Home Sweet Home at Last!

I was finally released from the hospital today around lunchtime. After my surgery on Friday, I went home feeling completely fine and then began spiking a fever just hours later. I ended up back in the ER (per doctor's orders) around 10 pm that same night. It was devastating and J.V. and I (up since 3:30 am that morning) were exhausted. I didn't know that I would be admitted once I got to the hospital, but with a fever of 103 and a recent induction and surgery, my body was sending up red flags of an infection. Still, I had no idea I'd be spending the next 3 nights there, separated once again from my family! It was hard, to say the least. This was not just emotionally challenging, but physically challenging as well.

I was put on strong antibiotics via my IV and had to be fever-free for at least 36 hours before being allowed to go back home again. Well, I'm home (dare I say) for good?? I am thankful to be out of the hospital and back with my family. So many of you have helped us in so many different ways--caring for our children, providing meals, and even groceries. We are so grateful. I can't tell you how much your messages by text, voicemail, email, etc. have meant to us and, truly, we could not have gotten through this experience with out all of the support. I am really tired and not really computer-savvy so J.V. has to do anything "technical" for me (including uploading photos to our computer from our camera) so we will hopefully do that in the next day or so.

There is a fabulous nurse that works at St. Joseph's Hospital named Barbara. She does clay hand/footprints for families who have lost a baby. She does this at no cost, but as a ministry to these families. I remember going to her house when she did our kid's prints 2 years ago (after Caden & Cooper were born). I saw these plates with teeny-tiny little hands and feet and I was shocked. I asked how old those babies were when the prints were taken and she explained that they were babies that hadn't made it. How sad, I thought. I never imagined that 2 years later she'd be making them for us. She worked that day I had my surgery and in recovery when I discovered my doctor had been able to get the hands and had made ink prints for me, I called Barbara right away and asked if she could come do more permanent clay prints for us. She said she would do whatever she could to make it happen for us and she did. Once she was off of work at St. Joe's, she came straight over to UC Irvine. She found the pathology lab where the body of our baby was and made us 4 tiny plates with perfect little hands. I haven't seen them yet, but she said they came out really well. I can't wait to share them with you all. This is the highlight of my last week, and I am so grateful that she went out of her way to do this for us. So many of you have gone out of your way to encourage our family in different ways, and we are humbled. Thank you so much for your kindness.