HOME SWEET HOME

Happy 3 weeks Ansley! I can't put into words how nice it feels to be writing this posting from OUR HOME with Ansley sitting beside me hiccuping while Joey is helping Avery get ready for bed. We got home from the hospital a few hours ago and could not feel more blessed and grateful for so much. We can't believe that just 3 weeks ago our baby went from this....

to this: Isn't it AMAZING?!?! This is nothing short of a miracle! As of Sunday all tubes were taken away and the only cords connected to Ansley were monitoring her vital signs.

After we were able to hold her last week, we then started to work on her eating without the feeding tube. She did rather well considering all she had been through, but it was still a process. I really wanted to nurse her although I thought it would take a little longer than if she just used the bottle. The first few days were slow and a little frustrating but by Sunday she had gotten the hang of it. They gave this to me on Sunday and we knew it could only mean one thing... and then on Monday as the Doctors were doing rounds and came to meet with us, they used the "H" word (home, and they don't use this word unless its for sure). We were very excited!!!

During the whole feeding process I would sleep in the waiting area until the nurse would call for me to feed her. I think that got old fast for both the nurse and myself. They ended up getting us a room and I boarded at the hospital with Ansley from Sunday until today. Although Ansley was eating well on her own she was not gaining any weight. In fact she was losing weight. The Doctors did not want to send her home until she could show them she could gain weight. This morning she gained weight!!! When it came time to get things ready to go home we had so many mixed emotions-- we realized we had gotten attached to this place! We were always surrounded by the most incredible staff from the front greeters at the hospital, to the NICU front desk employees, other parents of babies in the NICU and of course the AWESOME Doctors and Nurses. We got pictures with a few of our many favorites:

Dr. Peeples (pic below) was at UAMS when I delivered and helped with Ansley, then worked a rotation over in the Neonatology Department at ACH when we were there. She was with us through it all and we absolutely love her! Dr. Chandler (I didn't get a picture of her unfortunately) was also with Dr. Peeples and was the Dr. who resuscitated Ansley. When I met her I could not keep from hugging her! She told me that the stars were all lined in my favor that night, the fact that my placenta did not rupture until I was at the hospital, that my water had broken to initially get me to the hospital, and that there was maconium present so that they were able to have the pediatricians there after delivery, were just a few of the many miracles that got Ansley to where she is now. All of this does not even do it justice to how AMAZING they are!!!

Let me set the stage for you, in the NICU here, if I saw correctly there is somewhere around 60-80 babies, and there is 1 doctor and anywhere from 1-3 Fellows/Residents. Sometime in the morning the group of them, including a nurse practitioner, do their "rounds", where they go around to each baby and review everything and make any necessary changes or adjustments, and then the nurses are responsible for carrying the orders out.

So when we show up, unless we are there when they do their rounds through our pod, then all we usually see is the nurse, unless we ask them to call the doctor over for us. However, we feel like we got special treatment, and had a special connection with Dr. Peeples, because it just so happend that her rotation changed from UAMS after the delivery, to ACH NICU! Also, The day of the delivery (delivery was 12:50 AM, this was around 12 PM) Joey saw her in the main entrance to the Hospital and she stopped to talk with him about everything. She was also the Dr. that came and got Joey right after the delivery and brought him back to see Ansley and explain everything that happened, and everything that was going on, and everything they were doing. Anyways, so all that being said every time we would show up to the hospital (which was multiple times per day) Dr. Peeples would come to the bedside to check on us, and explain any new updates or plans. She was and is absolutely phenomenal! Does not get any better than her!

Ansley and Dr. Irby with my tired self and Avery

She was also fabulous and the one who told me we were going home!!!

Our Primary Care Nurse Brieanna (Avery loved her and she was so patient with Avery that it made our trips to the hospital a lot less stressful! She set up a little play station/desk for Avery and made it so nice and cute for her!) Just being around her and hearing her talk about her job, you are able to feel the love she has for the babies she cares for.

Nurse Judy (she was with us through the head cooling and always came around to check on Ansley even if she wasn't our nurse for the day)

Nurse Heather was also with Ansley frequently and she was Awesome! These are only a few of the AMAZING staff that helped contribute in Ansley's miraculous recovery! Not only do we feel fortunate that we were able to bring our Ansley home but the short amount of time that she was able to recover seems incomprehensible! The intricate workings of the human body are evidence of an all knowing Heavenly Father; this combined with his tender mercies, and trained Doctors and nurses made it so we get to have our Ansley home with us! We will forever be grateful!

Ansley's cart all decorated

Avery would watch the nurses take care of Ansley and one of the times we were leaving the house she had her dr. kit in hand and told us she was going to help baby Ansley feel better too! She was so excited to help and show Nurse Brieanna she had a stethoscope too; we could not object:)

She already gets lots of SISTERLY LOVE

Even if she may not be too thrilled about it...

Avery is always concerned about where and how she is; it is so sweet!

One of our cuddle sessions after we could hold her!

And Cuddle time with Daddy

This sign is above the main entrance and it was just one of those small and simple things that brought comfort to us daily!

These two pictures of the girls sleeping I took while Joey went to get the car seat to have the tech inspect it. I think we are all wore out!

Our Girls

As I mentioned before, leaving the NICU was harder than I thought it would be. It was nice those last few nights to have the monitor constantly checking Ansley's vitals. If she slept for longer than I expected I could look up at the screen and make sure all the numbers were where they are supposed to be and feel comforted.

Also, our thoughts and prayers go out to the families we met whose babies are still in the NICU. I could not walk past a station with a baby on machines like what Ansley was on without getting emotional and hoping for a positive outcome for them as well! Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers through out this time of difficulty. We will never be able to express our appreciation.

Ether 6:9

"...he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord."