We're Going Home! 5 days old - June 7, 2011

Going Home from Fletcher Allen

Sophie & Stella,

We have finally been cleared by the doctors and nurses at Fletcher Allen to be released from the hospital! We've been here since you were born 5 days ago. Everything went really well with the delivery and we got settled into our room Thursday night. We had a great nurse, Christina from Romania who helped us through the night. She gave me lots of tips on how to feed you both as best I could to get my milk to come in. She also took care of you girls while mommy got a little sleep to recover from giving birth. Daddy was able to stay with us in our room as we had a double room to ourselves which was a good thing because we had so much stuff between you both and mommy and daddy!

On Friday, we had a few visitors come. Grandma Leanne, Uncle Tony, Aunt Juji, and Aunt Ashley all came to visit throughout the day. We basically kept you in your pram beds unless you had to be fed or changed so that you'd burn the least amount of calories possible so you could continue to gain weight while in the hospital. Daddy learned how to swaddle you properly like a burrito, successfully change diapers, and how to burp you girls when mommy was done nursing. Daddy took care of almost everything while mommy tried to sleep and nurse and get her energy level up to take care of you at night. We worked with a lactation consultant, Kristen for the entire day learning how to nurse and pump. She was so helpful with lots of tips for us to bring home with us. 

Our Little "Glow Worms"

On Saturday, the pediatrician came in and decided that you both should undergo phototherapy to battle jaundice. The nurses brought in these "glow worm" type machines that fit in your pram beds. Basically, you both had to stay under the lights as much as possible, so you lived in your BiliBeds for the next few days except for when it was time to nurse. Even then, Stella had to be under lights during nursing so we had a little gadget called a "wallaby" that slipped underneath Stella's back and lit up so her phototherapy could continue non-stop.

Saturday, mommy was discharged from the hospital. Fletcher Allen has a great policy that allows parents  to "board" at the hospital while their children are still admitted. Mommy and daddy were basically "guests" of the hospital and could come and go as we pleased. Of course, we basically stayed in our room for the next 4 days other than to get a bite to eat here and there. We did go down to Church Street Saturday night for an hour for Jazz Festival and to have a long awaited Guiness!

On Sunday, we had more visitors come to the hospital. Uncle Tim and Lance came over for a little bit and then Janer, Poppa, Aunt Ashleah, and Nan all came to visit! We took you out of your BiliBeds while Janer and Poppa were in the room so that everyone could hold you and take some pictures. The nurse came in to take your temperatures and you both were pretty cool. Mommy and daddy got in a little trouble for keeping you out of your beds and had to put you back in right away. I guess we learn things as we go. At that point, we realized that little things to "please others" can really harm our goals of getting rid of your jaundice and getting some weight on you. From that point forward, we didn't take you out of your beds for any reason other than to be fed or changed. We really wanted you to both succeed with your phototherapy so we could get over the jaundice fast.

Originally the doctors thought that maybe you'd both be discharged on Monday, but the jaundice was still lingering and was not going down yet so we were guaranteed to stay another day. Our only hope was that we would be discharged on Tuesday. We so wanted to get home and start our lives as a family. We did have one visitor on Monday and it was a complete surprise. Mark Demers stopped by to say hello; he married mommy and daddy 6 years ago. He said that he found out on Facebook that we had delivered you girls at Fletcher Allen and he thought he'd stop by to say hello and say a prayer for you both. It was so nice and mommy was a complete ball of tears when he left. It was so nice and unexpected and I'll never forget that he came to visit! It meant a lot to me and daddy.

Our little "Brut" Sophie

Sophie giving Stella a little "punch"

Mommy and daddy have had a fun time taking pictures of you girls in the hospital. It seems that everyday you look a little different than the day before. I think when you were born you looked totally different and now every day you seem to look more and more alike. It seems that every time we go to take a picture of you, Sophie is trying to "beat up" her big sister! We get such a kick out of it.

Stella's Car Seat Challenge

Early Tuesday morning at 2am, the nurses turned the BiliBeds off and started doing tests. The idea was that a test would be done at 2am when the lights went off and then again at 8am after 6 hours without light. If the tests showed that the jaundice was not increasing, you both would be in the clear and could stay out of the BiliBeds for good. To be able to go home, your jaundice tests had to come back clear and your weight had to be up. We got the good news mid-morning that all the tests came back and you'd both be going home today. The only thing left was to pass "The Car Seat Challenge." Before you can be discharged from the hospital, you have to go through a car seat challenge if you weigh under a certain amount or are born too early. Each of you had to sit in your car seat for 1.5 hours while your vitals were being monitored. Stella went first and was a little fussy at the end, so the nurse gave her a Nuk. Sophie did very well and both of you barely fit in your car seats you were so small! It was really cute. Our day nurse, Lexi showed us how to properly use the car seats and get you all strapped in, etc. Mommy and daddy finished packing everything and got you in your stroller and we made our way out of the hospital. You both did such a great job in the car on the 2 hour drive home. Mommy squeezed her way into the middle of the back seat so I could keep my eyes on you in case you started getting uncomfortable or anything.

When we finally got home, there were flowers and cards on the table and Uncle Tim and Jonathan both came over to make dinner for us. Uncle Tim brought you both a VT Teddy Bear wearing a bib with your name and birthday embroidered on it. They are really cute! Emily Reynolds Stringer also came over to visit and brought us Villa Vespa dinner. 

Mommy is exhausted now that we are home and I'm nervous about what our first night home is going to be like. Hopefully we can adjust somewhat easily...stay tuned!

Love,

Mommy