We're outta here!

Sorry, I've missed a couple days of posting.  I know many of you are keeping track of us on here. Thank you for caring so much about us. We really appreciate the love and concern, the faith and prayers, the outpouring of service to us in this difficult time.  I want you all to know that we have felt and seen it in our lives while we have been down here.  We have had such a calm peaceful feeling nearly the whole time we've been here when it should have been stressful and nerve-wracking.

Alivia is doing amazingly well.  She has made so many improvements and done it so quickly. Her IVs are all removed, her drain is removed, and today the monitors will be gone.  She is eating well and keeping it down. She even doesn't mind the meds too much.  We had a little set back the day they switched her from the IV meds to oral.  Her poor little tummy had a hard time with everything that first day (Tuesday) so they had to back her off the formula for part of the day and just give her 1 oz of pedialyte every 2 hours for the rest of the day and through most of the night.  By the next day, she drank 2 oz half strength formula, and then moved on to 2 oz full strength and is now eating 3-4 oz full strength.

We thought we would be coming home with her incision drain, but yesterday evening, they removed that and sewed her little hole up so we don't have to deal with that either.  We'll probably just have to change the bandage for a couple of days.  She no longer has a bandage on her surgury incision. I'll have to post pics when I get home and have my camera cord. It is amazing.

Alivia is really starting to be herself again.  We were able to get her to give us some of those precious open-mouth smiles of hers, dimple and all.

We are getting to check out of our extremely expensive hotel today. We plan on staying at Aunti Kristine's house tonight (Thursday) before heading back home tomorrow, just in case. We would hate to get 4 hours away and discover any problems.  We are excited to see our other kiddos. We've missed them the last week and a half.