Freedom!!

Today... after 39 days in the hospital... on my rear end, eating from the same menu each day, staring out the window at construction, looking forward to work on the computer, mail, visitors and trips to the shower each day... I was discharged from the hospital!!! Never did I think that freedom felt so good! :) Tom and I cleaned out the room and then headed out of the hospital parking lot. I was in a car for the first time since May 20th. We picked up prescriptions and then ate at a real live restaurant! Can't tell you how wonderful that was...even though it's hot in Little Rock, I didn't care. We even went out again tonight to have a Toffee Coffee Twisted Frosty from Wendy's--wow! You come to appreciate the little things...

Meanwhile, we've moved into Adalynn's room. She has a nice big room with one bed, a bathroom and shower. I get to hang here tonight. And then there are sleep rooms down the hall for the dads. It really only has a bed and a lamp in it, but Tom doesn't plan to spend much time there. He wants to be with his girls! :)

To get caught up... Adalynn has been improving each day. She was on a breathing tube right away, but they steadily reduced the oxygen and took out the tube when she was just 24 hours old. She's breathing on her own no problem! She has had up and down billiruben levels (meaning she is somewhat jaundice). She was under the lights for awhile, had them off for awhile and is now back under them through the night tonight. Adalynn's weight went from 5'1'' (birth weight) to 4'13' to 4'11' and the latest reading was up to 4'15"! She's definitely getting some nutrition! And she is a fidgety one...I imagine she's burning those calories quickly too!

At this point, they are specifically working on her learning how to "suck, swallow and breathe." She's got the breathe part down, but is working on the others. I continue to pump so that she has breast milk...and we've been working on her learning to eat from me as well as a bottle. She is getting good, I tell you! Tonight we watched her suck a bottle almost dry! Tom and I felt like brand-new, first time parents again! The sooner she learns this, the sooner we take her home!

We also talked to the doctor today and he brought up the possibility of Adalynn back-transporting up to Northwest Arkansas (and to a NICU there)! Of course, we were THRILLED by this! He said there is a lot of merit of having the family unit all back together while Adalynn was continuing to grow and develop in a NICU. We wholeheartedly agree! UAMS and this NICU have been absolutely wonderful. The staff and the facilities here are amazing. We are thankful for everything they have done for us. And we've developed quite a relationship! But we are ready to be at home...with our family... healing isn't just physical in nature...we need emotional healing too!

In spite of the transport happening, we have heard conflicting reports as to how long Adalynn could be in the NICU. We've heard 2, 3 and even 5 weeks! I'm counting on this Noble Miracle to continue to defy all odds. She is one fighter!

Here are more pictures to document our days:

Adalynn was supposed to be lying vertically in this picture. You can see that she is quite the wiggle worm. She's just laid out everywhere. The big bandage on her foot is the IV site (which they change frequently), the wires to her chest is for her heart rate readings and the tape on her nose is holding the feeding tube.




Tom and I just can't get over how she's always so laid out... no fetal positioning with this kid!


When we came back from our Frosty time at Wendy's, Adalynn had her convertible top off the incubator! We got some close up pictures...


Another picture of Adalynn's hair. It's SO soft and she has quite a bit! Our friend, Buffy, was here and she said that this girl needed a bow already!


Adalynn drinking from her first bottle! She inhaled it!


Adalynn's first burping!


Thank you friends for the continued prayers and support! I'm healing more and more each day (certainly ready for the soreness to go away) and Adalynn, of course, is doing great!

Thank you Lord--Our Great Physician!