Making Progress in the NICU

 Each time we came to see Lauren, we were eager to see if she was in a crib or still in the incubator.  The day we came and saw no more incubator was a cool day!  That meant she definitely didn't need oxygen anymore, and it also meant she was regulating her own body temperature.  Now, she just had to get the strength to eat all of her feedings for two days in a row!

 I also had a lot of guilt;  were we coming up to see her enough?  Was I spending time with Sarah and Emily enough?  Would they understand why Mom and Dad were a little distant and distracted?  Rusty had to reassure me that guilt was from the enemy, and that we were doing fine with juggling it all.

 We really enjoyed the times we were able to hold Lauren when we went to see her.  

 Margaret was a God send.  I don't know how we could have done it without her all week.  She helped with the girls, helped around the house, and we are so thankful for her!!!  She treats the girls like they are her grandkids and us like we are her own kids; such a wonderful person!

 PaPa got to see Lauren one last time before heading back to Houston.

 Getting to wear clothes!

By the following Thursday or Friday, we really were seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  She started eating consecutively, and the nurses assured us she was going to keep that up and it would be in no time that she would get to go home; they were right!  They ordered for her car seat test, hearing test, Hep B shot, and we were told Sunday would be the day!