Discharged

We have been discharged. From the NICU that is..officially. WOOT WOOT!

The bears had an appointment with the Neonatal Continuing Care Clinic yesterday. They met with a slew of people, psychologists, neurologists, child life specialists...and on and on and on. They were measured at their corrected age (of 9 months) and will continue to be measured that way until they are two years of age. Here are their reports:

Name: Big Bear

Actual Age: 11mo 2days

Corrected Age: 9mo

Weight: 20.5lb

Length: 28.8in

Head: 44.6cm

Development:

Cognitive - Big Bear was a large boy who wasn't as vocal as his twin (of course not..he was tired and missed a nap). He reaches & grasps things easily & transfers from hand to hand. Big Bear shifts his eye gaze from picture to picture. He easily picks up more than one object at a time. Early concepts developing within normal limits.

Neurological - Crawls on all 4's & transitions to sit. Bear crawls. Age appropriate.

Discharge

Name: Little Bear

Actual Age: 11mo 2days

Corrected Age: 9mo

Weight: 19.9lb

Length: 28.5in

Head: 44.6cm

Development:

Cognitive - Large vocal boy interested in the test materials. Understands simple cause/effect relationships. Shifts eye gaze to different pictures in a book. He does some things at home that were not observed today. Early concepts developing within normal limits.

Neurological - onto all 4's & rocking. Sits & stands placed. Reaches & transfers. Developing language.

Discharge

That's it...my babies have acheived their first graduation. I am so very proud of them.

After their appointment, Poppa Bear and I decided to visit the 3rd floor of the hospital with the bears for a walk down memory lane. First we walked by the nursery. One half of that nursery is the NICU Annex. That is where the bears spent their last week in the hospital as they did not need the high risk services of the NICU anymore.

I could see into the Annex area, exactly where the bears used to lay in their bassinets, the exact rocking chair I used to sit in every day, the moniters monitering oxygen saturation, heart rate etc...and I lost it. Each and every moment and memory came flashing back to me. Granted, my babies were healthy, they were just teeny little guys that had to have some time (28 and 31 days to be exact) to develop...but it was still very hard.

We moved on to the NICU area, to the check in desk, and I could see through the glass double doors into the area where you had to scrub your hands and arms up to your elbows for 5 minutes with this soap that smelled like flea dip. I could see the new moms, scrubbing their hands, some standing, some still in wheelchairs after the births of their children...and I could see that fear in their eyes. That fear of the unknown. That fear that your baby or babies are in the NICU which can only mean some very scary stuff. My heart went out to them...and of course...I lost it again.

I am so very blessed to have two beautiful, strong, healthy baby boys. I thank God every day that they are in my life.