Meeting our daughter

After leaving the NICU, I was wheeled to my room in the mother/baby unit. I met my first nurse and was allowed to order some clear liquid food off the menu. I inquired about how much longer they were planning on keeping Emily in the nursery and was told that they would find out. Mike and Zachary settled in on the couch and Zachary was allowed to watch some cartoons on TV.

I kept a close eye on the clock and at exactly six hours after I was wheeled into recovery, I asked Mike to find out what was going on with Emily. He left and a few minutes later walked back into the room pushing a bassinet and our daughter joined us. A lactation consultant who also worked with babies in the NICU followed her in and we started working on breastfeeding. Since I was also going to be pumping for Nicholas, she brought me a pump kit and a pump. She promised me that I wouldn't get much in the beginning but to send whatever I was able to pump to the NICU for Nicholas because every little bit helped.

Zachary was very curious about his sister and also very excited to finally meet her. We let him hold her and touch her and begin to form a relationship with her. I was amazed that he was so good with her. He had no jealousy or anything, he immediately declared that his baby sister was "soooooo cuuuuuuute" and wanted to take her home right away.

Mike visited the NICU a few times during the day and promised me that Nicholas was doing well. He needed no respiratory assistance - was completely breathing on his own. That was huge - because of the level of severity of his hydrocephalus, they were uncertain just how many brain functions he would be able to use. The fact that he had basic abilities indicated some brain function which was something we wanted to see.

Later that night before Mike took Zachary home to sleep, we dropped Emily off at the nursery and Mike wheeled Zachary and I to the NICU so I could spend some time with Nicholas.