Finally

For the two of you who read this blog who I haven't already told, La Principessa was finally, FINALLY released from the NICU yesterday.  11 weeks to the day after she was born. 11 freaking long weeks.

It seems surreal. I still feel strange being able to just walk around with her - in the NICU, she was always attached to monitors. It's also weird because in the NICU, there was always a very knowledgeable nurse hovering in the background in case there were any issues. At home, the pets hover* but they're not really providing a lot of usable baby advice.  How did nervous parents survive without Google?

We are still getting in our groove and figuring everything out.  We have not, for example, given the baby a bath yet, but I'm guessing tonight's the night.  But we have realized the point where I need to stop what I'm doing and take a nap: it's when I accidentally pour out the formula on the baby's bed three times in a row.  Thank god the Texan has managed to hold onto his logic - my brain is already taxed enough by figuring out the math on mixing up the baby's formula (one to one ratio of powder to water, btw).

* The dog is uncertain about what's going on but very curious about the baby. The cat is confused as hell why I am using my voice for him for someone else.  Of course, that goes both ways.  There have been a couple of times where I'm talking to the baby and Shrapnel comes up, purring, assuming that I'm talking to him. And a few others where I call Shrapnel "Puffin" and the baby looks up to see what I want.