Big News...

This was taken yesterday just after breakfast...she has learned to love her meals! One of the nurse practitioners, Kathy, said the day before if we don't remove the NG tube, we will just keep using it and she was so right! We took it out and since then Harper has been eating all of her meals with no problem. And it is because of this that they think we may go home early next week! We don't have discharge orders yet, but we are so close I can taste it! Her eyes were still stable on Tuesday, and she will have them checked again this Tuesday. We have to room-in with her, which is where we stay there in a room at the hospital with her over night and take care of her all by ourselves. She needs to not lose weight that night in order to be discharged. She also has complete a car seat challenge, where she has to sit in the car seat for 90 minutes without dropping her heart rate. I can't believe we are this close finally!
Milly is getting ready to go home, too. They are rooming in tonight and the plan is to discharge tomorrow! I am so happy for them. I actually got to hold sweet Milly yesterday. She is only 2 pounds bigger than Harper, but she felt so much bigger! She is so sweet and cute. It is amazing how different Milly and Harper look from each other, but they are both just a precious and cute as the other!
Addison is doing good, too. She is struggling to gain weight right now so they are working on that. They had to do another ventricular tap, and that set her back for a few days. It helps her, of course, but it also makes her feel very bad. My prayer for her is that the bleed starts resolving on it's own and she starts to gain weight again.
It is going to be bitter sweet leaving the NICU. We long to be home so bad...have both Billie and Harper under the same roof and just be a family together again. But we have also fallen in love with the nurses and staff at Children's. They are the most caring and brilliant people you will ever encounter in your life. I hope no one ever has to be there, but once you are there you are changed for life. Thank God we have such a wonderful hospital for our children right here in Knoxville. We owe our miracle Harper to them, and will never be able to repay them. But they do the same for everyone because they care about children so much. We weren't special, although the made us feel that way. They treat every child with the same love and care that they showed to Harper Grace. Thank you so much to everyone at Children's, although I know thank you will never be enough. There really are no words to adequately express our gratitude to you all. We fell in love with all of you!
I will try to keep you updated, but know things change quickly and I have a lot to do to get ready at home for Harper! Thank you all for your love and prayers, I know they are also a big reason for Harper's amazing progress, too!