Juliette Gets Immunized Tomorrow

She gets the Chickenpox vaccine (varicella, Hepatitis A, and the dreaded MMR vaccine(measules, mumps and rubella) vaccine. I hope everything goes well. I am scared by the media attention this topic is currently getting for it's suspected relationship with some unknown genetic autism trigger. CNN ran a full day of coverage on autism and its suspected causes. I hope things go well for my bright, sweet beautiful Juliette.

Yesterday was the one-year anniversary of Juliette's first year home from the NICU. She was discharged on a warm, sunny spring day.

April 2, 2007, 8:56 AM
"Lee just called from the respiratory therapy department at Johns Hopkins University. We need to schedule training for today, HCGH just called and let her know that Juliette will be released today. Joy! Fear! Today? I scheduled for later today as opposed to "Right Now!" I said, "I can't get to the hospital right now. I have to get dressed. What about this afternoon?" Lee said, "Okay. What about between 2-3 PM today?" I said, "Okay, that's good." I feel tearful. Hopeful. Happy. Numb. The baby is all mine...in just a few short hours I will be responsible for all of her care. The time has come for no more NICU. My crutch is gone and I am a full-time Mom from this moment on. This day will change my life forever and ever. Juliette is coming home!!!

5:50PM Juliette is home! She makes quacking sounds. Otherwise she appears comfortable, she is in her crib with her eyes closed. Today happens to be the most beautiful day we haev had so far this year. It is warm, sunny, blossoms of yellow, white, and pink are everywhere. We could not have had a brighter day. I am full of joy. I am happier than I've ever been. I cried when I remembered the winter day. The ice storm that left everything covered in "glass" on February 19, 2007, the day my little girl came into the world. The maternal and child unit had a new life quality. I felt I passed from one world to another where even the sunlight cast a new and original light. It was the same feeling I had after my wedding, during my honeymoon. The six-weeks of the NICU have been a blur, more like three weeks. We drobe thirty-minutes or thirty-six miles every night through ice-storms, frigid cold, rain, sunshine and gray skies. Often just to sit with our Juliette for a few hours before turning around and coming home again. So I cried when I signed the discharge papers."