Best. News. Ever.

First off, happy birthday to my beautiful mother today! I love you!

Also, go me for this being the 6th day in two weeks that I've pumped some iron or gotten down with some cardio. It feels awesome to be in the gym again. It does NOT feel awesome for my legs to kill when I sit on the toilet though... it will take time, lots and lots of time to get any sort of body back. Ouch!

Sterling and I made a decision late Saturday night that I should come home to Pocatello for the week with Mason and Marissa and that he should take the week off and stay with Damon in SLC. Trust me. Hard decision. I wanted to stay and be mommy to baby D but honestly, three weeks seemed to be my breaking point. I needed a change of scenery and needed to feel something of what normal life was like.

I wasn't going to feel guilty for needing a break either, because to be a good care giver and mother to kids, you just need a break once in a while. It's called loving yourself and taking care of you before you can truly love and care for others. Yes, this is something I have learned and I fully believe it is a secret weapon and "trick" for making it all work. There is no guilt in that, mothers out there!

I thought maybe I'd stay in Idaho until this Wednesday or Thursday knowing myself and that I just couldn't stay away. And it turns out, that may just be the plan...

Sterling texted me at 5pm this evening telling me that we can bring the baby home this weekend!!

It was perfect timing that the cardiologist team came for rounds on Damon and that Sterling was there to ask questions, and then that the cardio team stuck around to clear up questions with the attending doctor who was also right there to start his rounds. Both teams of doctors there at the same time? Miracles! I wouldn't have been so clued in to know what to ask like Sterling was, so what a blessing he was there to figure this all out.

Damon will come home with oxygen monitors, feeding tubes...all the equipment that will help him survive. The doctors assessed how he was doing and made sure all his ducks were in a row to head home. They say he passed and we are free to take him, mainly based on the fact that Damon's chromosome issue will make for slow learning on how to eat. It is either slowly teaching him at the NICU or here at home. All other issues like his heart and clubbed feet will be followed up in future appointments.

Big news, right? I feel grateful for Sterling tonight who took work off to help me care for Damon this week and who knew just what to say to assure the doctors that we could take this on at home, and not in the NICU hours away.

Damon, today after he ate a bottle thickened with bananas.
His eyes tell it all  - he's wondering what in the world
made his bottle taste that good!

I am grateful for prayer and I know it works! Damon wouldn't be coming home and be doing so well without prayers and support from you. Thank you everyone!