Once at the agency, we signed the placement paperwork and then followed another social worker to the hospital where he was. We blindly went in, up the elevator and through the doors to the NICU. Then into the room he was in, where she led us to the back left corner, to peer in and see our beautiful, tiny bundle! I immediately began crying because it was just so amazing to see this precious babe who was now our son! She took a few pictures, introduced us to some of the hospital staff who got us set up at the Ronald McDonald House, and soon left. We learned more about why he was there and even had to sign a consent form for a procedure for him that evening. Talk about being rushed into parenthood! It was a blur of an evening but so amazing to finally hold our son, this baby who we and many others have prayed for!
Ephraim was on antibiotics for pneumonia, however his labs came back clear that he never had the infection nor any others. But because the course had been started, he had to finish it out for the full seven days. Also, he had low blood sugar and was first receiving glucose in an IV to supplement his regular feedings. When that wasn't enough to get his numbers up, he was given a PIC line which more directly delivered the glucose. Over a few days, they were able to quickly decreased the amount of glucose that he was given and then he was off the line. It was wonderful to watch his numbers get better so quickly, and he spent the second week at the hospital completely off any glucose. His numbers were monitored every three hours, and they wanted him to maintain a certain level for 24 hours. While he did well, he would often have one borderline low number each 24 hour period, usually around 3a. So we waited and waited for his body to regulate. The doctors and nurses were not concerned as this is a common issue that they see, especially in smaller babies. He was deemed full-term, but born at 5 lbs. 7 oz. They reassured us that his body would regulate on its own, it just took time.
We invited our parents and Colin's sister and brother-in-law to come up on Friday to meet him, and that was a fun day. We enjoyed the weekend, with visits from our parents again.
Colin had to leave on Monday and come back to work. I was fortunate to have my mom stay with me for a couple of nights and days, my mother-in-law come up for an evening, and my dad sit with me on Friday. It was rough, draining, and exhausting to be in the hospital for those 11 days. I constantly reminded myself that I had much to be grateful for as Ephraim was doing well, and the preemies who we shared rooms with would be there for months, not weeks. But it was a new experience and overwhelming as we waited for him to regulate. It was hard being there every day, usually from 9a to 9p, while Col was back in Rochester. We missed each other, him wanting to be in Buffalo and me wanting to be home, missing my bed, bathroom, house, and dog. We just wanted Ephraim to come home but knew we couldn't rush the process and wanted him healthy most of all. There were a few moments while there that were the most overwhelming for me, as the emotions of our super fast placement and the days in the NICU wore on me.
We were blessed by being able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House, which was overall amazing. We couldn't say enough about it, and it was especially great once Colin left because they offered a shuttle to and from the hospital so I didn't have to worry about not having a car there. Meals were made every day and the fully-stocked kitchen was always open. It was a comfortable, safe, and very minimally priced place to stay, which was greatly appreciated. That first night when we checked in, I looked around at the families eating dinner and was speechless at how, in 24 hours, everything had changed. I was a MOM and a NICU mom. Crazy how life happens, isn't it?
Thankfully, we were able to hold him whenever we wanted, change and feed him every time we were there, and some nurses even began including us in other aspects of his care since we were there so much. We took his temperature every time they did vitals, and I got to give him a sponge bath one evening. The nurses and doctors were amazing, and we got to know a few of them who worked multiple days during our time there. I sometimes felt like I was a tech in the room, joking with them, getting used to all the monitors, beeps, etc. I became proficient at changing and moving him with all of his wires attached. And it was comforting for me as a new mom to always know what his oxygen levels were.
On Friday, they said that we would probably be discharged on Saturday but that they were sending me home with a glucometer to check his blood sugar ourselves every three hours. I was taught how to use it, and felt comfortable as I had seen it done a million times already. Colin came back up that evening after work, and we were reunited again.
We were happily discharged on Saturday late afternoon and finally arrived home as a family of three!
Everything changed for us in 24 hours. God is SO good and faithful!
