Home and Back in the Saddle Again!

Well, after a long 33 days in Boston, we arrived at home on Monday night. We were finally discharged conditionally on Sunday to a hotel nearby the hospital, and Monday at 1pm we were given the final okay to go home. By 2pm we had booked our flight and checked out of the hotel. We were very excited to get home. Monday night we slept in our own beds and Boston felt a million miles away.

While in Boston we celebrated Christmas, New Years, Brads 39th birthday and Natalie’s 7 month birthday. Most importantly, we celebrate Gods miracle gift. Natalie’s heart is now functioning as yours and mine would. She was able to have a full 2 ventricle repair. She is doing very well and her heart seems to be adapting to its new circulation, and her left side is learning to squeeze. We are still waiting to see our little girl return to her old self. It’s a long road to get her off the methadone, but we are getting closer each day.

We still laugh about the NP that was “very concerned about you going to such a rural area and concerned about Natalie’s after care”. That was the one of the main reasons why we unable to return home on Sunday night. The news that we were not going to be discharged on Sunday about sent me over the edge. I just cried and asked her to please let us go home. After weeks of not even thinking about home, I was ready. Natalie was past ready. We spent the last 7 days either carrying Natalie around the 8th floor or pushing her for endless hours in the stroller. Every time we would enter the room and she would see her bed she would cry. She wanted to be home too. And of course Brad was beyond ready to be home and see the animals and sleep in our own bed.

Endless games of scrabble, strolling Natalie until the wee hours of the morning and the stress of having another surgery this spring are now long gone. Okay, you are right, we had to bring the scrabble board home with us and we have even played a game since being home. We are so thankful for the miracle the God gave us and for all the wonderful people that we met while we were in Boston. So many people have touched our lives both directly and indirectly and God has been calling us to do more and be better stewards of the gifts that he has given us. We are excited for the year to come and we are starting a new year with a new prospective.

Thank you so much for all the support throughout this experience. Whether a gentle smile on the 8th floor from others who truly understand our fears or those who reached out to us and supported us in prayers, cards, snacks, and financial ways we could not have gone through this with out you ALL. Each and every one of you helped us to cope and heal. Thank you and we hope that the rest our blog is dedicated to following our baby girl and her life. Her 1st birthday will be quite the celebration.

Here are a few pictures for you all to enjoy.