Our 2 1/2 Weeks in the NICU

It is so hard to believe that we only spent 2 1/2 weeks with our baby in the NICU. In so many ways, it felt much much longer. Jayden was in good hands though and we trusted the staff that helped us during our stay.

Staying away from home for so long was especially challenging but we tried to keep the 2 big kids entertained. We were very fortunate to have my mother-in-law help us daily with our children and my husband had family living in the area. They were a lot of help as well and hosted Christmas for us.

We were gifted (by a complete stranger to our family) certificates to Build-A-Bear with the mission to build a bear for Jayden while he was in the NICU. We all wrote notes to put inside the bear for Jayden to find when he is older. It was the sweetest gift that our family will treasure always. The timing was also impeccable as we completed the teddy bear the day before he had a big test to make sure he had no leaks in his esophagus from surgery. The next day, he passed his test!

Santa came to visit Jayden at the hospital and our 2 other children loved seeing all the Christmas trees set up at our housing site and the hospital.

After learning to drink milk from the bottle, Jayden was finally able to be sent home. We loved our views of the bustling city (quite the contrast from our country views) but it was time to leave that picture behind us and finally start adjusting to life at home as a family of 5.