Eli is home!

Yesterday, June 19, exactly six weeks after I checked into the hospital to give birth to Eli, Eric and I brought our sweet little son home! It was such a joyful, emotional experience.

The night before we brought him home we "roomed in" at the hospital. The NICU requires that before a baby is released his parents stay with him in a hospital room to make sure that they can care for his needs completely. So Eric and Eli and I had our first night together in the hospital, and it went really well. I think I got a total of 30 minutes of sleep, though, and poor Eric had to sleep on a fold-out chair! :)

Yesterday we got a slew of information about taking care of Eli at home, signed a bunch of papers, strapped him into his car seat, walked with the nurse to our waiting car, and then drove away from Baylor hospital with Eli! I was crying- it was the culmination of so many emotions of so many weeks.

Eli has been doing great. He's on oxygen still, but hopefully his lungs will develop quickly so that we can get off of it soon. We have been really enjoying caring for him here at home! My parents came over last night to hold him and my dad gave him his first bath at home. Last night was a typical night with a newborn! :) Though I am really tired, I couldn't be more thankful at 2am to sit and rock my son to sleep. It is the best feeling in the world.

Your prayers have carried Eli through, and we couldn't be more grateful. Please continue to pray for his lung development- that he won't have to stay on oxygen for much longer. We can't wait to introduce him to all of you!