Four Months and 2200 Grams

It is so late right now, and I should really get to bed, seeing as my days of getting a full night's rest are numbered, but my mind has been running all day of things I need to write out so here I am.

First of all, September 29, 2011 marks Alicia's 4 month birthday. To think back where we were four months ago to where we are now, it is nothing but astounding.

Four months ago, Linda and I were in our hospital room adjusting to the fact that we were thrust into parenthood in quite the abrupt and unexpected fashion. Four months ago, we were clinging on to every fiber of faith that we had hoping just to get through the first week, counting the days until Alicia was considered out of the "danger zone." Four months ago, Linda hadn't even seen Alicia yet except in photos. Four months ago we were still trying to gain our footing as new parents in the NICU trying to make sense of all the foreign things that our doctors were telling us about our very special daughter. Four months ago Alicia was less than a pound and all skin and bones. Four months ago . . .

Today, we've got a vibrant, thriving 2230-gram bouncing baby girl who by the looks of things is going to live a fantastically extraordinary life. She's got the power to win people's hearts and if all the reports are true, has quite the personality. =) We're so, so very thankful.

By reaching 2230 grams, Alicia has now fully met all the qualifications for discharge - she's breathing beautifully on her own, she's eating on her own, and she weighs over 2200 grams. So the past week has been all about getting the house ready. And for the most part things are all set for Alicia to come home. I've been cleaning and cleaning and cleaning, organizing and cleaning some more. Thankfully, I haven't needed to do it on my own, some really great friends of ours have been helping me to get the house ready for my queen and princess's grand homecoming.

I will be heading down tomorrow evening to meet up with Linda and Alicia. We'll spend the weekend together, and then on Monday, Alicia will be discharged and take her first excursion out into the real world.

It's crazy to think that this little girl is 4 months old yet she's never seen the sun, never breathed "fresh" air, never seen a tree or a bird. She's never been in a car or any other kind of transportation. Her whole life has been confined to two floors of the hospital. Amazing. I can't wait to take Alicia outside and introduce her to the world as we know it. =)

Some of you may be wondering why I wrote, "Monday" earlier and not "Friday." Well, for various reasons, which I won't go into here, after talking to Alicia's attending physician, the decision was made that it would be best if Alicia left on a Monday rather than a Friday. So that's what we're going to do.

There's more to share and write, but it's getting really late, so I'll end it for now. =)

More soon.