Two Weeks Old and Moving on UP!

Guess who is TWO weeks old today???? This girl!!!

We've been on a little bit of a roller coaster today. Harper is totally off of her meds and IV's but she started having some withdrawl from her pain meds. Our doctor warned us a week ago when this happened she would be irritable. Well - he was right and she's had a tough day. She was pretty mad most of the day. Mommy holding her seemed to help a lot but she would still get upset. She also has been breathing a little hard so they had to put a tube in her nose to feed her. She is getting my milk so that's the good thing - it's just hard to go from bottles or nursing back to a tube.
The grandparents are all back and this was them watching from the window while we held her. I had a small breakdown this morning because I'm just SO scared to take her home where I won't have monitors to watch her heart rate or breathing and I just keep thinking "what if something happens?" I was terrified when I was pregnant thinking about being in charge of a little life but now that she's been sick - it's even scarier. But it's all about the TRUST in God I've been talking about. I had to remind myself that the God who did a miracle and gave me her in the first place and then did another miracle and healed her is the same God who will help me watch over her night and day. Harper likes me to sing to her (even if my singing is bad) and all day I've been singing "Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus". I need to hear that last line over and over - "Oh for grace to trust Him more!"
Our sweet friends - Brad, Amanda and Neely came to visit today. I felt so bad because we were in the midst of a major change when they came so we didn't get to visit much. Neely and Harper will be fast friends in the future I just know! Thank ya'll SO much for coming!!!!
Our big change was this afternoon - a doctor came out and said they had a private room open in the children's hospital and since Harper was doing well (and since our whole family was there in the NICU all day long) - they were going to move Harper there. I was so nervous at first because I was scared to leave the good care of the NICU and I wasn't sure how this would work but I have to tell you - we are so excited. The children's hospital is new and SO nice.
We now have this HUGE room with a flat screen TV and chairs and a couch and a place to keep our stuff and our own bathroom and we can be in the same room with Harper all day long. We can hold her and dress her up and change her as much as we want. And this will help us transition into going home. We still aren't sure when that will be. We got excited and thought it could be in a few days but it may be a couple of weeks instead. I'm totally good with that - I just want her to be 100% healthy when we take her home.

I think we have several visitors coming tomorrow so it should be a busy day! I'm going to get to stay with Harper at night now. Thank for continuing to pray for us! You have all blessed our lives so much!

Another Great Day in the NICU

Here's our family of three (Harper Looks thrilled to be with us, huh? ha!) We had another good but busy day. I'm afraid I'm getting worse and worse at replying to (and reading) e-mails and you can see my blog post is coming extra late tonight. Now that our little pumpkin is awake and alert and feeding - we are trying to spend as much time with her as we can - plus we had a parenting class today. So if you don't hear from me - I love you and I'll try to get to you as soon as I can - but I am a momma now - and she takes first priority!!! (Can you blame me?)
Harper had a good day! She got all of the tubes out of her belly button. She was weaning off her pain meds so she got a little cranky today. We finally heard her cry! She sounds like a little lamb when she cries. It made us laugh. She was easily soothed with a little food or a paci.
This is our lactation specialist, Tina. (or as we like to call her - "Lac-tina". ha! She is SO nice - she helped us nurse this afternoon and Harper did pretty good. (She is not choking Harper - just burping her!) She was mad as a hornet at first and turned red and cried. We know we have to be patient. We bottle fed the rest of the day because she got so worked up - she was breathing a little hard and I want her to be able to breathe well so we will try again tomorrow!
Harper got moved to a cute pink crib today! She also got to wear clothes for the first time. Tomorrow I'm going to take her something cute to wear. This was me sad when she was throwing a fit. I wanted to scoop her up and kiss her all over. (I eventually did).
This sweet girl, Amy, came and saw me today and brought me the cutest note cards I've ever seen in my life that she made. SO thoughtful!!!! I got SOOOO many cute things in the mail today. I wish I could put them all on here but it might get out of control. I can't believe how nice all of you are. You REALLY don't need to send me things.........but I know it is all sent out of love and I can't express how much it has touched me.

Please pray for my friend Amy. She has a one year old girl and is expecting twin girls - Molly and Ruby. She is due the end ofApril but started having contractions and dilated today. They have given her medicine to stop it but I'm so worried. I've spent the last week looking at tiny babies and I'm praying her girls won't join that club.

P.S. Harper weighs 10 lbs and 9 oz! I love her so much!!!!

O HAPPY DAY!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR THE PICC LINE.........................Our prayers were answered above and beyond once again. Harper doesn't even need a PICC line!!!!! We got here this morning and the doctor had to do one test on her and then he said we could take her completely off the respirator and start feeding today!!!!! PRAISE MY JESUS!!!! The nurses were cheering - I was crying - it was just a great day! We didn't expect this for several more days!

