We are so excited and relieved and exhausted!! Okay, double exhausted. Brendan is looking and feeling excellent and we are so happy to have him home.

This morning at the hospital, we just had to kill time waiting for all of the official discharge process. Brendan entertained us with a piano concert, we especially liked his unique playing style.

We were almost free and we got stopped at the parking garage elevators and had to go back inside for some paperwork corrections. Brendan was awfully patient about it.

Finally on the road! He wonders if Trevor has been missing him!

He can’t wait to sleep in his own soft bed!

Trevor was waiting at home. He even put on his dress shiorts (not a typo, that is shirt-shorts 🙂 )

Trevor was a blur, crawling all over trying to make sure everything was ready

He thinks Brendan needs his play mat out

He takes breaks from prep work to play on the jungle

Brendan is relieved to be home, but something isn’t right about his bed.

Trevor is in there to slap Brendan’s hand whenever he tries to scratch on his incision

Brendan is just going to boot him out!

Except then he realizes that Trevor might just come in handy

So far, everything is going smoothly. We have a lot of recovery to do and then we have to jump right back in to drug weaning and pushing Brendan on his sprinting times. The best news is that the drug doses are all the same as they were when we went in! We did not lose any ground on weaning with this surgery. Brendan’s nurse will be here tonight, so I hope to get some sleep!

There is no better way to wrap up week 46 than with the news that Brendan is going home tomorrow!! The doctors are very happy with his progress. As of 6pm tonight, he is on his full formula feeding and his TPN is gone. He is pooping regularly. He just has to demonstrate through the night that he is tolerating full feeding. He was mostly in a great mood and was just making all the nurses swoon with his cuteness. He kept me very busy though and I didn’t take many pictures.

He was very serious today about his sprint.

You take your eyes off of him for even a second and he is scratching his surgery wound. The incision itself looks great and is healing well but the surrounding skin is just destroyed by his scratching. It is very sensitive skin where it was under the ostomy base all the time. He has it all bloody and messy. He just goes digging with that thumb, he is trouble!!

You can’t be mad at this face!

Everyone is exhausted, and we are all relieved that this hospital visit is at its end. We are so excited for homecoming!

Trevor tried to play in Brendan’s crib again today, but Brendan’s crabbie security system caught him

Trevor didn’t let it stop him

Better luck next time Brendan, you are going to need a bigger guard crabbie.

Trevor went to the basement for a little rest

Peek! Just kidding, he doesn’t nap.

I am getting ready to head back to the hospital for my last overnight with Brendan. I am hoping he sleeps so I can sleep. I am excited that the next time I make the drive home, it will be sitting in the back seat with Brendan in the car! We hope that it all goes smoothly!

Happy Grandparents Day to my Grandma! Grandma and Grandpa K. made a huge impact in my life and I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for their help and influence. I am very grateful.

I speak for my little boys when I say that they are blessed with a very loving and dedicated Gramma as well. She has given so much of herself to all of her children and grandchildren and I hope some day that they realize just what an impact that she is having on them. When the boys were just buns in the oven she said, “I want to be a part of their life and not just that Grandma in another state”. I think she got her wish, although I don’t think anyone could have anticipated this level of involvement! We all appreciate her very much. The boys have a special art project that they are working on for their grandparents for today, but Brendan needs to ask for an extension to finish his part, he had something come up!

The boys are very glad to have had a chance to meet Grandpa Dusty, although his visit was short. Although they haven’t met their Granddad (trainsdad), we appreciate all of the supportive comments and we are glad he is able to know the boys through their blog.

Trevor had a great day today with Gramma. I hear he behaved himself, he must have known today was special! He knows Brendan loves beards so in preparation of Brendan’s homecoming, he tried on a few styles.

A bath isn’t over until you bite the drain plug

Trevor looked cute in his big boy shorts and t-shirt (that says “mess maker”). He is learning to stand and balance on his own although he would rather not.

Trevor’s favorite thing right now is Cheerios. No matter how much he has eaten, if you put Cheerios in front of him, he will eat them. If he finds half of a stale Cheerio on the seat of his high chair, he will eat it.

Brendan had another great day today, making good strides towards coming home. Rumor has it that homecoming day MIGHT be Tuesday. We can’t be sure until we see how he does with his ever increasing food.

He liked being held today, he is less sore and stiff and swollen. He is hanging out with Daddy.

He was extra-chompy today, teething on everything, including Daddy. He has SHARP little teeth! Ouch!!

Daddy chomps back

Brendan steals Daddy’s drink

“What is this? Water!??”

Brendan discovered that his metal crib was perfect for making raucous noises and had an absolute blast shaking his keys!

All of that chomping and shaking made him so tired! (Brendan is not the least bit dramatic about his napping poses)

“Woe is me!!”

To be fair, he is still doing a lot of healing and hurting and itching. Bill and I have to pretty much stand at his crib nonstop in order to keep him smiling and comfortable. He is a bit scared and feeling rough.
When I left tonight, he was up to 25ml and hour on his formula (full strength is 45ml). He is still doing well on that and had another good poop tonight.

Hang in there Brendan, it is almost time to come home!