Cache Update

Guess what this means?

Sweet baby Cache is home! 

We brought our sweet little baby boy home late Wednesday afternoon. We were really hoping to bring him home Tuesday, but his bellirubin levels had gone up and they wanted to keep him an extra day. So Wednesday morning, I called the hospital bright and early to check on him. I talked to his nurse who said his levels went up more, but everything else checked out okay. She wasn't sure if he'd be allowed to go home or not, but told me what to say to the doctor to negotiate his homecoming. I asked that they call me as soon as the doctor arrived so I could talk to her. They called about an hour later to tell me the doc was in. I threw my hair in a ponytail, put some jeans on and ran out the door. I was ready to fight for my baby. I was going to do whatever I could to get him home. I met with the doctor and to my surprise...she was letting him go. I didn't even have to put up an argument.

Upon discharge, there were a number of things we needed to address. His bowel and stomach issues had resolved and he was eating regularly, but we would still need to watch it to make sure things continued to work well. Testing for CMV was still pending, so we would cross that bridge when we got there. He had a grade 1 case of hypostadias (a condition with his pee pee), so he would need to get an ultrasound on his kidneys and see a urologist for further examination. His jaundice was also not concerning, but again...something else to watch. And last but not least, he has a sacral dimple--and they just wanted me to be aware of it. However, given his 1/22 chance for spina bifida, I requested an ultrasound to be done so we could know 100% that his spine and spinal cord were okay. They weren't planning on doing an ultrasound for it, but since we were already doing his kidneys, they made time to do his back as well. 

The ultrasounds and discharge exam were going to take a few hours, so I went home to get things ready. I bawled my eyes out on the way home, knowing this would be the last time I would have to leave him at the hospital. As soon as I got home, I went into cleaning overdrive. I cleaned and cleaned until they called and said we could come pick him up.

My mom and I loaded up the kids and we were off to the hospital to pick up little brother.

Scott had an overnight shift that day, so he wasn't able to be here when we brought him home. My mom, the kids and I took turns holding him and loving him the rest of the day. 

Yesterday morning the doctor called with results for the ultrasounds. First and foremost, his CMV came back negative. That was the best news! I was most worried about the CMV since the complications were the most extreme. But he is in the clear! I can not even begin to describe how relieved I am. Second, his kidneys are perfect. No complications. Wahoo. The ultrasound on his back showed normal spinal and spinal cord development. However, there was one questionable reading. It appeared that his tailbone tip was a little low. Its not a huge deal and more than likely is nothing, but could be an indication of an underlying problem or could cause unnessecary pain in the future. The doctor said it could just have been the positioning of Cache during the ultrasound, but we decided it would be best to have a specialist look at it. So, we were referred to the neurologist for a second ultrasound. 

We took him to his first doctor appointment today. He looks fantastic. He weighs 7 lbs even, which is amazing. He has gained 4 oz in the 48 hours he's been home. They weren't expecting him to be back to birth weight until he was at least 2 weeks old because of his NICU stay, and now he is only 2 oz shy. He's been eating like a champ. His hypostadias turned out to be nothing and now we can proceed with a normal circumcision and leave the urologist out of it. Again, hooray! 

Now, we are just enjoying having him home. He is the sweetest little boy and is doing great. He eats wonderfully and is sleeping like a champ. I got a solid 5 hours out of him last night between feedings. When he's awake, he's mostly content and his brothers just can't get enough of him. 

We are so blessed to have this dimpled little spirit in our home. After the complicated pregnancy and the longest 5 days of my life, I am happy to report that baby Cache is healthy. Healthy. Healthy. I could say it all day. I have been waiting to say those words for months. We are so blessed. I will never take the health of my children for granted again. And the thing is, everything that Cache faced was so minor in the grand scheme of things. Some babies are born so sick and face health challenges the rest of their lives. We are so blessed that this will not be the case for us.

I cannot begin to express my gratitude for Cache. Its so fun to have a newborn in the home again and feel is sweet presence around us. He is the perfect addition to our family and we could not be  any luckier.