(Get ready for a long stream of pictures from our wonderful day!)

Could I smile ANY bigger?????

They gave her a little dog that looked like Dawson and she loved it!

Daddy's little girl

They warned us she might not want to eat. Bigger babies who have been through what she has been through normally don't take to eating. NOT our girl - she's a Stamps. She gulped down her first bottle and was looking for more. So we gave her a 2nd one and that was gone in minutes!

We had a fan club! Our nurses are SO great! I'm going to miss them when we leave.

Harper just STARED at her daddy.

Daddy fed bottle #2

Somebody loves her flower head band

She's already such a happy, content baby.

I've changed a few diapers today

We've got a good eater on our hands!

We call her our "chunky monkey" and we just ADORE her!

She had her 2nd feeding at 5 and we are waiting to feed her again at 8. Tomorrow we start nursing!!!!

I prayed for this child and God has given me what I asked of Him
I Samuel 1:27

We recieved so many cards and wonderful packages and gifts today. If you have sent us something to the hospital - we are getting it! I'm working on thank yous but I want you to know we are SO appreciative of every thought and gift! The love we have been shown by the body of Christ is overwhelming!!!

P.S. I just wanted to say that I have not forgotten the prayer blog. I have been very distracted the last two weeks but I will begin updating again soon. Most likely when I get home - which we are thinking could possibly be the FIRST HALF of next week (if things continue so well!) Oh we can't wait to take Harper home!!!!!!!

Pretty Woman

I'll do a better update later today but for now - I just HAD to share these pictures!!!!

I know she's mine - but oh my word I love her!!! They have spent all morning trying to get a PICC line in (it's a semi-permanent thing they put in to put all her IV's in so they don't have to constantly stick her.) They tried a ton of places and couldn't get it in (they even had to shave her head in two places to try to put it there). But that's okay - we have so many hats and head bands to cover up those shaved spots. I took a sweet hat in and I knew it would make her feel better. She was so alert - looking around at us.
Her little eyes are pretty blue right now but we know they could turn dark by summer. I really don't care either way but I think she looks just gorgeous either way.

Pray they can get her PICC line in - they will probably try again tomorrow. Other than that - she continues to do really well. They are going to let her rest tomorrow from all tests and procedures (except the PICC).

We are ICED IN big time here at the hospital. It is a mess outside - but we are so glad to be so close to the hospital where it's warm and we can spend time with our little sweetie!!!

P.S. I just wanted to add that our sweet girl is OFF her nitrate Oxide (I don't even know what that means except it's GOOD) and she is down to 26% oxygen!!) She will get to start feeding tomorrow or Thursday! She's a Stamps - she won't have ANY trouble eating!!
Also - ya'll are wearing the nurses out with all the mail and packages we have been getting!!!!! Thank you for all the sweet cards and gifts!!! I'm not going to put them on here today but you have thank yous coming - I promise!!!!!

I love you all for loving Harper so much!

Cold Icy Day outside - WARM day inside

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!

As soon as I posted - the nurse came out and got us and said she had eyes open and to come see her!!!!

I cried so hard when I saw this!

I'm sure she was thinking "my momma is crazy - all she does is cry"

This was such a special moment for us - we got in on video and on film

She gripped her daddy's finger - she knows we love her!

It is a cold day outside full of ice and sleet. It looks like we will be iced in here tomorrow! Luckily we are staying right next to the hospital. It's been a pretty quiet day but we got a lot of sweet cards and packages and we enjoyed looking at those. I wanted to share a few things with you. We are so grateful for the outpouring of love to us!

I got this sweet package from Footprints Ministry in AL - they send these to NICU patients and there were all kinds of neat goodies inside.
I got this neat basket from the Butchers in SC - they make these baskets and send them to NICU patients - there were the cutest things in here like Mary Jane socks and a bow headband and a rattle and blankets. You can see there website here.
This wonderful girl, Christina and her son Parker came to visit us today!!! We were so glad to meet them!
Cindy and Liberty Matthews heard about Scott promising Harper a pony - and she found this onesie and sent it to Harper - isn't it perfect??????
I got this precious necklace and these Paci clips ( are they not the CUTEST) from Brittany. I love them!!!!

And Brandi made me this necklace - you better believe I'll be wearing it!!!!
We went and ate lunch today with some other NICU parents. They are really sweet and have twin girls in here. It was nice to visit and have some friends in the same boat. (Well kind of - Harper weighs twice both of their girls put together - but you know what I mean).

