The "Home Stretch"

Before you get too excited about the title of this point, I want to give you a running analogy.  For those of you who don't know, I got into running about 2 years ago and love it!  It is very addictive I think!  I need to get back out there, because I would love to run a half marathon sometime this fall.  Alright, digressing...

Anyways, different races have different kinds of home stretches.  Let's talk about 3 different kinds.

1. Some races you run and run and run, then all of a sudden the finish line is there.  You couldn't really see it coming, it just sort of pops up out of nowhere.  Then you're finished.
2. Other races you can see it for miles until you finally finish it.  Those aren't nice because you can tasted the finish, but it feels like it's being kept from you like candy on a string attached to your hat. No matter how far you go, it just never feels like it gets closer.
3. Then there's even meaner races (right now I am thinking of the San Diego Rock'n'Roll Marathon I did last summer).  In that race (while I was in a lot of pain because my knee hurt like crazy) you could see the finish around mile 22sh I believe, but then you had to run around this peninsula/island thing and you couldn't see it for a few miles.  So cruel!  It was sooo close, you could see it not that far away, then you had to run where you couldn't see it....

So, how does any of that have to do with Samuel going home (some day)?  Basically I say we are on the home stretch because we have now been given the orders to feed orally whenever he is awake (on Friday we could feed him orally twice a shift and that went very well).  Remember how one of the big things is that he has to be on 100% oral feedings with 2 days of weight gain?  Yeah, we are getting really close.

The problem is, even though we are getting really close we really don't know what close means...  Does that mean he will start eating orally and gaining weight well and we'll be home within a week?  Maybe!  Or is his energy not quite up to snuff and after eating more he will be sleepy more, thus keeping us here past Easter?  Maybe!  We just don't know at this point, it is too early to tell.

Oh and remember how I mentioned that his oxygen levels haven't been as spectacular as before?  Yeah, we got to get that more under control too.  How long will that take?  I have no idea.  Maybe within a week or maybe not until after Easter.  So, yes, we are in the home stretch and we could be going home very soon (note to self, get that car seat installed!), but we could also be here for several more weeks.

What I do know, is that we want him healthy and strong so that he can handle what life at home means.  That's a life without monitors to make sure he's breathing and has his heart rate where he needs it.  It's also a life where being too tired to eat is not an option, there will be no more tube feeding (which is not a favorite of his anyways).  We are simply thankful for the excellent progress he has made so far and we just pray that he will continue moving forward no matter how quickly.... or slowly!

Samuel means "God heard" and we surely know that God hears all our prayers, including the ones about Samuel!  We have definitely been blessed with an amazing staff at this NICU, which is one way that God has heard our prayers!