This is what life is all about...

I was laying in bed the other night after Ethan's 2am feeding and I looked over at Ethan on my right who was in his co-sleeper sleeping away, Brayden and my husband on my left and I just smiled. ( yes you read that right, we have both boys in our room with us and we couldn't be happier right now...it will change soon though :) ) It was like at that moment all the weight of the past seven months were lifted off my shoulders right then and there. I thought to myself... this is what life is supposed to be like, this is how a mommy to a new baby boy should feel like, this is what all of those other moms have been feeling like. It was good. I am in love with my family.
 
Okay so now on to a little update on Ethan. He is doing well at home. He has gained a little over a pound in the week he has been home. He is 11lbs now...left the hospital at 9lbs 13 oz. He just wasn't gaining much weight at the hospital and I guess being home was just what he needed. :) He has had a couple of followup appointments the past week and they were very happy with him and the progress he made the past week at home. One of our favorite PICU doctors told me that he helps children start to feel better but they will never heal at the hospital, they always heal at home. I 100 % agree with that.

Milestones are going to be a tough one for the first two years. As an ex preemie he is already going to be a little behind. When a doctor follows a preemies milestones they don't go by his actual age, they go by his gestational age. So what age he would have been if he was born full term. He would technically be 5 months on Feb 2nd and for that he is meeting most of his milestones. Which is not bad seeing he was in the hospital and on his back for almost 7 months. The Physical therapy people at the hospital did not expect him to be so strong...I worked with him every chance I got at the hospital. I was and still am a determined momma! Ethan can hold his head up and if I am holding his hips he can sit up. He has rolled from tummy to back a few times(just started this at home). He smiles, laughs, coos, reaches for objects. If he hears one of our voices he moves his head towards us to listen and raises his eyebrows like he is trying to understand what we are saying :) The only time he really cries is if we are in the car and stopped at a light or stop sign and if he has to wait for his bottle to be warmed. When he is hungry...he is expecting the bottle in his mouth asap. :)

Some of his favorite things to do are:
Blowing bubbles with his mouth
Still loves his pacifier
Splashing in his little bathtub
Smile at his brother
Loves being held

Here are a few pictures of his first week home...I have more but some are on my phone and on another computer. I will post a few more later. :)