Xavier Michael Comes Home!
Greetings to all, friends and family!
Glory to God! At 42 weeks 4 days, and nearly 12 of those weeks in the NICU, Xavier Michael came home today!
With faith and expecting to take him home today, we arrived to the NICU at 3:00 PM. Yesterday we arranged to have the Apria people (Apria is the firm who manages Xavier's oxygen outside the NICU) meet us to give us Xavier's mobile O2 tank and explain its use. Also, because Xavier Bradied Thursday, Apria supplied us with a portable heart and oxygen monitor (a mobile pulse ox monitor). We thought all the wires were being left behind, but not so much. We only attach Xavier to the monitor at night so we can get some sleep (at least that's the theory!) Also, the monitor will be used to collect information and data when the doctors prescribe room air tests and other tests to help determine when he can come off O2.
While we where packing up and waiting on the two different Apria people, and as the nurses and doctors worked on the discharge papers, we also finished checking off the boxes on the Discharge Worksheet. During this time, a good friend of ours stopped by to visit. Brenda was in the area for a conference and I do not think she knew we were checking Xavier out. Quite frankly, neither did we; we were not sure it was going to happen until it started happening!
With no more connection to him, the monitor which has showed Xavier's heart rate, oxygen saturation level, breathing rate, and being the ever-vigulant sentinel and the alarm of so many Bradys, desats and high-sats since May 13th, after 68 days, finally goes dark.
Weighing in at 1810 grams (4 grams short of 4 pounds), Xavier sits strapped in to his car seat (no car bed, Hallelujah!) waiting for mom and dad to say their farewells to all the NICU staff. Also, we were delayed by a tornado watch and people were asked not to leave the hospital just yet. Xavier is still a little too small for the harness. Stacey rolled up a wash cloth and threaded it behind Xavier's back and another to fill the space between his knees.
Xavier's address for the last 68 days. With the sense one has when moving from a home to another, we bid this little cubical goodbye.
The long-awaited day and the culmination of so much prayer. Xavier is home at last! Held by a proud and happy mom, shortly after this picture, we three huddled together in a family embrace, bowed our heads and thanked Father for His goodness to us.
Great is our God Who has led us this far and will lead us from here! Thank you all for your prayers.
