NICU Day 117/Home Coming Day ~ (April 2nd)

What an amazing day this turned out to be, filled with grateful hearts and an incredible amount of love.  The day was incredibly bittersweet as we said "see you later" to our NICU family whom we have grown to love immensely.  No words could even begin to describe how thankful we are, not only for the care we received the past four months but also the love and friendships we now have through this journey.  I think the pictures along with the FOX 8 newscast describe that day better than I could ever communicate in words, so please enjoy these special memories captured on "film."

(The people included are not even half of the team that has taken care of her these many weeks.  We still need to go back and capture some pictures we missed with several people!! Thank you, Joy and Lori, for taking so many pictures!)

~Dianne, Noelle's nurse her last night in the NICU (Noelle loved snuggle time with her)~

~We love Dr. Tatum and are so very thankful to God for him and the role he played in Noelle's care~

~Lori, one of Noelle's awesome nurses~

~Dr. Helderman, another of Noelle's wonderful neonatologists~

~Christi & Christina: Noelle's fantastic delivery nurses~

~I asked Donna to dress Noelle in her home going outfit.  It was especially fitting since Donna was the one to dress her for the very first time!~

~All dressed and read to go and snuggling with Aunt Donna (who came in on her day off to see us leave)~

~Noelle's message for the Forsyth NICU (courtesy of Auntie Em ;-)~

~Removing Noelle's things...something I just could not bring myself to do~

~Forever bonded together (I have talked with her at least once a day since Monday!!)~

~Taking it all in~

~Amanda holds a special place in our hearts~

~Joy, one of Noelle's amazing respiratory therapists~

~Candace, another of Noelle's sweet nurses~

~I love all the memories we have with Amy, Noelle's respiratory therapist (her mother made this precious blanket for Noelle)~

~One final kiss before entering the carseat~

~Tiny feet~

~Comfy, Cozy~

~Almost ready to go!!~ 
 

~One final "see you later..."~

~Happy family~

~Home, Sweet Home~

~I think I like it here!!~

NICU Day 114 ~ (March 30th)

~Noelle in her very first graduation cap (courtesy of Auntie Em)~

Last night, Noelle celebrated her upcoming home going with a little graduation party hosted by her Auntie Em and a few of her other nurses and NICU staff who have previously taken care of her.  

~Auntie Em & Noelle in their matching headbands (made by Auntie Em)~

She had a wonderfully "boring" day, but it was also bittersweet as we began to say "See you later" to some of our NICU family members who will not be working again before we go home.

~Noelle & her Uncle Jim~

I do not have the words to begin to say "thank you" to these incredible people.  My heart is full, and we will miss them tremendously.  We are excited for the next chapter in our lives, but we will forever be grateful for the time we spent in the Forsyth NICU and for the lifelong relationships we have developed with so many.  Part of me wishes we could slow down the next two days, but I know they will just fly on by and we will soon be home.  We look forward to many future visits as Noelle continues to grow and change.  Thank you, FMC NICU!!  We love you all dearly!!!

NICU Day 92 ~ (March 8th)

Noelle turned 3 months / 13 weeks old today!!  It is amazing to look back and remember what this day was like only a few months ago and to see where we are now.  So much has happened, and it has been quite the roller coaster; but God has been ever faithful to carry us through and bring us to where we are now with Noelle.  His infinite grace has been so evident and especially overwhelming as we know of other friends/believers who are walking through deep waters right now or others with children who did not experience the same miracle which we experienced.  Sometimes I have wondered "why us?"  "Why did we experience a miracle and these other people did not?"  "What makes us so 'special' to have our circumstances changed for the better?"  But God gently reminds me that even that line of questioning is not correct as it puts the focus back on ourselves and not on Him.  For His own reasons, He has chosen to work His sovereign will in such a way as to grant life to our baby girl.  Ultimately, it is not about us but about Him and His glory; and we are overwhelmingly thankful for how He has chosen to demonstrate His grace in our lives through Noelle.  Even more incredible to me is that this grace, which sustains us through our situation, is also the same grace that carries the believer through tremendous loss and heartache.  I cannot even begin to put it into words but can only stand in awe of God and this truly amazing grace.

We came into Noelle's room today and discovered that she had already been celebrating her birthday with her nurse, Emily, all through the night.  Her whiteboard was decorated by one of the nurses, and they had also been busy making hand prints and snapping photos (even capturing a smile!) to decorate her isolette.  It is such a joy and a comfort to our hearts to have nurses like this taking care of our precious bundle.  We so appreciate the love they show and the fun that they have with our little girl while we cannot be with her. 

Noelle weighed 1,060 grams today (or 2 lbs. 5 oz.).  She seems to be cruising along in her progress, and we are hoping that she keeps up this pace of growth.  As promised, I am including more pictures of her sitting up in her new doll chair.  The chair portion usually sits on a frame...

...but her nurse, Donna (or Aunt Donna as Noelle now calls her), took the little chair seat (which is adjustable in and of itself) off the frame so that it would fit in her isolette, and she could sit up during her wakeful periods.

She is so happy to be able to look around and yet still be able to stay warm.  Plus, it is so cute that it causes all of the people she loves in the NICU to stop by for an extra little visit to see her sitting in her new chair.  All in all, she had a great day and thoroughly enjoyed her birthday.  Thank you for continuing to pray for our little family!!