for Nora Grace: Home.

After twenty days in the hospital, we made it home.

We've been home for about a week and a half, and in that time Nora has made a lot of friends! We have plenty of visitors, some family and friends, some nurses and therapists. We've had a visit from an occupational therapist, physical therapist and two nurse visits. We will continue to have these visits, as well as many doctor visits, for weeks and months to come.

The biggest battle Nora faces right now is eating. She still isn't safe to eat breastmilk, so we're still mixing a low fat formula that is delivered to our home. She still isn't safe to eat in any sort of "normal" fashion. Eating is quite an ordeal. She must eat a certain amount every three hours while on her right side, in an upright position while using the Haberman feeder bottle.

All that aside Nora is doing fantastic! She is one month old today and has gained one pound and seven ounces, weighing in at 6 lbs, 13 oz. Her eating is becoming more consistent and her volume intake is ever-growing. She continues to face hurdles, but leaps them with no trouble at all...her body was rejecting the stitches in her incision a bit and they had to reopen it and remove the stitch in order to resolve the irritation. She also has a hearty case of acid reflux and has to spend a great deal of time on her side and upright, while also taking a few medications in an attempt to resolve the problem. Regardless, her eyes are opening wider and more often, her cheeks are getting chubbier, her poops are getting bigger and her cry is getting louder and louder.

While Nora Grace continues to be a rockstar, Kevin and I are so very proud, so in love, and sooooo tired. #itsashardaseveryonesays :)

Part of coming home has been the most exciting and exhausting time in our lives, and also there is a bit of an adjustment period. We spent the first three weeks of our daughter's life in the hospital. We had a slow transition into parenting, and while in the hospital we only had to worry about Nora. There was no real life happening. No breakfast to make, no laundry to do, no bills to pay and bottles to prepare. It was all taken care of by the nurses, but more than that, we grew to love the community at Children's Hospital that we became part of.

Don't get me wrong. We are absolutely loving this adventure. We adore our baby girl and our pups and our home and having it all together under one roof. And our life is no more challenging at this moment than anyone else that comes home with a new baby. We have little to complain about- but I am a little bit mourning the farewell of our first home with Nora Grace- Children's Hospital.

I spoke with a woman while we were at the hospital that has a daughter with Turner's Syndrome and also had the heart surgery Nora had. She said, "It was literally years before I could go to Children's without anxiety. I was nearly having a panic attack each time we had an appointment."

I couldn't disagree more. Now, her path to getting to Children's was very different than ours, and much more of an Emergency and unknown situation, but I love that place. I absolutely love it. We've had two appointments there since we left and I get excited to go back each time.

Not only are the people there positively wonderful, but they gave us our little girl. And they made it relatively painless, and they showed us grace, and joy, and told me over and over how perfect Nora is. That happy hospital was the place where I first met Nora, and where I got to hold her for the first time, and see her blue eyes, and cheer her on. It's where she met her grandparents and great-grandparents and aunties. It's where she had her first photo shoot and her first bath. It's where we learned how to care for a little baby, slowly and with the help of the nurses. It's where we left her each night to get dinner or sleep. It's where they took phenomenal care of her, and where they made my every hope become a reality. Pregnancy was so very scary for me, but Nora's life has been made a joyous occasion because of the help of all of the staff at the hospital. So, for all of these reasons, and many more, leaving the hospital was a bit emotional for me. I feel so very grateful for that wonderful place.

And now, I'm thrilled to type this from my big, brown couch as Nora is lying next to me, and my pups rest at my feet. I'm glad to rock Nora in the rocking chair in that colorful bedroom of hers, hear her breathing as I sleep in my own bed, and have ALL of the clothes in my closet at my fingertips once again.

Ms. Nora continues to amaze us every day. Fingers crossed and continued prayers that this doesn't let up, and in the many follow-up appointments we don't find any more surprises- except for maybe happy surprises. In the next few weeks we'll be developing a plan for the lung masses we found during pregnancy and continuing to watch her heart post surgery. All of these prayers for Nora Grace seem to be heard- let's keep 'em coming!