Tomorrow, after twelve long days, I’ll be bringing Ivy home.
I’m wondering if all of you with hospital time under your belts, experience re entry, like we do.
Ivy is generally overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle of home life, cranky and out of sorts.
After all, she has had the monopoly of attention of one parent 24 hours a day for a good period of time.
The other kids all want to be with me, they talk loudly and express themselves using their hands.
To a small girl, it must look like a gaggle of geese flapping their wings and honking in unison.
Noah wants only to get down to the business of playing with his twin. To take up where they left off.
The sounds, the smells, the temperature, the feel of her own bed and blankets are all very different from the hospital that she has gotten used to.
Her meals will no longer arrive at 8, 12 and 5, delivered to her liking on a tray. She won’t be allowed to have jelly first and mains if she feels like it.
It will be a big change in her routine.
Generally, after a five day stint, it will take a few days of re entry before things settle down and she becomes less institutionalised and finds her footing in the family ladder again but two weeks is a long time for a three year old and I think re entry may take longer this time.
Actually, I know it will.
It’s hard being the centre of attention each and every day and then having to compete with six others again.
I try not to expect too much of those first days back at home.
I try to take deep, cleansing, patient breaths and accept that it will be hard for a while to bring everything back into balance
so, tonight, on our last night in the hospital I am preparing for turbulance.
Also blogging at Three Ring Circus