The Best Christmas Gift

This time last year is seared into my brain. My son Connor was 10 days old and still in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). He was born 6 weeks premature and needed to show doctors that he could eat on his own and get rid of his jaundice before he could come home. They couldn't tell us when he would be home, we just had to take it day by day.

Everyday we called at 8 am to talk to the doctors before we headed to the hospital. The days just kept passing and the answer was always the same...

"He's not quite ready to go home yet, maybe tomorrow".

On the 23rd the doctors told us they were 99% sure he would come home Christmas Eve. We were beyond excited. We called the doctors at 8 am that morning and our hearts broke when they told us he had struggled to take one of his feedings that night so they wanted to keep him one more day to make sure it wasn't something more serious. All we could do was cry. They had been so sure the day before, and now he was staying another night. We were devastated. We knew he was in the best place and getting amazing care but it had already been 10 days and we just wanted our sweet boy home. We felt defeated, in that moment it felt like he would never come home.  

After our family Christmas party that Christmas Eve we spent a few hours at the hospital. We couldn't let our little boy be alone Christmas Eve. It was so hard to leave but finally around midnight we went home. We went to bed with heavy hearts that night.

That Christmas morning we got the most amazing surprise! The doctors called us before we could call them and they had great news...

Connor was ready to come home!!

We immediately left for the hospital! (I was even still in PJ'S)

After unhooking all the cords, getting him dressed for the very first time, signing a bunch of paperwork and cutting off the hospital band it was time to go HOME! Nothing can ever top that Christmas present. Now every Christmas we will remember it as the day we brought our miracle boy home.

I can't believe that was all just a year ago. Some days it feels like it was yesterday and other days it feels like it was a lifetime ago.

I can't wait to celebrate Christmas this year with my sweet baby toddler boy.

Merry Christmas!!!!!