S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night!

Sorry for the bad song reference in the title, but the attending physician told us today we might be bringing home our sweet little Clara this Saturday! We could have gone with "Saturday Night Live" or "Saturday Night Fever" and chose to go with a cheesy song by the Bay City Rollers. Did we mention we're sleep deprived? 

As we know from going through this with Wilson, anything can and will happen. Just because the doctors think she will come home on Saturday doesn't mean she will be ready on that day. However, we are all moving forward as if Clara will be joining us this weekend.

Clara's departure from the NICU will be a little more interesting than Wilson's because she will require extra care. On Thursday, we have to go to the hospital to learn how to administer Clara's breathing treatments. Clara will also come home with an oxygen monitor. She is breathing on her own but we need to be able to see how well she is breathing so we can react quickly and appropriately if there are any problems.  

Regardless of what accoutrements Clara brings with her, we cannot emphasize enough how excited we are about the prospect of her joining us at home. Wilson had an amazing recovery in the NICU, but Clara's story is nothing short of miraculous. Clara's amniotic sac ruptured at 24 weeks, she was born breach in an emergency delivery at 26 weeks weighing 1.5 lbs, was briefly on a ventilator, and contracted MRSA while in the hospital. Yet here we are, standing on the precipice of bringing home a beautiful 5 lb baby girl.

Clara has fought so hard for so long that we've decided to try something special to mark the occasion. Balloons and a sign aren't enough to welcome her home; we need to have a real celebration. The NCAA, Trivial Pursuit, and Jeopardy all credit the University of Missouri with having the first ever college homecoming celebration. Chris and Morgan are both proud graduates of the University of Missouri (where Homecoming is still a really big deal) and, in a nod to their alma mater, have decided to throw a homecoming parade for Clara whenever the big day arrives. Ok, the "parade" will probably only last the length of the driveway, but everyone is invited. We are lucky to have had so many of you join us on this journey and it would be awesome to have you with us as this initial phase comes to a close. Morgan is paranoid about putting our address on the internet so email, call, or leave a comment if you need directions.

There is still a long road in front of us, but getting Clara home from the hospital is worth celebrating. We won't be able to have too much of a party because we can't have the kids in a confined space around many people, but we would love to see you if you're able to stop by. We truly could not have made it to this point without our friends and family and would be honored to share this moment with you all, even if it is somewhat brief. Watch the blog for updates because, as you know, we won't know exactly when she'll be arriving until closer to that moment.

Wilson is so excited about seeing his sister that
he peed his pants (which he somehow manages to
do in the front and back of his outfits).