Relief!

My cousin came today. My cousin came today. Hi ho the dairy oh. My cousin came today.

The relief was instantaneous. We went straight from the airport to the hospital and got her signed in so she could go by herself. CC (her 11 year old daughter) watched Max in the hall and waiting room and both were able to look through the windows and see us. Then, I took the kids and pumped. We switched and my cousin T took the kids for lunch. She found it as hard to leave as I do and asked how I did it. Of course, the easy answer is no choice Max needed me/needs me too. We've got a loose schedule for this week. Plus agreement that she will take the kids on Saturday while I visit the NICU to my hearts content and we will flip on Sunday giving me one day home to spend with Max for our time with me knowing someone else who loves them will be there to visit the babes.

I got to hold Nora for the first time today. It was so nice. T had her camera and we did get pictures, but she forgot her cord to download and it is a odd size I don't have so they will have to wait. Oh, and the neonatologist on today came by when were were there and for the first time one of them mentioned a tentative go home time frame. Granted, its 5 - 6 weeks out and about the earliest time I had in my head (and coincides with my current return to work date). If that holds true, I'm almost third of the way through the NICU phase of their life. That seem much more manageable than "the end of the summer" or "two months".

T drove on the way home so I could pump and eat (simultaneously) in the car in route (thank goodness for tinted windows and bucket seats :). May not sound like a big deal and wasn't for her as she has been here many, many times and familiar with the freeways/routes, but helped my schedule immensely.

They swam while I napped and then pumped again. She gave Shadow a much over due bath/shower. We all hung out for a bit when we first got home and then before dinner/bedtime, It was nice.

I got Max down, pumped again, and then was free, free, free to go out and run some errands. I haven't had that freedom since my niece lived here for a few months last year (or maybe that was the year before now?). Again, doesn't sound like much, but was huge relief and heady sense of freedom for me. Of course, by then almost all of the stores I needed to get stuff from were closed, but still it was nice to be out after dark. The first time in the new car as I realized I didn't know if the lights came on automatically or which setting turned them on.

It's the end of the day and I'm not completely exhausted. As I told her, none of it is big, but all of it adds up to take the edge off me.

Today was a good day. Still busy for sure, but in a much more fun less stressful way.