Update

So here is the update from yesterday:
I talked to the doctor last night about doing the 3 day versus 8 day monitoring. From what I understand, the 3 day is more strict and harder to pass. If he fails it, they have to wait 2-3 days and then try it again or start the 8 days over again, so if he doesn't pass then we are looking at him staying longer than 8 days anyway. For the 8 day, as long as he doesn't have any major spells he is fine. We were really struggling with what to do because obviously we want him home as soon as possible, but we also want to do what is best for him. If he comes home in 3 days and then has a spell 2 days later, how would we know without him hooked up to monitors? As hard as it was, we have decided to go ahead and do the 8 days. That is what the doctor recommended and we feel it is the safest thing to do. These "spells" are just a prematurity thing and he will grow out of them. As I was holding him last night in the hospital trying to decide what to do (and crying from the stress of the day), his heart rate dropped again. It didn't stay down long and isn't considered a spell since he was able to recover on his own, but it seemed like a sign to me that he just still isn't ready to come home.
With that being said, I talked to my doctor's nurse this morning about extending my disability to 8 weeks and she said that they can't. She was really nice about it and was very understanding of my situation, but said that they have to follow protocol. Because they will do a 6 week postpartum check up and clear me, I will no longer be under their care.
So the timeline we are looking at now is Carter coming home next Thursday or Friday and me going back to work on Tuesday. I have a few vacation days so I will probably take them to give myself at least a week home with my child before I have to go back to work, but I don't exactly want to use all of that and have nothing left either.
I also start grad school Sept 6 and will have class 2 nights a week, on days that I work, so those days I will leave the house around 6-7 am and get home around 10 pm and not see anyone in my family. It sucks, but I don't really have a choice - neither one of these classes are offered again for another year and 1/2 so I have to take them this semester.
So overall the situation just sucks, but we will figure something out. It will be a rough few months but I'll just have to suck it up and deal with it. Nothing about this summer/pregnancy/year has been ideal, but that precious baby is worth it all :)