There is so much to say, and even more to be grateful for (again, that amazing staff that we spent almost 24 hours a day with for 10 days straight), but instead I will sum it up in some simple pictures.
Declyn came out of the womb grunting. The doctor gave him to us to hold for 4 hours, hoping the respiratory issue/fluid in his lungs (mainly due to his underdeveloped lungs) would correct itself, but unfortunately they didn't. My brother's friend, who went through a similar situation with her son (in terms of fluid in the lungs), put it perfectly -- he just happened to take a breath at the wrong time. I was so out of it when they took him away that I thought they would bring him right back -- wrong.
Here he is with all of his tubes, wires, and oxygen machines. I can still smell the sweet scent of the fluids surrounding him in his little incubator and feel his super soft and warm skin from being under the blue lights all day (this was to increase his bilirubin). Our sweet little boy's innocence could be seen as he stared at his (when his tanning goggles weren't on) -- unaware that we couldn't hold him, thinking life was spent with Mom and Dad holding your hand and touching any part of your body that wasn't covered in tubes or wires.
For those of you having babies, please don't take for granted those moments in the first few days when you get to hold your child (even if they're screaming bloody murder). I would have given anything for that.
Despite being a bigger preemie, he was still so tiny compared to his dad's hand.
Loving on his dad... again.
This is my favorite picture from his time in the NICU. Our little Dec wanted to show Mom and Dad that despite all that was going on (and all the poking and prodding he was going through while he was trying to learn to control his breathing) he was OK and was just happy to be here. :)
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