No News is Good News!

We're in the midst of a rather quiet weekend here in 7C. I "officially" moved into Chase's room on Thursday so I could be here for all of his bottle feedings, which worked out perfectly since he has excelled at the bottle thing and pretty much went straight to full feeds and eliminated tube feeds from the get-go. What an incredible blessing!!!

So I have to tell you something that I've been waiting to say for a L-O-N-G time (33 days, to be exact): During rounds this morning, the "D" word was finally mentioned to us! That's right!

Discharge!!!

There is a REALLY good chance -- assuming Chase has a quiet, boring weekend -- that we will be discharged early next week! Can you believe it!? I feel like I've been waiting forever for that day to arrive! So here's our game plan: Assuming we are discharged next week, we plan to hang out here in Charleston for an extra week or so while we settle our family of FOUR into our rental house -- all together under ONE ROOF for the first time!!! Hubs and I want to have some time to settle into life with a precious newborn while we're still within a 10-minute drive from MUSC, should anything weird happen with Chase (we don't expect this to happen at all... we're just boy scouts!). We won't know until Monday, but there's a chance we'll need to schedule another swallow study (to see if we can try less-thickened milk and eventually regular milk) and perhaps another visit with the ENT folks to do a flexible bronchoscopy here in Chase's room (to see how he's healing and determine whether or not his paralyzed left vocal cord is showing signs of recovery). SO... although we might be discharged next week, it'll still be another week or two after that before we're able to make the trek back to our home sweet home. But can you believe it? There is a light at the end of the tunnel and this leg of our journey may very well be in its final stages!

Of course once we do get home, life will by no means return to the "normal" we once knew. And not just because we're adding a new member to our family. In reality, Chase is still a very fragile little guy (although he looks so incredibly healthy and normal!). We've been advised that it is extremely important that he doesn't get sick between now and his next surgery, the Glenn, which should take place when he's around 6 months old. So basically, once we're home, we're HOME -- meaning no showing off our little rock star, no church, no grocery runs, no shopping trips, etc. Basically, the only time our little one will leave the house is for his doctors appointments. And our sweet LO will have to follow suit. We don't want Chase getting sick because his sister picked up a cold while at Sunday School, so she'll be living in our family's little bubble, too. I know this is going to be so incredibly difficult for me (all of us, really), but I know it's in Chase's best interest and right now that takes precedence over everything else. So let me just say now that while I'm looking forward to being back home and showing off my amazing son, it'll be a long while before he can make public appearances. I, on the other hand, will still be making solo appearances at church, grocery stores, etc. ;) Aren't y'all excited about that!? LOL!

Well this quick little update turned out to be much longer than I expected! Hopefully there won't be much to share tomorrow (Sunday), but maybe, God willing, on Monday, I'll be able to write the happiest post ever, announcing our discharge plans! Woot!!

Thanks to my sister J for sharing these lyrics yesterday. They fully sum up my feelings regarding God's work in my family's lives!

How can I say thanks
For the things You have done for me
Things so undeserved
Yet You give to prove Your love for me
The voices of a million angels
Cannot express my gratitude
All that I am or ever hope to be
I owe it all to Thee!

To GOD be the glory, for the things He has done!!!