, prepping and administering meds and bottles, I'm a little overwhelmed at the moment. Pray that we find a routine soon, so our house doesn't keep looking like a tornado ripped through it!
4. Pray for Bodie's roommate, Isaac. I miss both Isaac and his mom Cindy so much! They don't have a discharge date for Isaac yet and he has some lingering complications they're working out - pray for wisdom for the doctors and healing for Isaac's body, especially his little lungs! And pray for Cindy, who is so far from her three boys.
5. Please continue to pray for Baby Jacob, who, in addition to complications with his lungs, has contracted 2 bacterial infections this week, delaying his first surgery. Please pray for his little body to fight hard so he can have his surgery soon!

12 comments:

  1. Praise the Lord! I bet it feels so great to be home! Give yourself some time to get back in the groove. All of the medications and pumping and bottles are VERY overwhelming at first. But.. you will find your groove and it will feel normal after a little while.
    Continuing to pray for Bodie, and his heart buddies!

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  2. Debbie and Lilly catesMarch 31, 2010 at 7:52 AM

    So amazing! I love the pictures of Bodie at home, smiling and happy. Praise God!

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  3. I have tears of joy! Bodie looks so pleased to be home, what a cutie! Don't worry about the tornado, just enjoy being with your two babies, what a blessing! We'll keep up the prayers for everyone. Be sure to take some naps yourself, I'm sure you need the rest. So happy for you!Love, Erin

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  4. Oh I'm so happy to hear that Bodie is home! I'll continue my prayers for you, Dusk, Sierra & Bodie as well as prayers for the other two kiddos and their families.

    Take care of yourself, and remember to rest! Love, Sara

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  5. Yee HAW!!!!! We are so thrilled for all of you! Home is definitely the best place to recover, so I understand why Bodie feels better there! Yay God! Yay you! Amy, you have been such a pillar of strength - sometimes it doesn't feel that way, I know, but years from now you may look back and wonder how you did it all but for the grace of God - staying strong and being a great mom to both kids. You're an inspiration. Please let me know if there's anything we can do. Even willing to clean if you need it! :-) Love, ~Jeannette & Mike

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  6. Praise the Lord!! Amy, we are so excited for all of you...this is such an amazing blessing and answer to prayer! wishing we could be there to help celebrate Bodie's homecoming. :)

    and remember, the tornado stage is somewhat normal. I had a perfectly healthy newborn...and my home (and life) are only just now not looking like a tornado. Between toddlers and newborns and a whole new family dynamic, "tornado" should be a stage they prepare you for in the parenting books. And you have just a few added stresses! I know you're doing great.

    So happy Sierra gets to be a big sister in person now. The fun is just beginning! :)

    many blessings, the wagners

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  7. We are delighted to know that Bodie is now home. Our continued thoughts and prayers are with your expanded family. With love, Carolyn and Dennis Lee

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  8. We are so happy and celebrate with you! God is good. We will keep praying and praising Him. Love, Bonnie & the Kerrs

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  9. ...and, I would say that trying to keep one kid from seriously harming the other definitely goes with the territory. We're always having to help Elsie see that Nora does not need a blanket over her face or a plastic toy smacked into her forehead...we're rejoicing and laughing with you as you enjoy your two at home!

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  10. Congratulations everyone! We are so thrilled. Don't forget that we are close by if you need anything. What a perfect Easter present to have baby Bodie home! Jen & Anthony & Mario & Kiana

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  11. Praise God! We are so happy that Bodie is finally home... exactly where he should be with his family. I bet that just being there will lift his spirits and accelerate his healing. We will be praying for mama as you must be so overwhelmed with the demanding schedule. May the joy of the Lord (that your little guy is home) be your strength! Lots of love, Angie & Jason Schatz

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  12. My favorite picture is "Victory over the hospital!" Go Bodie!

    Bodie is now in my thoughts & prayers and inspiration for my Wyatt.

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