We're Finally Going Home!

!!!!WE ARE GOING HOME TOMORROW!!!!

It's frickin' official! We're going home. The doctor came and checked Christian yesterday. He commented on how Christian had gained 2 pounds (thanks to finally not throwing up anymore) and he sounded excellent in his lungs. Nice and clear. So he's signing the discharge papers and he's already written an order for our prescriptions. We're going home!

I'm so ready for this. I'm ready to not hear the beeping and alarms all night from our roomie. I'm excited not to wake up to random people standing over my son in the middle of the night "needing" to change his diapers or take his vitals. I'm ready to sleep next to my husband. I'm ready to hang out with my Gabe.

I'm going to miss the therapists and I'll think about the other kiddos who will remain here. I'll think about the little souls that share a hallway with us, each of them fighting their own battles. Some of them with mommies and daddies and some without - most without. I'll think about our roomie who, in all honesty, doesn't have much time left. This is his home and he'll live his life out here. I'll miss the walls that protect us here. This is where everyone is the same, every child here is special, all of the parents are facing the same struggles and journey. Once we leave, we will be the odd balls out trying to fit in with main stream. I'll miss it...but no where near enough to stay another day.

Yesterday I came into Christian's room to see that speech therapy had already started without me (I hate missing it!). The therapist said, "He tracks to Spongebob." Thank you!!!! I know this. I'm so glad someone else saw this. No, he will not track to a stupid pen light. But you put Spongebob in front of him and you have his attention. She also said he was sucking his pacifier and latching onto it. This I also know because he loves his pacifier.

This almost 2 months of hospitalization has been such an emotional journey. But this part of the journey has come to an end, with good and promising conclusions, thank God. There are times when I get sad, this usually happens when I see old pictures of Christian. It is still a physical pain in my chest because I miss that child so much. But I spoke to God the other night and thanked Him for giving me that baby for 11 months and then giving him back to me again for a second chance. Although he might not be that same Christian (yet!) I am pleased and honored that he was given back to us, no matter how he came back to us. I accept the gift that God has given to me. As Cici's blog reads, "accept the gift as if it were the one you chose." I didn't understand this until I read one particular blog. It explained that we chose this path because we chose for Christian to live. And we choose for him to live and progress each day. So, yes, this is what we chose. And if asked to make the same choice, we would gladly make that choice every day.

I'm not sure if I'll have the time to blog in the next 48 hours. We are getting Christian's Superman AFO's (leg splints) today and then heading off to hyperbarics. Then tomorrow Daddy's coming up to help us make the big move!

Thank you all so much for taking this journey with us. It's no where near over and in a sense, we're starting a new journey. But all of your comments, support, and prayers keep us afloat.

See you on the other side!