Happy First St. Patrick's Day Luca!

We are so very happy and grateful to announce that Luca is now home with us!!!  Mike left work early on Friday and came home so we could go pick our boy up from the hospital-and bring him home to the rest of the family!  It is the most amazing feeling to have the whole family finally together.  I can't even describe how elated we are after this long, difficult, and emotionally trying journey..... we now come to the end and have our healthy little baby boy home with the rest of his siblings.  We are truly blessed and fortunate to have three amazing little beings that we are able to watch grow up and blossom into their own personalities.  For the first time I really feel like our family is complete.  I always knew I wanted children, and after having Vince and experiencing the joy and laughter he brings, I still felt like there was someone missing in the family.  Then Zoë came along and she definitely filled a gap, and brings even more joy and love to us-she's our cuddle bug!  But even after Zoë we still felt like there was more room in our hearts for another child.  I felt that someone wanted to come along and was supposed to be in our family.  Well little did I know he wanted to come along so bad that he made himself arrive 7 weeks early!!  ;).  Having Luca home finally completes our family, and we are so excited about what lies ahead; to see him grow and see how Vince and Zoë interact with him.  So far they absolutely adore him.  Vince smiles ear to ear whenever he looks at him.  He's officially in charge of making sure no one touches Luca on the face or hands-but only touching on feet and kissing on the head.  Zoë just looks at him and smiles and says "baby! baby!".  She's very interested in the care I give to Luca, and has already started to mimic my doings.  She's an adorable little mama to her dolls. 

I dressed Luca in his 'going home outfit'

Hurry up!-lets get outta here before they change their minds!

 

He did great his first night home!  His only issue is that he has a hard time swallowing fluids-so we have to thicken his formula with rice cereal.  This helps him swallow his formula easier and decreases his risk of aspirating during his feedings.  So with the rice cereal added-he's getting lots more calories, so he can go longer without feedings.  Going longer between feedings = getting to sleep longer before needing to feed him. More sleep is ALWAYS a better thing.  

Already trying to hold his own bottle

Today was a bit difficult however.  Mike had to work all day, and the weather wasn't that great out.   So I found myself sort of fumbling on how to manage all three kids (I know, I need to give myself a break... it was the first day!!).  Anyway, I ended up letting Vince and Zoë watch a ridiculous amount of television today.  I feel really guilty about it, but I couldn't manage to figure out any other way to ease my stress of dealing with Luca and Vince and Zoë!!  Hopefully I'll get better with time.  I know it'll be easier once Luca is less vulnerable with his health.  That being said, with the television on for a greater part of my first day with three kids, I did manage to get all the kids dressed into green in order to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!  Nonna forgot to bring anything green to wear, so I just told Vince and Zoë to sit on her and that would be her green ;). 

Our Little Good Luck Charmer-isn't he the sweetest!