On April, 28th 2013 Ann Kamp walked up to me in the NICU and said the words I had been waiting to here for 15 1/2 months. "can you be ready to take her home on the 6th" meaning Monday exactly one week from then. And I said "YES!!!!! we will be ready" and I spent the rest of the day in a haze....
Madison had moved to the home vent and was doing amazingly well. I was so excited and terrified and amazed and overwhelmed. I could not believe we had finally made it to this day.
I rode the train to Brigham City on Monday to clean her room and get things ready, I had the awesome relief society come and help clean up, Catie and Sarah both came out and helped to clean up some more. I was so overwhelmed and I was so grateful for all the help. we had to do the vent training and Trach CPR not to mention all the emotions that come with getting closer and closer to the goal of home.
Car seat Trial, the day I brought our baby car seat into the hospital I was beside myself. I stopped to show everyone I knew that this mom, mom Baldwin was bringing a care seat into the hospital. The Care seat squad traded out baby seat for a bigger car seat that would work better for our toddler and then we did the car seat trial. Madison thought it was fun for about half hour then she wanted picked up
On the 3rd Madison had a swallow study, this is a picture of waiting in the hall outside the room were the swallow study was done. She was informing her staff how displeased she was that her walk had not taken her outside.
The swallow study was an adventure all its own, the speech therapist handed me a small cup with a bit of barium and a bit of apple sauce and told me to scoop a bit of each and feed it to her. So I did and we could see her swallowing, but nothing was showing up on the picture. Then we realized Madison was separating the barium and the apple sauce in her mouth and swallowing the apples well storing the barium in her lower lip. Silly girl, it was great!!!!!
WE roomed in on the third and fourth, and Madison instantly got used to the idea of having Mommy in charge all day and night.
Finally May 6th arrived in all its glory. All the tests were done, all the fallow ups planned and the discharge orders complete. We got all dressed up and waited for the pharmacy to finish getting our meds worked out.
After Finally getting our meds we were on our way, as we left the NICU they announced overhead that Maddie Baldwin was on her way home!!!! All the nurses came into the hall and clapped and cheered, they made a bridge of arms for us to walk through, we gave our last hugs and said our last byes to what had been home for so long and our little miracle headed home!!!!!!!
Aside from not being happy about being in her car seat we had a seamless transition to the car. As we drove away from Primary Children's Hospital for the first time with Madison in the car I was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for all the people who had worked so hard for so long to get my baby here, never giving up cheering all her successes holding my hand through all the hard days, all the nurses who never hesitated to give me a hug when I was trying to be strong and all the doctors and social workers and countless other people who had got us here finally we were going home something we thought we might never do. WE WERE GOING HOME!!!!!!!!!!!
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