A New Kind of Normal

Before leaving the hospital, I confessed to our nurse that I was nervous to take Henry home.  Over the course of his 38 day stay, our new routine, while initially difficult, began to feel normal, even comfortable.  The nurse looked at me and said, "Jen, being in a hospital should never be normal.  You'll take Henry home and create a new kind of normal for you and your family."  Of course, she was right. 

Henry has been home for 10 days now, and so here we are, creating our new kind of normal.  While we have loved having him home, it isn't without its challenges.  Our new normal consists of putting in feeding tubes and checking incisions.  Our new normal means packing a stethoscope in his diaper bag.  Our new normal includes many, many appointments with doctors and specialists - at least one a day, but sometimes more.  But our new normal also includes a lot of love and a great deal of fun as we learn the joys of becoming a family of four.

Yesterday I spoke with a mother who also has a child that was born with an omphalocele.  She said her daughter was 6 months old before she really "rounded the corner" in terms of her healing and feeding.  We talked about the struggles and frustrations, the uphill battle it seems to be at times, but we also talked about how much we love our children and how they are truly miracles.  In fact, as I type this, I look down at Henry and sure enough, he has a great big grin on his face, just for me.  I can't imagine my life without him, and he is, without question, worth all extra effort.

Well, enough jabbering - let's get to some pictures! 

Our happy boy

Free from his feeding tube - on a trial basis

Brother and sister bonding

Fresh from the bathtub

A walk to Riverside Park



From the Top

It strikes me that there might be a few new people following our blog recently, and for those of you who are unfamiliar with our story over the last 6 months, you'll find at the bottom of this post, in small letters, a link that says "Labels: Baby Boy".  You can click on that, and it will  bring up previous posts about Henry.  They'll be in reverse order, because despite my meager efforts, I'm not very computer savvy...so that's the best I can do :)



A Home Run!

                                  

Father's Day will never be the same. 

Each year on Valentine's Day we reminisce about Claire's homecoming, and now we will, in years to come, certainly remember Father's Day as the day we brought our little Henry home. 

Henry is dressed to impress in his "Later Gator" t-shirt, plaid shorts and

and his sandals, which are more fashionable than practical. 

Ready or not - here he comes!

And of course, we can't forget to honor our own Fathers. 

After all, it's their day, too!

...and Grandpa Dan Rosen in absentia :)

We love each of you! 

Thanks for your presence and your handiwork in our lives.

Yesterday

It seems like just yesterday...

...we were visiting Henry in the hospital.

...Henry was hanging with Nurse Brenda,

...and making cute crafts with Nurse Rhonda. 

 ...and Claire was strolling around the hospital, particularly the gift shop,

like she owned the place.  

It seems like just yesterday, I suppose, because it was just yesterday. 

But I'm happy to announce Henry has come home, and so our time in room 301 of the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital is now just a memory.  Oddly enough, it was sad to go, but we are eager to begin this new chapter of life with all of us under the same roof once again.  And I have to say, I love having two kids at home.  I'm learning the old adage, "the more, the merrier" has a certain ring of truth to it. 

I plan on posting Henry's homecoming pictures in the near future, but much will depend on whether or not I'm able to coordinate nap time :0)

What's up, Doc?

Henry's hernia surgery went very well today, though the surgeon reported that the hernias were more serious than they had anticipated.  Apparently, some of his intestine had slipped through one of the hernias and become twisted.  This was probably uncomfortable for Henry, and it could have caused significant problems if gone uncorrected.  So we're grateful to have this behind us and be one step closer to his homecoming.

Also, another milestone in little Henry's life -- Genesis 17:10.  Look it up.

Upcoming Surgery

Quick Update: Henry will be having surgery tomorrow afternoon to repair his hernias.  While it's a routine procedure, both his hernias are rather large, so his recovery could take a little longer than usual.  This should be a breeze, though, compared to what he went through a few weeks ago. 
Also, no guarantees, but there is a chance Henry could come home later this week - though he would, most certainly, still have his feeding tube.  We'll find out more following the surgery, and we'll certainly keep you posted. 

One Month Old

 A birthday gift for Henry.

Though I'm sure he'd want us to enjoy it on his behalf. 

Three Generations

Grandma Rosen and Claire keep entertained with a water bottle.