Titus is HOME

After 54 days in the NICU, Titus was released to come home Monday, Jan 7. I had a full day scheduled on Monday with a training session after lunch I had to lead in Ennis (60 miles south of Dallas). So, as soon as the session was over, I drove back quickly to the hospital to pickup Becky and Titus and take them home to the boys. As we were driving up north central expressway in the new HOV (High Occupancy Vehicles) lane during 5:00pm rush hour, I just knew we would get home in record time since we were flying by all the other cars stuck in traffic. Nevertheless, our quick lane slowed to a halt due to a stalled car in the HOV lane. Now, if you live in Dallas and you've driven by the new HOV lane on Central, you know that once you get on, you can't get off. The lane is blocked off with stakes. But, as we found out yesterday, they are rubber stakes that are very flexible when you drive over them to get out of the lane (as directed by the police). I'm sure by now you are asking where is this going.

But, as we slowed down to a halt and were sitting there waiting our turn to drive over the stakes, it made me reflect that this is how life goes. One day, you are barreling along, and the next, you have crawled to a halt due to circumstances out of your control. And, you can choose to be upset, choose to sit there, or choose to go with the flow - waiting to see the direction the authorities want you to go. We know over the next year, that Titus will face multiple challenges. And many will be "traffic delays" where we may not know the direction for awhile, but we will have to sit there and wait on the direction when the time is right. So, again, I will need to learn to "wait". Psalm 27:13-14 comes to mind: 'I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."

Once we arrived home, we had 4 ecstatic brothers who could not wait to love on Titus. Noah got to hold him first and wanted to tell him a story (he told him about the gingerbread man - not sure why that story was the ONE). Tucker was next, but quickly lost interest. Cade wasn't too sure about holding him, but would rather stand next to someone else holding Titus and then lean his head on Titus' head. Aidan just wanted to hold him and stare at him. Aidan and Noah just can't take their eyes or hands off of him. Later that evening, I found Noah next to his bed singing Amazing Grace - it was so sweet.

As Becky and I sat down for dinner, she looked at me and said "This almost feels like normal". It was a fleeting moment, but one we know that will come again and again as we settle into our "new normal". Titus has had a good nights, only waking a few minutes before he was to be fed and then going back to sleep. (I had joked the NICU nurses that since they had done an excellent job of putting him on a 3 hour schedule, I would pay extra if they would also work on getting him to sleep through the night - I guess they did!) I did have to return to work on Tuesday, so Becky handled the full day with all the boys, homeschooling Aidan and Noah, keeping Tucker and Cade in-line, and taking care of Titus. She truly is amazing and an incredible wife and mother. There is no one else I would want to take this journey with.

We look forward into settling into our "new normal" and being an “at home” family of 7 (wow - that's a big number). There is great comfort in knowing all my boys are sleeping under one roof.

I've said before, but I'll reiterate - Thank you again for all the prayers, emails/cards, support, food, baby-sitting, dog-sitting, house-cleaning, hand-holding, car-pooling. We have been provided for in so many ways by the incredible family of God.
BTW, in the pic, the boys are (from left to right) Aidan, Cade, Titus, Noah, and Tucker. And Quita, (say Chiquita with out the Chi) just had to be in the picture with all the boys.