Guess What?!

After 4 very long months (123 days) we are finally excited to announce ELISE IS GOING HOME FRIDAY! And I mean home, not to another hospital. We found out last week that they wanted to send us home, but didn't want to announce it until today, just in case something happened that would cause a delay. I cannot express how excited we are to FINALLY take our baby home and be a real family. She will go home on oxygen and have some NG feedings, mainly at night. She will also have the continuous IV infusion. We will continue to increase her Flolan from home, and start weaning her oxygen as well. Home health came to the house today to deliver the oxygen, pulse ox machine, food pump for the night NG feedings, and other supplies. Thursday night Jason and I get to spend the night with Elise in a special room in the NICU that is set up to mimic being at home with her. We will do everything as if we were at home with the nurses close by in case we have any questions. Then Friday we will head home! It feels so good to be typing that sentence and telling family. We have gone through so many emotions this summer, some more than once. It is nice to finally have this new emotion of excitement and joy. My mom and I spent several hours Monday night cleaning the house getting it ready for Elise. And Jason and I already have so much planned to do with Elise. We have a lot of time to make up for, and so much we want to show her. We are going to get video of her coming out of the hospital Friday, and post it hopefully Friday night. And we will still post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday next week. We will eventually post less when things start to settle down, but she has a lot to experience once she gets home, and I know that all of you will want to watch her experience it all. Jason and I cannot thank all of you enough for all the support you guys have given us through emails, texts, comments on the blog, phone calls, care packages, gifts, money, cards, and hugs. And thank you to everyone that spread her story to other people who increased the number of people pulling for her. We have had overwhelming support from SO many people, this has been such an experience. We never thought anything like this would happen to us. Elise still has a long road ahead of her and we hope she will continue to improve. I know that many of you want to meet her, and we want you to meet her too. Please feel free to call Jason or I to visit, and we will let you know when a good time would be. This fall we will start restricting visits due to the cold and flu season. The less she's exposed to, the smaller chance she will have to catch something. Even a minor cold will put her back in Children's hospital or even kill her. Jason and I would also like to extend a huge thank you to all the hospital staff at St. John's and Children's. Everyone we have come in contact with has been so wonderful. Every staff member goes out of there way to make us comfortable, and caters to any need we have, no matter how minor. We have developed some close relationships with many of the nurses here, and I value each one. I will sign off tonight with butterflies in my stomach as our big day grows closer. I'm sure I'll cry again as we leave the hospital, but they will be tears of joy and excitement. I love you all, Kristin