What a year it's been!

One year ago today we brought Emily home from the NICU. After spending nearly 4 months there, we rolled out of the parking lot at 6:24 pm.

I can remember everything about that day - like it was yesterday. After all that time we were finally going to "room in" at night and go home the next day. Little did I know when I arrived that day I was in for a big surprise. Michael had to work that day, so he dropped me off and went on to sing the Sunday Brunch at the Reata restaurant. I scrubbed in and walked back to Emily's famous room 5. Her nurse, Gwen, said "Oh By the way - do you want to go home today or do you really want to sleep here tonight?" Hello? Did I just hear that? Well Duh - I want out - and NOW!

Not even thinking I pulled out my phone and called Michael (you are not allowed to use use cellphones in the NICU, but since I wasn't thinking I got a pass) told him finish singing and go get the car cleaned - we are going home TONIGHT!! I don't have to tell you how that conversation ended - probably something along the lines of me crying hysterically again! We arranged to meet up with his Mom and get little Michael so he could be there too - I was not leaving until he was there - he went through it all too and he needed to see closure also. So basically I forgot all about the matching clothes we were all going to wear, all the beautiful pictures we were going to take, all the sweet things I had planned to say - out the window. It took us a couple of hours to get everything packed (we had been there a while) signed 400000000 forms and said good bye at 6:24.

That has to be the most bittersweet moment I have ever had. I had relied on all these people for 4 months - seen them everyday - called them on the phone an unbelievable amount of times during the day - and now I was leaving the only world I had known for 4 months. We made such great friends there and now to leave them all - and all my babies - how could I leave all my babies behind? Of course that passed and I found myself very busy with a newborn at home. Yes, I miss all my friends but we visit as often as we can.

We can NEVER thank the Harris NICU staff enough for all they did during our stay - not just for EMILY - for all of us! We are also very grateful for our friends that we have now because of our time there - we couldn't have done it without you.

Fast Foward - One year later - tonight at 6:24 pm we sat around our dinner table - as a family of four!