All Packed...Discharge probably today at 3pm :)

The three of us woke up bright and early this morning at 6am.  Knowing that today is probably "go home" day, we started packing up the room, first thing.  Took down all of his cards, his string of heart beads, packed up all the pillows and blankets and misc stuff in the car.  It's amazing how much stuff you can accumulate here in just 6 days!

Last night, while I was eating my lunch (yes, I didn't get lunch in until dinner time), Evan was begging for some real food.  We ordered him up a dinner tray, and a high chair and he was SO happy!  I think just putting him in the highchair was a nice relief for him....we're all getting a little tired of this hospital bed.  Right after eating,  he did throw up, but at least he's keeping down the breast milk now. 

Yesterday, the surgeon told me I was NOT to breastfeed him anymore, because they needed to know exactly how much he was taking in, in order to set up his prescriptions for going home.  He will be on antibiotics, tylenol, and lasix (not sure of the spelling) to keep draining fluids out of him).  Well, that lasted for about a 1/2 hour of him screaming/crying bloody murder and refusing to take his milk from a bottle, before I finally gave in and decided it wasn't going to work.  Our fav nurse agreed, that I should probably just breastfeed him, but I think she was afraid the surgeon would be upset.  I assured her I would take the blame.  Later I told him that breastfeeding seemed to be our only option, and he seems okay with it, so that's good!  Only dilemma now is that he went without nursing for so long, that he's got some kind of anxiety about the whole thing.  He won't take a bottle for Obee now, and he seems to want to use me for a pacifier 24/7!  Hopefully that won't last too long and he will be assured he won't lose the nummies again for awhile.  haha.

They are getting everything ready for us to go home around 3pm.  The surgeon asked us if we want to go home today, as Evan is doing so much better!  We said yes!  I did mention I am a little nervous about taking him home and caring for him, and he said we can stay a few more days if we would prefer.  We opted for going home, so wish us luck that things aren't too difficult once we get there!  We have to keep him away from people as much as possible for the next month, and he is NOT allowed to crawl for at least 6 weeks....um...that should be a lot of fun.  {can you feel the sarcasm in my voice?}  He can't use his arms to pull himself to standing either.  Putting him down, and keeping him from doing those two things would be virtually impossible.  I see myself holding him or breastfeeding him all the time for the next six weeks in my future!  Hopefully it will go by quickly.

We return here to see his cardiologist on Friday morning, and then return here AGAIN to see his surgeon on Monday and to have xrays done.  On Thursday I'm supposed to cook in Ellie's class and do music docent in Hayden's, so I see a busy week ahead already and am feeling a little stressed about how everything will fall into place. 

We unplugged Evan from all of his machines today, and have been giving him wagon rides around the ICU unit. He has been playing the ipod and singing as we go around the floor in circles, enjoying himself.  I'm glad that everyone here now gets to see the real Evan, and not the Evan they met that first couple of days/nights!  He's a little charmer, that's for sure.