The Hopperton Family: Homecoming for Jenny

I came home last night for the first time in over 6 weeks. What an emotional moment it was for me. Talk about sensory overload...I forgot what it was like on the outside. I didn't want to leave the babies and drive an hour home away from them so I cried before I left, I cried all the way home and I burst into tears when I walked into the house and seen the babies room all finished and waiting for them. Thanks to Mom D and sister Shell it looks amazing...we are so blessed! However, I couldn't be leaving my babies in better hands. The newborn intensive care unit (NICU) at Good Sam is wonderful. The nurses have become our best friends and almost like family and have really taught Brad and I how to take care of these wee ones. Both of us had never changed a diaper and they started out by making Brad do it and now he loves it. Its a calming feeling know that a professional is there to help if you screw it up so by the time this is over we will be pros. It has truly been a remarkable experience so far and though I would rather have them home with us its really not been so bad. One day, I will probably wish that I could drop them off for a day just to have someone else do all the work...(just kidding).

The babies are all doing great...they are all eating more and more everyday and Carter and Lila got their iv's out last night. Madelyn's will be awhile before she is able to do this but she too is going up on her feeds and gaining weight (more than Lila actually) everyday so it will only be a matter of time. But she always has those fists clinched just in case big brother tries to keep stealing her food (but what she hasn't figured out yet is nothing is stopping her now). This morning when I called to check in on them Lila and Madelyn had to be put under the tanning bed lights because their bilirubin levels (jaundice) went up but they are both only 0.1 over what their limit is so hopefully it will only be one day they will need this. Today will be Carter's first day fully clothed (what a big boy) and as soon as Lila is out from the lights she too will be in clothed and they will be put in a crib together (hopefully tomorrow) and little Miss Madelyn will be put right next to them (currently she is on the other side and is not next to them)

So thank you everyone for all of your prayers thus far...these three are truly something from God...and little Madelyn is just amazing with her resilience. We have been so blessed so far that they are all doing SO VERY well (knock on wood).