Finally Home

So, we've finally made it home with everyone! Even Molly! The discharge from the NICU was relatively painless. They made us watch a few videos on Infant CPR, how to use a car seat, and on shaken baby syndrome. Let me tell you, these were high quality productions. The car seat video especially was awesome. It was made in the late 80's and feature crash test videos of old Volvo station wagons with unrestrained kids in the wayback seats. Yeah, the cool rear-facing seats.

So, that took an hour. Then the nurse told us that the NICU policy was that mom had to ride in a wheelchair to the hospital exit. Now, our other child was carried from the hospital in her car seat just a few days earlier from a unit just outside the doors of the NICU. But, that's policy and policy trumps all. I left before they found a wheelchair cause I was going a bit stir crazy just trying to escape from the hospital. It's Thanksgiving morning! 

Anyway, we finally escaped and made our way home with Molly. Molly and McKenzie were allowed to get re-acquainted with one another on the couch.

After their photo shoot was over, my mother-in-law made us a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes, bing cherry salad, and a bunch of other stuff. My parents came over to help us eat all the food. It was nice.

Late this evening, my father-in-law and sister-in-law (with boyfriend) showed up after their day of family fun in Maryville. We took a lot more pictures and everyone got to hang out with both girls for the first time.

We did discover one odd fact though. Molly has one attached earlobe and one detached. Most people are either attached or detached; she's both! Apparently, her aunt Jamie is similarly afflicted. 

Tomorrow, we have Molly's first pediatrician appointment and McKenzie gets a weight check. Then we have another big dinner planned for my father-in-law's birthday. Yay! 

Here are a few more pictures to tide you all over until you can see the girls in person. I'd say that they are pretty cute but I'm biased.

And now, it's time for bed...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Look What We Found...

So, Lindsey and I were out and about this morning and look what we stumbled over...

Halfway Home

So, we're now halfway home. McKenzie and mom were discharged from the hospital this afternoon and allowed to come home for, uh...forever, I guess. Molly is still in the NICU but we'll get to her in a minute.

So, let's catch you up with what all you missed while our laptop was hating Erlanger's wireless network. First up, in case you didn't know, I'm an AWESOME husband (and dad, now). I got my wife some beautiful flowers just for her on the day of the delivery. Check these out:

Unfortunately, due to all the post-delivery issues, the flowers beat Lindsey to the room by about 7 hours. Oh well, they smelled nice.

Our friends and family also sent us some great flowers. We got flowers from our Sunday School class, KW Downtown, my parents, and Lindsey's aunt and uncle in Knoxville. Also in this picture, some snacky food from Kevin and Jade (yum...)

Then our visitors started to show up. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and saw us the last few days. Your visits were a lot of fun and I apologize on Lindsey's behalf if she made you stand in the hall while milking...

McKenzie got to spend a ton of time in the room with us. I really miss the little wheeled bassinet now because it was so convenient just to push her around wherever you wanted her to go. Maybe I need to find one online...

Here are some pictures of her hanging out.

With great-grandmother Mama Lene (my grandmother)

With grandmother Sue (Lindsey's mom)

Chillin' with our first non-hospital outfit put on by dad (really!)

Molly is still in the NICU but has really been doing great. She has started to keep a lot of food down and her breathing is getting much more regular. She is much less swollen now than she was on Monday and Tuesday. We're still hoping for a discharge on Tuesday but the doctors say it depends on how much her chest clears by then and if she can learn to feed from a bottle well enough in order to go home. Hope she doesn't miss Turkey Day with the fam!

Here's a picture of Molly in the NICU. She's super fiesty so the nurse had her kinda strapped down to keep her from pulling out her last IV (she pulled it out a few hours after this picture...thata girl...)

We got McKenzie home early this afternoon. It's weird having 2 children in 2 different locations but hopefully it's not for long. Last picture...McKenzie hanging out in another new outfit trying out her bouncy seat. She's tiny in this thing...

So, thanks for the support and prayers and visits and everything over the last 5 days. We've survived the birth and are now journeying into the just surviving stage. Yay!