Long Awaited Homecoming

Day 115: Tuesday, May 13th
Yesterday Landon weighed 2825 grams -- 6lb 5oz-- measured 47.5 cm long --18 3/4 inches-- and his head was 35 cm around.  This morning when I called the NICU to see when he last ate, they asked me to bring in his car seat today because he is going home tomorrow!  It seriously felt like this day would never come!  He satted 99-100% the entire hour and a half in his car seat and slept the whole time.

He also had his circumcision today, by Dr. Sheffield, and he came back sound asleep.  So it must not have been as bad as I thought it was going to be.  We got all sorts of discharge and home-health teaching.  I am so excited to finally be taking my baby home!  I can't wait for tomorrow! And... no more feeding tube!

Dr. Sheffield resuscitated Landon and performed his circumcision

Monday, May 19th

Our sweet little baby came home with us on Wednesday, May 14th after 116 days in the McKay Dee Hospital NICU.  It still doesn't really feel real yet.  When Landon was born, there was a part of me that was sure he would never come home with us.  Now that he is home, it is so surreal.  We haven't had to go to the hospital for the past 5 days!  A week ago, I couldn't even remember what life was like before the NICU.  Landon spent 116 days in the NICU, and I was on bed rest in the hospital for 10 days before that so we have spent way too much time in that hospital over the past four months.

I could not stop smiling like that all day!

Ready to go home!

I am so incredibly thankful for the NICU staff though: the nurses, respiratory therapists, nurse practitioners, and neonatologists.  Without their efforts, Landon would not be here with us.

Went to town on his binky the whole way home

Max introducing himself to his little brother

Yesterday marked Landon's 4 month birthday, although he is only 2 weeks adjusted.

Monday, May 26th
Mike had today off for Memorial Day, so we decided to go to the park as a family and spend some time outside where we could be away from most people.  We went down to the Ogden River parkway and walked around the path for a bit then spread out a blanket for Landon to lay on in the park.  He slept pretty much the whole time, but it was fun for us!

Wednesday, May 28th
The past couple weeks have been full of doctor appointments, in particular weight checks to make sure Landon is gaining weight well at home.  Today he weighed 6lb 15 1/2oz, and he is now bigger than I was when I was born (6lb 13oz).  His pediatrician also wants us to wean his oxygen from 1/16 Liters of flow to 1/32 LPM.

WARNING: Picture Overload - I just can't get enough of him!

Always pulling his oxygen out

Funny little guy sleeps with his hands in the air like this...

I imagined I would carry my baby around everywhere with me, but Landon's 4-foot long oxygen tubing makes that extremely impossible, especially because it's attached to a 70-pound oxygen tank!  I'm still not getting much sleep or having a lot of spare time like I thought I would, but it's worth it to have him home!  Grandma Hill and Grandpa Larry came to visit today and got to see Landon for the first time!

He got his whole thumb in there!

Daddy thinks this sure beats the NICU chairs every night!