Our Week in the NICU

On her first day of life, Bonnie had already done something I've never done - taken a helicopter ride!

Eric drove up that night and didn't leave her side through the next day while I was still in the hospital. He FaceTimed me multiple times to see Bonnie, get updates, and hear from some of her nurses.



As cautious as he was, Benny also got to hold Bonnie for the first time!

After an anxious afternoon of trying to get out of the hospital and pack a bag for an entirely different trip than anticipated - Mom and Dave brought me to the NICU the night after she was born. It was the first time I actually got to really see her in person. I didn't get to see her when they pulled her out and she was so covered up when she was in the incubator about to get on the helicopter.



 I also got a chance to hold her and give her a bottle for the first time.

She was so tiny, the bottle was so tiny, but she was doing great. Drinking about 10 mL at a time. It was definitely a challenge figuring out how to hold her and work around all the wires she was hooked up to. Two days after she was born we got to do skin-to-skin for the first time.

She got a visit from Aunt Katie who also officially got to meet her for the first time (who has been an angel on earth, along with my mom, anticipating and stepping up to every one of Eric and my needs).


Not surprisingly, Bonnie had to go on the blue lights for about 2 days to clear up her jaundice. Which made holding and feeding her even more difficult - but she sure is cute!


Benny has become a master at giving her a bottle and burping her. He was on the tail end of a cold during our stay so he was extra cautious about passing germs.

We didn't know how long we would be in the NICU, and no one wanted to give us a timeframe other than her due date. We knew she was doing really well though and was very hopeful we could leave by Thanksgiving (10 days). Anytime I would mention it to a nurse, they thought I was reaching high for that goal.

One morning during rounds, the nurse practitioner told us she was doing so well we could possibly be leaving the Sunday before Thanksgiving - to say I was excited is an understatement. I immediately called Eric and told him to get the carseat installed.
About an hour later, the NP came back in to apologize. She said they forgot about the shot of caffeine they had given Bonnie to help perk her up the day after she got there. They needed to watch her until the caffeine was out of her system to make sure she was making progress on her own, and not an effect of the caffeine. We were basically just playing the waiting game for it to metabolize.
Sunday came and went, and she still had a pretty high caffeine level. We just had to be patient. In the meantime, she was doing everything on her own. Her heat lamp was off, her IV was out, her jaundice was in check, she took to the bottle very well and even started breastfeeding once everything was removed from her face.

By Tuesday her caffeine level was a 4.1. They wanted it to be a 4 or under and then monitor her for another 48 hours afterward (so Thanksgiving night or Friday is what we were looking at).


Mom came to visit and meet her newest grand baby that day too! It was also the first day she started officially gaining - up 2 ounces from her lowest weight (4 pounds 3 ounces).
My mom had been there for probably only 10 minutes when they came by to do rounds that morning. The NP and the doctor asked how we felt about going home that day. I was shocked.

We said goodbye to the little room with no windows that we had lived in her first week of life.

Eric left work and drove straight over with the carseat. After the carseat test, feedings, discharge checklist and paperwork were complete - Bonnie was officially unplugged from all her machines, we put clothes on her for the very first time, and we were taking her home!

We said goodbye to all the amazing doctors and nurses that grew to love her in such a short time.



It was so strange loading her into the car for the first time. Not at all how we pictured it, but we were so incredibly thankful and elated to be bringing her home.

We have an incredible support system of family and friends that have gone out of their way to rally around our little family - step up to give us meals, send thoughts and prayers, take care of our house, send gifts or care packages, clean for us, visit us, be a listening ear - understanding and still loving on us even when we aren't our best. It's been the most glaring example of God's provision in our lives. We've had our struggles processing everything that happened, but we are doing much better each day. We are so incredibly blessed and grateful. Welcome home Bonnie!