There's no place like home!

Finally, on Saturday, December 20, after 17 days in the NICU, and two days before my birthday, Atticus was cleared to come home!  It had required three or four grueling, overnight stays at the hospital, but we sleepy parents couldn't have been happier.

Unfortunately, while Atticus had proven that he could take all of his feedings orally, he had not yet been able to become fully independent when it came to breathing, so he was on oxygen.  This would prove to be our next major battle.  But still, our baby was home!  We tried to enjoy every moment.

Another major obstacle was breastfeeding.  Try as he might, our little boy just didn't have the strength or stamina to get enough nourishment from nursing.  This was incredibly frustrating to me, as a mom, but I have to admit that it was nice for other family members to get a chance to feed and bond with him.  This little guy is pretty darn spoiled when it comes to grandparents!