Day 60: There's No Place Like Home

Getting ready to hit the road!

We are finally home!! Dave and I had to do a little convincing to get the green light this morning, but it wasn't hard to get the team's blessing. We arrived at the hospital around 9:00am and were home by 8:00pm. The trip went pretty well all things considered. Viv only cried when it was time for her 6:00pm feed (which we successfully administered at a rest stop) and when we were only a few miles from home. She slept most of the trip, but she was taking in her new surroundings during her calm awake periods.

She was asleep before we even got out of the parking garage.

She seems to enjoy the house and her room so far. We had to rush to get her 9:00pm feed ready soon after we got home. We also gave her a bath which she seemed to enjoy. Thankfully her eyes were closed as soon as she hit the crib. The one positive of having a NICU baby is their schedule. Viv has been sleeping through the night for a while now and only stirs every three hours when it's time for a feed, though lately she's needed to be woken up. She's also very used to noise which means we don't have to tiptoe around the house too much.

So here we are at the end of our NICU journey. I was getting emotional as we walked through the NICU doors for the last time. It's been an intense experience, and we are so grateful for the dedicated nurses and doctors at CHOP. Six months ago we were told our baby had a 40-50% chance of survival, and we decided to uproot our lives to make the most of those odds. It's been difficult, but we can honestly say we have no regrets.

Dave and I would like to thank everyone who has supported us throughout this process. Viv's story isn't over, but we've come a long way. We'll be back at CHOP for follow-up appointments and will be working on her feeding and development while simultaneously monitoring any lingering or new issues related to the CDH. We will continue to post periodically to let everyone know how Vivienne is progressing and how we're settling in. Thank you for coming along with us on this journey; we felt your love and found strength in your support. We hope you'll continue to follow Vivienne's progress as she grows.