Sweet Pea came home on June 14th, pretty unexpectedly–we thought she was going to be transferred to the children’s hospital to have a bridled NG tube put in, but at the last minute, her doctors decided we were capable enough to handle a regular NG tube on our own and that should could leave the hospital the next day. Leaving the NICU was pretty anticlimactic, as was settling into our new life as a family of four. It has just felt right and easy–much easier than you’d expect for a baby with 2-3 doctor’s appointments each week, oxygen, and 4 different medications.
Throwing a wrench into everything was being laid off a week after bringing Sweet Pea home from the hospital. I had to dive right into finding freelance work because I have a family to support–but it was hard to conduct a job search with all the doctor’s appointments and needs of a new baby in the home. If this year has taught me anything, it’s that despite all my control freak, über-planner tendencies, life will always be unpredictable.
One thing I’ve been trying to keep predictable is our dinner times. We ate out a lot when Sweet Pea was in the hospital. I’ve found that with her home, I actually have more time and motivation to cook. And obviously, with my job situation, we can’t afford to get takeout half the week anymore. I’m rediscovering how much I enjoy cooking–not just the act of putting together meals, but the fact that it’s something I can do for my family, to care for them. I’ve felt powerless a lot over the past several months, so I think that things I can do feeling is a powerful one for me.
