Welcome Home Ava!!!

Well after 190 days (or 6 months and 8 days) in the NICU our little Ava is home!  Yesterday was an emotional day of closing one chapter of our lives and beginning another.  As we close the first chapter, we want everyone to know how grateful we are for all the love, support, meals, gifts, cards, prayers and countless other acts of kindness.  From the NICU staff at OPR to the NICU staff at Children's Mercy, to our parents who have been here so much helping us out in so many ways, to our friends here in KC and our friends in all parts of the country, and to those who we don't even know....THANK YOU!  God knew and will always know exactly what we need and we definitely feel like He provided through every one of you.

Now on with the details....Before heading home we celebrated with a going home party in the NICU at Children's Mercy Hospital thanks to one of our primary nurses who will always have a special place in our hearts.  Then we loaded up the car with Reese, Ava, and all Ava's new belongings...ventilator, oxygen, oxygen monitor, apnea monitor, suction machine....  The caravan home included the team from our medical equipment company and a couple ladies from our home nursing staff.  The transition home went well without any hiccups and Ava checked out her new crib for the first time. 

Our first 24 hours of having both girls home has been pretty uneventful.  Well maybe I should say it has been pretty uneventful from a medical standpoint.  Mommy and daddy don't consider feeding, changing diapers, bathing, doing trach cares, giving medications, taking temperatures, making fortified milk, cleaning bottles, working on physical therapy belly time, mowing the lawn, doing laundry, and making dinner "uneventful" but that is what has been done in the last 24 hours.  As crazy as it is we love it.  It is absolutely worth it to have a little bit more normalcy of having our babies in our home with us. 

Included are some pictures of the big homecoming day and of the girls spending their time together.  Enjoy!

Let the Blogging Begin...

Life is good for Ava!

Reese loving her swing and mobile.

Sporting their "Former Wombmates" onesies.

Big girl seat for Reese!

Ava loves her pink tutu outfit.

Reese and Rocky catching up on daytime tv.

Ava hanging out in daddy's arms.

We know how many people have enjoyed following us via CaringBridge so we have decided to begin a blog for the new chapter in our lives.  We hope to add plenty of pictures since CaringBridge only allowed 51 pictures total and that was difficult to do over the span of 6+ months.  We have been blown away by all the support and prayers through all of our ups and downs and feel extremely blessed to have all of you in our lives.  We know life is going to be crazy with Ava and Reese both home but we hope to make occasional posts for updates and milestones in the lives of our two blessings.  We pray that our experience has touched  others in a positive way and that God continues to work through us to be His disciples.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

The first McNeil Family picture!