The Sweet Escape

Dr. Ted Thompson came into our room early this morning while Anna was still sleeping and in his Vicini-from-The-Princess-Bride-manner asked if we wanted to go home today. I was shocked. Dr. Thompson said that since he was gaining weight again, back up to 8 lbs, and everything else was clear, he could go early. First of all, there is no comparison. But the closest thing it sort of felt like was in elementary school when you knew a snow storm was blowing in and you were probably not having school the next day, but then because the front sped up or because of jittery administrators, you got out a day early.
The whole process felt like it was happening to someone else. I have overheard the discharge procedure so many times in the last 48 days that it felt like once again our nurse, Lizzy, was talking to other parents.
(For the first time ever, my post about my baby was interrupted by my baby. It's good to have him out.)
We plan on staying here until Monday. We must return to the hospital to get Anders weighed and pick up some other medication that has not arrived yet.
Before I get sidetracked again, I wanted to mention the Mt. Rushmore of Good during our 96 days in the hospital (48 at the Riverside NICU and 48 at the Southdale Special Care Nursery).
The George Washington of this crew would have to be Dr. Ted Thompson. This might be a good week to bet with the Pack over the Vikings. Guys in the Upper Midwest named Ted Thompson are having a good week.
The Abraham Lincoln, Anders' Great Emancipator, would have to be Deb, one of his primary nurses at the NICU. She kept on the case to get him to Southdale and rode with him for his first trip outside the 4th floor of Fairview Riverside. She calmed our nerves many times.
The Thomas Jefferson would have to be Mike the Respiratory Therapist who worked with Anders to keep him extubated when it seemed like he would once again be reintubated.
The Theodore Roosevelt would probably be Lizzy, his nurse today. She took a special interest in Anders. She talked to him when she fed him and took him around the nursery off his leads in teh evening. She gave us all this extra stuff for Anders feedings, beyond regulation. She was the nurse who fought New Kathleen in front of us. I didn't know what to think of this very un-Minnesotan bluster she displayed, but she was correct. Her determination to get Anders off the slow flow nipple and onto the regular flow one sped up his discharge.
I would give honorable mention to Sarah V., his other primary nurse at the NICU and to Amy, who was almost like another primary nurse at the NICU, plus she coined the nickname "Mr. Anders" in her thick MN accent. Anna and I still call Anders "Mr. Anders," or I have taken to calling him "Mr. A." The kindly older cross-eyed nurse who helped deliver Anders was also top knotch. I am forgetting a lot of good nurses at both places.
It is a relief. Thank God. Now the work begins anew.