Flashback Friday: Ethan Alexander

This post is all about my first "Gotcha Day" and a flashback to the first of the 3 emotional NICU Graduations. 

 Flashback Friday: Going Home?

Finally, Mommy and Daddy have watched all the "required" videos, taken over doing all my cares and my feedings, they have held me and loved me and it's almost time to go home! All that is between me and going home is a carseat test! I just have to "ride" in my carseat for 90 minutes without any ABC's! I've got this in the bag, or so I thought!  Well, the carseat ride wasn't so bad! I passed that with flying colors! My nurse was so proud of me! July 17th, 2011 my Mommy and Daddy were told they could take me home! Well, it's not quite that simple.  You see, I heard that going home was going to be really fun, but I was still very nervous! So nervous. that my monitor went off and it showed a big red DESAT! OH NO, I thought, this means 5 more days in the NICU! I can't go home if the alarm goes off, even once, with an ABC! My nurse was on break when this all happened, so another one of my nurse friends came to see what was up! She looked at me and then at my Mommy.  Mommy knew, I had to stay.  I wasn't going home the next day. 

Hugs from Mom help when you're sad!

Mommy, picked me up after the nurse took care of me and I remembered to breathe! When Mommy holds me I'm a lot less nervous.  I composed myself and Mommy gave me a bottle.  The nurse taking care of me returned and heard the news.  Although she was sad she said it would be ok. I could stay! Besides I really didn't want to leave my sisters behind yet! I was going to miss them and I hadn't even gotten to have a picture with the two of them and my parents yet! Mommy and Daddy went home that night and came back the next day.  The day I was supposed to come home.  It turned out to be a good day even though I didn't go home.  My nurse friend brought cookies for Mommy.  Her favorite kind; Shortbread! I think someday I'll like Shortbread Cookies too! She explained to Mommy and Daddy that the doctors didn't think I needed to stay for the full 5 days that the NICU usually requires after an ABC.  I'd be going home soon!

A couple more days passed and July 19th, sometime in the evening, I remember a nurse coming by my bedside and removing all those wires that had been attached to me, making alarms sound!  Finally, I was free of those wires, but I wondered, "what does this mean?".

Soon it was July 20th, 2011.  Mommy and Daddy got to the NICU very early that day! One of the best nurses in the NICU was on that day! One that had gotten to know me very well during my 68 days in the NICU! Mommy, Daddy and my nurse started talking about all the things that we'd be doing at home like, feeding, changing, bathing, playing, sleeping etc.  I thought to myself, "This is it! They are taking me home!"  I got really excited, but I remembered the days before and my alarm going off!  I listened and nothing.  There were no bells, no alarms, just chattering amongst people and I could hear my sisters cooing near me.  Suddenly, I saw my nurse, she was lifting me out of the isolette.  She brought me over to Mommy who was sitting in a comfy chair.   Then there was Katelynn and Daddy was there too.  Then, oh my gosh, "I haven't seen her since May 16th, there's Melissa! We are all together!" We took a family photo and my sisters went back to bed.  When the nurse carried me back over to the isolette, I thought I was going to bed too, but daddy and mommy started undressing me out of my NICU jammies and they put me in a spiffy new preemie sized jammie that I hadn't seen before! It had monkies all over it! Then out came my carseat! I could hardly believe it! This was the real thing! "I'm going home!"

Ready to roll outta the NICU!

Mommy carried all the stuff I'd acquired staying such a long time in the NICU. I had onesies, bottles, milk fortifier, footprints, pictures, and so much more.  Daddy just carried me!  Suddenly I could feel the carseat swaying a little.  We were walking somewhere.  Then I saw some unfamiliar places.  I hadn't seen the front desk before,  the doors to the NICU, where Mommy and Daddy came in to visit, the elevators.  I could hear mommy cry a little as she wiped tears, remember we still had to leave my sisters behind. It's not easy to leave them there in that scary place.  We wanted to bring them home too!  "Don't worry Mommy", I thought. We'll pray them home! That's just what we did! Every night, before we went to bed, we'd say a prayer for my two sisters.  Anyway, back to the story.

Now, we are in the car and daddy is driving.  He's very tired.  He's been working nights! Mommy is riding in the back with me! I like to hold onto Mommy's finger.  I'm still unsure about all this.  Half way home Mommy says when we reach Tacoma.  Daddy pulled over and asked Mommy to drive the rest of the way because he's tired and he wants to keep us safe.  I think he just wanted to sit with me :)

Finally, we are home! When we got there, we saw my Grammy, my Pop Pop, My Uncle Dominic and my Aunt Shelley.  We took some pictures and I had a bottle. Then it was finally time for bed.  I was finally home safe and sound where I belong.

Now, let's skip ahead a bit.  You can hear more about my first year home, later.  I want to tell you about a special celebration we call "Gotcha Day".  Traditionally speaking a "Gotcha Day" is when an adopted child goes home with the adoptive parents. The day they "got" their child.  Well because the trio spent many months in the hospital and came home on separate days we are celebrating "Gotcha Day" also. It's just a different kind of celebration since the trio is already biologically Mommy and Daddy's!  These are the days that we GOT to come home.

NICU Gotcha Day Celebration

It's now July 20th, 2012. A whole year has passed since I left the NICU! Time to celebrate and remember! So for my first "Gotcha Day" we wanted to do something special, just me, Mommy and Daddy. No tag along sisters today! I woke up early today. I was so excited about my special day!  Grandma P. is visiting today so she got me up! When the Nanny arrived, I was already awake and ready to play! Shortly after the Nanny arrived, Mommy and Daddy got up too! They got ready to go, they even dressed me up to go out on a special adventure.  Our first stop was to get a balloon! I like balloons!

Our next stop was going to be the park, to play on the toys, but I'm too small for the toys at the park we found and other parks were too crowded because it's a sunny day! So Mommy and Daddy gave me my "NICU Gotcha Day" present. I got a nifty Seahawk Buildabear! He's very soft!  Mommy made a quick decision to go to Limeberry, so Mommy and Daddy could cool off with some yummy frozen yogurt.  I even got a little taste.  Don't worry, it was hardly even a lick.  Anyway,  then we decided we'd call Grammy and Pop Pop (Mommy's parents) and see if they wanted us to stop by their booth at the fair!  They had a present for me, too! Check me out!

Rockin' to the beat!

Catchin' my ducks!

After visiting awhile with them and playing with my new toy, we walked the fair and Daddy helped me play a fair game! I got to put my hands in water and pick out 3 ducks! I won a teddy bear.  It's a silly teddy bear, but I like it!




Mommy and Daddy took me home in the afternoon because I was getting tired. It's been a long day since I got up early and I haven't really napped, except in the car! We unloaded and Mommy layed me out on a blanket outside and took my picture with my balloon and bear! What a fun first "NICU Gotcha Day" celebration!