EXCLUSIVE: Final Octo-Baby Comes Home, Faces Surgery
April 14 2009, Published 1:57 p.m. ET
Jonah, the last of Nadya "Octo-mom" Suleman's octuplets, came home from the hospital Monday -- but will be returning for surgery.
"Today, I brought home Jonah -- he's doing really well," Suleman told RadarOnline.com exclusively.
She said that Jonah, who spent more than two months in the neonatal intensive care unit at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center, will be returning there for surgery on his cleft lip.
"They're really happy the pallet is not involved at all, its just the upper lip," Suleman said.
She said that doctors will operate on the boy -- who left the hospital weighing 4 pounds, 10 ounces after weighing an anemic 1 pound, 8 ounces at birth -- when his weight is at a sufficient level in about four months. Jonah is able to feed via bottle, doctors said, and his progress to date shows he can gain weight and keep a steady body temperature.
Suleman looked happy as she sat in a rocking chair cuddling all eight ofher infants, as tiny squeals and cries faded into the background.
"They're all extremely healthy," Suleman said. "The energy is so positive at home."
Suleman told RadarOnline.com that she gets only three or four hours of sleep each night, but doesn't feel overwhelmed.
When asked about the replacement of non-profit caretakers Angels-In-Waiting with a team of Kaiser Permanente nurses, Suleman told RadarOnline.com that there's nothing but joy and happiness in her home these days.
Still recovering herself from the January 26 births and media blitz that followed, Suleman told RadarOnline.com of an objective she set for herself now that all of her babies are safe at home.
"It's a goal of mine to take them on a walk every day," Suleman said. "It's hard -- but not impossible."