A Good Week

Our family has had a really good week! It has also brought a roller coaster of emotions as we count down to tomorrow - the first birthday :)

George had a follow-up cardiology visit today, and he got a huge thumbs up! The PDA and ASD look great. They are very pleased with the devices! We will have another follow up in 6 months, at which time they will probably stop the daily aspirin, and another in 3 years just because he was so young when both procedures were performed. Good day!

Olivia is truckin' right along :) She is all over the place. I am sad to report that the mohawk is officially no more. We miss it! It has been replaced by more bows, but it's just not the same.

Samuel has had a great week! On Saturday I got a chance to chat with his pulmonologist, which I loved, and one of the big pieces of info was that they would like Samuel to be 'event free' for 3 weeks prior to going home. He had some pretty major events the last half of December and the first half of January, kind of like really terrible asthma attacks, but requiring lots of intervention and support from the nurses, docs, and RT's. I can't believe I'm about to put this in writing, but his last event was on January 16th... a week and a half ago. We are so scared to be excited, but no matter how many times our excitement of bringing Samuel home is crushed, we just can't help but let our hearts soar with every day that passes without an event. We have yet another potential come home date for mid-February... and again, we are hopeful :)

I was really worried about this week... I was worried that even though we have so much to celebrate, I wouldn't be able to be as joyful as every mom should be on their child's first birthday because Samuel isn't home. Turns out, thank God, joy had it's own plan! We have spent many moments this week reminiscing about this time last year... a year ago Saturday, my girls came for a baby shower... a year ago Monday, I called the doctor to say something didn't feel right... a year ago Tuesday, we got the news that Samuel needed to come and we decided to deliver early... a year ago we were so scared. Then tomorrow came, and we were overjoyed to meet our children! Yes, we were still scared, and we never could have imagined what the year would hold, but it didn't matter - our babies were here! And now they are about to turn a year old - praise God! I have never experienced such joy, or pain, as in the last year... but the joy wins :)

A few pictures from our week...

Olivia is on the move! And has figured out how to take her things with her :)

Who needs the toys, when you can play with the bucket?!

Just making sure no one takes my trache collar while I'm sleeping :)

George talking to himself in his fort :)

Watch out mom and dad, your counter tops aren't going to be safe much longer!

Hi handsome :)

This laugh is contagious!

Morning!