Day 76

So...this post, Ive been thinking about for a few days now. Im very thankful that I only need to type these words, and not say them to you all, as the lump in the back of my throat is getting bigger just thinking about it.

Today, our little Melanie Grace, who God has so richly blessed with health, and strength, hit the milestone we've been waiting for for 76 days. Although, any time before this 76th day, had we come home with Melanie, we wouldnt have been ready :) For the last few days, I've spent a lot of time reflecting. We also did that with some of the nurses in the hospital. For a dad, its all finally come to realization...his 4 girls are all home. What an amazing feeling. I went back through a lot of the posts over the last 2 and a half months, and I think, our only bad experience, happened on day 3...She never took care of Melanie again :) Anyway, Im not going to spend any time on negative because we truly are a blessed family. God, through the work of amazing doctors and nurses, took our baby home, just like He planned.

Today and yesterday were filled with a lot of information. Its been amazing, realizing everything our girl went through. She has been such a trooper over the last 76 days. I still remember what she looked like when she came out. I really had some doubts that she was going to make it. She came out gray colored, her heart didnt seem to be beating fast enough, and, when you see so many people (I think there was 6 or 7 standing at Melanies bedside) working on one infant immediately after she was born, it brings some genuine concern. Let me just quote her discharge summary we got today to give you a doctors version of how that early morning hour went.
"Baby emerged with poor tone, brought to warmer where placed in polyethlene bag (yes, she was actually placed in a clear plastic bag), suctioned, and given PPV (dont know what that is) by Neopuff with 40% oxygen. HR (heart rate) was 60 so Fi02 increased to 100% and baby intubated orally with 2.5 ETT. Intubation and continued mechanical ventilation resulted in improvement in baby's heart rate. Surfactant given in two equal aliquots. FiO2 was able to be weaned to 21%. After briefly showing baby to parents, she was transferred to NICU."

When I look back, I remember how totally petrified we were. The doctors were so focused, they wouldnt even answer my simple question of "boy or girl?". Then again, maybe Dr Gelfand never heard me...and Im laughing at myself right now thinking how selfish that sounds. Dr Gelfand was probably thinking 'How bout it, I stop what Im doing and let this near death child sit while I answer a couple of this needy dad's questions!'....Thankfully no one spoke their minds to us in the early days when we got there :)

Anyway, I want to spend the rest of the time lettin you all in on some pictures of people I will never forget. These people, and a couple others that arent pictured yet, are people this dad will never...ever forget. 76 days in the grand scheme of things dont sound like a lot, but probably will be the most remembered 76 days of my life. God has truly carried us through a worrysome time in our lives, and we are so thankful to Him that this day has arrived.

So, here are some pictures for you all to see (the information about each picture is below the picture,not above it...im not sure how this post is going to look on all of your screens):

This is greeter Mary. Her and Jacquie who we didnt get pictures of had a smile and hello every time we got there, no matter how busy they were. They also gave me the key to the hot chocolate...other parents were jealous :)


This is nurse Carla. She loved us so much, her and her husband-to-be bought a house a mile and a half from our house :) Carla had Melanie a few times in NICU, and then had her more often in NIM at night.


This is Margret. She was always good with us. She would sometimes be nights, sometimes days, but always did a great job with Melanie, and gained a lot of extra credit for how she handled Melanie's parents :)


This is nurse Anne. She found us a while after Melanie was born. She handled Melanie's dad very well. She was the nurse whos predictions usually were very close to accurate. (I lost a few bags of dark chocolate M&Ms on a bet we had :) She always told it like it was. We are very thankful for that.


This is Liza. Liza always brought a happy spririt to the room. She was full of energy, loved life, and loved kids. She and Nicki got along very well, too. Liza was one of the nurses who genuinely cared about our family. She took special interest in Melanies care, and in us.


This is Niki. She, from the day we met her kept the smiles in the room. She was always very entertaining. She was the nurse who discharged Melanie today.



This, is Amy. She works for the March of Dimes, and did so much for us as a family. She would set up parent night meetings, set up sibling nights where the girls could come and get comfortable with all the hospital surroundings. She also had 2 kids in the NICU. She, with some persistance, thankfully made a job for herself, and is a person we appreciated having there a lot.


This picture, I have to appologize for (not saying this is a bad picture, but wished I had another one to show you). This is nurse Jane, and the reason for appology is because she came out to the hospital today, on her day off, to see Melanie off...and we didnt get a picture of her and Melanie...Im so mad, and sorry Jane :( Jane is the nurse I spoke of a few posts ago. She is an amazing nurse, and has always had a spot for Melanie in her heart because she was Melanies 1st nurse.


This is Dr. Gelfand. He was Melanies doctor. He always kept us updated, talked us through Melanies worrysome times, and communicated very well with options and happenings to Melanie. He was the doctor who went home and researched what to do with Melanies pneumatocele, and made the call on Melanies surgery that Im convinced got her home weeks ahead of schedule. We couldnt have asked for a better Doctor.

Not pictured, yet, (hopefully we catch up with her again soon) is Kelly. Kelly is a night nurse that I got to know really well. Coming there at 8:00 at night and talking with Kelly til midnight or so was fun. She was also the one who would wake me up and ask me if I was ready to go home :)


This is a very special friend. Melissa and Gary, are a couple that had a baby right next to us for our entire time in the NICU. They have had a much rockyer road than we had, however, they made time to befriend us, even though they didnt have to. They made our worrysome stay go much better.
The other couple we spent a lot of time with is Heather and Kit. They got to go home a few weeks ago, so we didnt get their picure, however, they had the twins next to us. They, too befriended us and 'kept our heads in the game'.


To all of you at the Helen DeVos Childrens Center, many of whom we didnt mention, but still touched our lives greatly: You are the best organization in the world. The time that so many of you put into our lives while Melanie was there touched us so much. There are many nurses and doctors who helped Melanie that we didnt talk about, but you all matter to us. All that I can muster out to you is a 'Thank you for all of your help'. We'll never be able to repay what you've done for us. It was such a bitter sweet day today. Melanie coming home was great, but leaving all of you behind was very hard. Thank you again, for what you do.



And this, is our new scene :) As I type this, Miya and Jayden are cleaning up before bed, and Melanie is sitting in her new bed, wide awake, wondering why all the noise all of a sudden :) She's got an environment where she will continue to have to be tough.



Shes got some growing to do to fill out her crib yet :)




I leave you all tonite with again, a thank you. It seems all of yours and our prayers have been answered for Miss Melanie. Now that she is home, there will be more and more pictures posted. There are also some rules for Melanie that we will share tomorrow probably. Although she is home, she still doesnt get to go out for now, except for doctor appointments, which she will have plenty of. Melanie has fought a long hard battle, and now she is home. What a joyous day. We thank you all for you love, and support. And tonite, I ask one favor from all of you if I can. If you read this, can you please leave a comment if you have time, even if its a really short one. We love hearing from you all.

Psalm 30:11-12 11Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.



Thank you again...the Westras