People want to know how in the world we are able to get up and go every day.  Well, honestly,  only through Christ.  Our faith keeps us going.  Knowing God has given us not one but eight little blessings (and a half…but we can’t do much with him back on his home soil…for now) that need our daily care…we sometimes survive on strength supplied by God alone.  Please know that we do have our moments of complete and utter surrender through tears.  Every one needs to cry sometimes.

That being said, God has also blessed us with amazing friends and family.  Truthfully, we claim most of our friends as family.  We had friends/family (isn’t that called framily?), come over while we were in the hospital.  Stripped the beds…which is never an easy task when the boys pile them high with their toys and possessions (aka junk)…and wash sheets.  They cleaned and scrubbed from top to bottom and Mark was able to come home to a nice clean home.

Other friends drove four hours to sit in a hospital room and grab food for you and watch Emmie on bathroom breaks.  They brought beautiful pictures to hang on her ceiling and sweet words of love and laughter.  Still other friends came over to pray over us and speak words of love, healing, and peace.  My aunt spent the day listening with me to doctors, preparing my food and even soothing Emmie so I could use the restroom and walk around.

My sister and her husband took a day off of work to drive over and entertain Emmie.  They were blessed with being the first ones seeing her sporting her new headwear.  And, unfortunately, the first, ahem, stinky diaper (that diaper was the stinkiest to end all stinkies by the way).   This was well before that diaper went off…obviously.  Aunt Yaya wasn’t green in these pictures.

My sister, aka Aunt Yaya,  also spent a Saturday entertaining my kids at Ge & Granddady’s house.  My niece and nephew had games planned and wrestled and laughed with them throughout the day and night.

My parents drove over to the hospital a couple of days so I could take bathroom breaks and eat.

Both sets of parents were willing to let us invade with children for several days.  Feeding us both mentally, and physically.  

Friends who rearrange their schedule and let half the kids invade their brand new home while Mark brought us home from the hospital.

We have received a couple of monetary blessings which have allowed us to get a stroller that holds all of Emmie’s stuff, fits her comfortably and can even accommodate a protective three year old brother.  We were also able to get Emmie a wider car seat to keep her head from being too far from the back of the seat.

And now, we have not had to prepare a single supper since we have been home.  Blessed with meals that give us a chance to regroup and figure out this new normal.

I haven’t even begun on the excellent care we have received at CHOA.  Let me just say that PICU nurses are ah-maz-ing.  We had nary a one that I wouldn’t call absolutely precious (okay, there were the two that came in and did vitals every two hours during the night and then wanted to change her diaper while she was sleeping, but they even meant well).  One of our nurses even set a young doctor straight on the proper protocol to entering a room with a sleeping baby!  As a ever so slight and definitely not enough thank you, I brought them donuts.  They were pleased, I think.

And Marks’ co-workers.  How can we ever thank them enough for how much they have cared for us and him?  It’s been overwhelming to see their outpouring of love and support.

Somehow, after all of that, how in the world do I say thank you and it be enough.  I don’t think I could ever do so.  But, we’ll try.  Thank you to our “framily” for standing beside us (and some of you for standing behind us to  hold us up).  Thank you to our nurses and doctors who work so hard to make sure Emmie gets the best care and was the most comfortable.