Harper Lynn: Days 4-6

Sorry for the absence. We've had a hectic few days and I've tried to blog, but it just hasn't happened.

Friday was rough. We just won't talk about it because I'd have to admit that I sobbed uncontrollably most of the day in anticipation of being released from the hospital and then when I finally left...well, it was ugly. Moving out of the hospital was one of my hardest days with Eli and Landon too. There is just something about living just one floor away that is SO comforting. I was able to come down to the NICU many times in the middle of the night and I was never that far from Harper.

We moved into the Ronald McDonald house here in Lubbock, so we are only about 5 minutes from the hospital. The Ronald McDonald house is just incredible. It has already been such a blessing for us. I'll have to write more about it later, but I almost tear up just thinking about how wonderful it is to have a "home away from home" here so close to Harper. Come to think of it, almost everything makes me cry these days...can you say hormonal?

Dustin had gone home Thursday night to try and get a day of work in, so he brought the boys up Friday evening and they all spent the weekend here in Lubbock. Eli and Landon are SO good for the heart. I was really needing to see them and it was so nice to be together for a few days.

Now on to Harper...

It is really amazing to me just how well Harper is doing. I never imagined things could be going this well. She is off of the warmer, which means she can keep her own body temperature up. It also means that we get to dress her in all of her precious clothes. You can probably imagine how much that excites me. She now weighs 5 pounds, 6.8 ounces! She only lost weight one day and then she started gaining. She is already almost 4 ounces higher than her birth weight. She still hasn't shown any symptoms that she's in any kind of distress, so the doctors have said that as soon as she can take all of her feedings by mouth for 24-48 hours, we can go home. HOME! can you believe it?

But...the eating part isn't going so well. It might take her a little while to get the stamina she needs to do all of that eating on her own. She gets better every day, but she still has quite a ways to go.

I have SO much more to write about, but that is basically how we're doing right now. We are so thankful for the cards, flowers, visits, calls, texts, emails, and just the general love that has been shown for our family. And, of course, the prayers. Thank you so much.

It wouldn't be worth reading all of that if you didn't get to see this precious little girl, right? Here are some pictures of my girl and her daddy that is totally smitten with her: