Due Date

September 23rd was my 'official' due date.

My mom should be visiting this weekend but she has come and gone.
We should be just leaving the hospital but our stay there has come and gone.

I had a very interesting lunch today with the Preemies Today group that I stumbled upon during one of my many trips to Fairfax Hospital. We went around the table introducing ourselves and our preemies, how many weeks they were born at and how old they were now. If they had any complications. How long their NICU stay was. Did they have a good experience with the nurses and doctors.

I found myself between two women that had given birth to twins but unfortunately, lost one of their babies. One about two years ago and the other on Faris' birth date.

It made me realize just how blessed and fortunate we are to have him still with us. I know that compared to most babies, we had it pretty easy in there. He did as well as expected, if not better. We didn't have any major set backs. He came out breathing on his own, even crying right away. Our nurses and doctors were all amazing. (I heard some awful stories from these women today and some of them were in the same hospital we were in.) He gained weight very well and he came home almost a month before his due date. Most importantly and again, we still have him with us.

Weight checks. Eye exams. Blood work. An ultrasound. Pulmonary specialists and who knows what other kind of specialist we will be sent to in the coming months and years. I will wake up and do it all every single day, if needed, because it means he is here with us.  I felt terribly for those two moms as we talked about what a joy it was to have our babies home. I wanted to hug them both. And although both women explained that it was therapeutic to talk about their experience, I couldn't help but feel the way I did.

I love that baby boy so much. I am so thankful that we have him home with us and that he is continuing to do well. I am so thankful that our experience in both NICU's went as well as they did.
I am especially thankful to my family and friends that were and are still so supportive.

I know that we are just as lucky and blessed to have you all as we are to have Faris with us.

Home

I don't think I will ever forget the words spoken to me the morning that Faris was discharged.

'He's going home today.'

It was the longest walk down such a short hall. Ali was carrying Hamza and I was carrying Faris in the car seat, attached to his monitor and oxygen. The tears were streaming down my cheeks as the nurse followed us out. Every step forward was one closer to Faris finally coming home and our days in the NICU one step further behind us.
After a brief battle with actually getting the car seat into the car, we were on our way home. I sat in the back with my two boys in complete awe. My two boys in the same place at the same time and they were all mine.

It has been an interesting month so far. About two doctor appointments each week and one long trip to the ER in order to get a correct reading on his Potassium level in his blood (not anything serious). Weight checks, a lung doc and a couple of eye doctor appointments so far and I was pretty happy that we only had to see one of those doctors this week.
Hamza still isn't quite sure what this thing is doing here and sometimes I wonder how they let this little boy go home with us so soon but I am happy that they did. Bruno took to this baby much better than he did Hamza. In fact, he cuddles up next to me on the ground while we do our 3AM & 6AM feedings every morning.
He is gaining weight very well. He was 7lbs 7oz last Saturday and I am sure that he has gone up to almost 8lbs, if not more by this weekend.

I love having two little boys. I love when Hamza says 'Faysis' and 'broder' and pats him and says 'Nice.' We sit together on the bed while Faris is eating and watch Bubble Guppies and my heart just feels so full again with my boys next to me. I love seeing Faris in Hamza's baby clothes. It has only been a few things as Hamza went right into 3 month sized clothes and Faris is still in Newborn size but the few pieces that fit bring a smile to my face.

I am still shocked that I have two kids or maybe that it just seems real now that I am the one taking care of him and not the NICU nurses.

I can't wait to see what our lives will be like as a family of four.