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Happy Home Fairy

Helping Moms Build Happy Homes

Breaking Free

I apologize from the bottom of my heart to leave y’all hanging about our homecoming from the hospital!

It has been CRRRRRAAZZZZYYYYY.

Life with the Happy Baby home is so wonderful – so perfect and so right.

But it’s also a lot of work!  Phew!  Poor lil’ guy came marching out of the hospital with a list 8 miles long of follow-up appointments and pediatrician visits.  Not to mention the care and attention of a feeding tube.  Not to mention the hours of snuggling and cuddling and never-letting-going. 🙂

In between these things, I have been slowly uploading some unbelievable photos for you (taken by my incredible friend, Bobbilee) of our discharge experience.

I hope you get a glimpse of the joy our Happy Home felt that day as we broke free from the hospital and set sail into our new normal as a party of 4. 🙂The Happy Baby’s final nap in his hospital crib.So excited to see this thing go – this little alarm kept me from kidnapping my buddy on the hundred different occasions I tried to plot an escape.I am informing the Happy Baby of his release. 🙂The nurse gives us some last minute instructions on how to use the feeding tube.The Happy Buddy thought it appropriate to celebrate his brother’s homecoming with a carton of chocolate milk.I had been planning for the Happy Buddy to wear this outfit on this oh-so-special day.

He was super excited to finally fulfill his calling as the most amazing brother ever.

I’m not going to lie, I am pretty proud of this cart full of frozen milk bottles the hospital has been storing for me the last 3 months!  I have been working hard!My sweet mom took charge of figuring out how to transport all that liquid gold to our house.The handsome star of the show getting dressed for his first appearance outdoors.Love.I will do anything for this little dude – even if it means holding his paci in for hours at a time.Our first family photo.Brothers.Bliss.All together now.First time in his car seat!Headin’ on out…The security guard stopped us and we had a ceremonial cutting of the cord – the super stylish hot pink bracelets the hubs and I have had to wear for the last 3 months.FREE AT LAST!Everyone’s strapped in, buckled up, and the Happy Buddy is ready with a book to share with his new back seat companion.It’s a good thing I had my seat belt on because I am pretty sure I would have sprouted wings and flown away.

This is the feeling of sweet relief and bright hope for tomorrow.

As we pulled away from the curb the Happy Hubby said a prayer (with his eyes opened, of course :-)) thanking God for giving us strength to see that season of our lives through.

And he prayed for our tomorrows because we know that the story of the Happy Baby – his health, his prognosis, his life – has just begun.

The future is not known, but our God knows.

And we will press on in that glorious freedom.

🙂

“Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.”

Isaiah 43:18-19*Thank you, sweet Bobbilee – best. gift. ever.*

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About Happy Home Fairy

Julie Brasington is a Preschool Director, wife of a South Florida Worship Pastor and mom of 3 boys. She writes at Happy Home Fairy where you can find easy craft ideas, FREE printables, simple recipes, holiday fun, thoughts on raising kids, and encouragement for moms.

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Reader Interactions

38 Comments

  5. kasey

    I am very happy for you that your whole family is now at home. A friend of mine is going through something similar with your experience. She had to have an emergency c-section about three weeks ago because her blood pressure was very high. Her daughter was born at 24 weeks and is finally gaining some weight but I can only imagine how she is handling all of this. I am sharing your inspiration with my friend maybe it will bring her some hope. Thank you, Kasey

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  6. Jamee

    First of all… YOU look amazing!!! Second, that baby is the cutest piece of sugar I have ever laid eyes on!!!!! Third of all, joe d’s is where my son was taken when he was a few days old (then a free weeks later…) with his heart condition! I hated very second of it, but love every ounce of that children’s hospital! They were so great and some of the best nurses EVER.!!! So excited for you all!!!!!!

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  15. MARLA

    Julie, thank you for this sweet update and such precious photos…God is so good 🙂 The journey ahead is unknown but how blessed to know it has passed through the Father’s hands first. God has given you and Ryan the blessing of two beautiful boys. Soak up these days! I’ll be praying for God’s perfect peace to guard your hearts and for His right hand to up hold you. “God is in every tomorrow, Therefore I live for today, certain of finding at sunrise, Guidance and strength for my way; Power for each moment of weakness, Hope for each moment of pain, Comfort for every sorrow. Sunshine and joy after rain.” from Streams in the Desert. Love, Marla

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  21. Jeannine & Chad

    Dearest Ryan and Julie, We are so thankful for all that God is doing in your lives. It is a joy to read God working and moving in you through the life of this precious baby. His grace is seen so vividly in your desire to glorify Him in all your words and actions in the midst of a trial bigger than you ever could have imagined. We love you guys and are so happy for you! YAY! The happy baby is home!!! WOO HOO! Praise the Lord! Love, The Causeys

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  33. Karen Cochrane

    What a great post… and what great pictures to document all of it. I’m so happy for your family to all finally be together at HOME!! Continuing to pray for you as you walk this unplanned journey. Thanking God for your faithful example and praying for strength for you all. He is absolutely one of the cutest little babies I’ve ever seen! That smile and those eyes… I’m sure you’re just eating him up now that he’s home with you! Congratulations! (and way to go with all that “liquid gold” you were able to store up!) 😉

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  38. amotherslove4ever

    I am in tears reading of your coming home! My daughter who is now 23 months was in and out of the hospital from 7 weeks old until 11 months. She originally stopped breathing at her first nursing and it went downhill til she was 4 months old and got a ng tube. She was only on it for about a month when they refused to do a g tube and i refused to have her same issues KEEP happening even with the tube. ANYWAYS reading this post reminding me of all the hard times i went through with her in the hospital and how much of a sweet relief it is to have her home and better. She still has to have all liquids thickened and an mbs done every 4 months but she has amazingly just reached a YEAR of NO HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS! PRAISE GOD! I hope your little man continues to do well and im goingto keep you all in my prayers! God bless you momma!

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