One year ago today, after having been together for 10 years (married for 5), my husband and I were the most excited we had ever been for Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day 2018 completely changed our lives and marks the major milestone of being able to bring our micro preemie home after spending 191 days in the hospital.
Today, we celebrate having our son home for an entire year and being able to really love on him without the anxiety of going to the hospital every day. The year has been full of transitions with it now being second nature to…
- Juggle doctor’s visits with our work schedules
- Order medicines and medical supplies each month
- Change his trach weekly and change his trach ties each day
- Change vent circuits weekly
- Pop his g-tube (feeding tube) back in when it randomly gets pulled out
- Know his baseline medical numbers and see the signs when we need to seek emergency care
This is just a tiny glimpse into how our life transitioned over the last year with having Emerson home. Since being home, Emerson has been thriving socially and developmentally. His personality lights up the room and he is a master at crawling. He loves books, toys with lots of sounds, Paw Patrol, and Dr. Seuss. He is getting better and better at balancing his own weight and standing without holding on to anything. We are also at a point where we can have him taste foods, which is the first step to having him eat by mouth. It is amazing how much he has grown and changed since being home.
While bringing him home was the best Valentine’s Day gift ever, it does not mean we have not had struggles along the way. Getting adjusted to having home health nurses was definitely interesting, but we have found our stride and have great nurses who love Emerson. We have also had a few emergency room moments, which were extremely scary. Throughout it all, we learned to trust ourselves and that we know our son. We are always trying to be proactive and anticipate when Emerson may be getting sick or needing more respiratory support.
We are so thankful for this day and know that Valentine’s Day will forever hold a significant meaning for our family. I feel confident in speaking for my husband and saying bringing Emerson home was the best Valentine’s Day gift either of us have ever received.
Medical Mommy 