Okay - you are probably wondering about a Harper update. You may notice in the pictures that my eyes are pretty swollen. I have cried a lot today. But they have been HAPPY tears!!! Harper is now on a regular ventilator - not an oscillator - which is WONDERFUL news!!!! HUGE! They have started waking her up and we just went in and saw her move her little fingers and toes and mouth. I can't tell you how exciting seeing those little feet move is to us!

We have never asked "why" about Harper. Not once. We believe everything happens for a reason. And that has been confirmed again to us today - I got THREE e-mails today from people who got saved because of the story of this little girl. Not because of me or Harper - but because of God working through us. Is there anything better in the whole world than that???? Keep praying - not just for Harper, but for the other families in NICU's everywhere, and for people's lives to be changed.

Sunday

Sweet Harper continues to improve day by day!!! She is now at 39% oxygen!!! And they are taking her Nitric oxide down as well as most of her other drugs. Hopefully by this time next week we will be looking into her eyes and holding her!!!!

Scott went home today to take some stuff and get our mail and get his work computer so he can work from here next week. We are SO thankful because his work has been SO good to him and not only have allowed him to be off as long as he needs to but gave us a generous gift. We are both blessed to work for great companies. He will be back soon. Mom and I went to Wal-Mart this morning to do some shopping. I was in such a hurry to get over here last week that I only brought about 3 outfits with me and we are in store for an ice storm so I thought I could get a few sweaters at Wal-Mart. (They have a new line called Max that is SO CUTE!!!!!)
This sweet couple, Jennifer and Justin, came to see me today and she made me the cutest diaper cake EVER! I love it so much! (They are pictured below at the top)
We didn't expect any visitors today but we still had several - we are so thankful for each of you who came to see us today!


I love this song so much. This is something I listened to over and over and over as I waited for God to give me a baby. Some of you wonder how I can have a positive attitude or joy in the midst of a trial? Listen to this song - God is each of the things listed in this song to me. He is my strong tower, my strength, my fortress, my deliver, my shelter, my very present help in time of need.

Please pray for me - I'm getting a cold and don't feel real well. I'm going to take some medicine and go to bed early. I'm very healthy and never get sick but I'm probably a little rundown from the pace we've been keeping for the last 10 days. I CAN'T be sick - or I can't visit Harper and that would be really hard! Pray I wake up feeling much better so I can whisper in her ear all day tomorrow about how pretty she is!

Saturday

If you read this blog - you know that I'm a TV ADDICT!!!!! Especially this time of year - I have so many shows my DVR is on overdrive. I realized today that I haven't seen TV in 9 days - and I have to tell you - I couldn't care less. I just realized that Miss America was tonight. I wish I was at home holding my princess and explaining to her which girl was wearing too much lipstick and which dress was tacky and picking our favorite states together. But there will be time for all that.

For now - my reality is staring at this precious face as often as I can

They put her on her tummy this morning and she really liked it - all her vitals went way up so they dialed back her oxygen to 42%. She had another great day! They have put her on her back again but she'll be on her tummy later tonight. It will help to break up the pneumonia that's left.

Really - is ANYTHING sweeter than this?

Oh I can't wait to hold this precious thing in my arms!!!!
We had a huge group of visitors today - thank you to all of you for visiting!!!!! It brings a huge lift when we are able to see friends and family (and blog friends) and it touches me to think you would take time out to come and visit us!!!!
I forgot to tell ya'll that I got to change her diaper yesterday!!!! I was absolutely scared to death but the sweet nurse helped me! I've never been so excited!

I got a wonderful fruit bouquet from some praying friends in New Hampshire today! Thank you SO much!

We were so thankful today that Laurie and Steve came and spent the day with us. It just felt so wonderful to have them with us and to visit. We got away from the hospital and ate at Cheesecake Factory!

Laurie and Steve have been a wonderful support system to us. Laurie has fielded a million phone calls and e-mails - I tease her that she is my administrative assistant.
We got back to the RM House tonight and this was in the mail! My sorority at OBU had made this big poster and signed it for us. SOOOOO cute! It just thrilled me to death. I have a onesie at home that says "Future tri chi" that I can't wait to put Harper in. It has a matching pink and green tutu!! If any of you tri chis read this - thank you!!! I can't wait for Harper to be in the pledge class of 2028!

We are living the fact that God's mercies are new every morning! We have had a hard week this past week but I think it's also been one of the best weeks because we have witnessed God's hand in every moment. I know some of you who are reading this may not have had prayers answered. You may think God has forgotten you. I just want you to know that God is good and perfect and He loves you. He has a plan that may not be what you planned - but I pray that you will one day find that His plan was best. We just have to trust Him to work everything out for the good.

I can't say enough how much I love you all!