Ruby came home

I had been sending pics to FB over the last 24 hours and kept forgetting about this entry that needed to be written. Whitney had been staying at the hospital around the clock to feed Ruby since Monday and we were just waiting to see how she did. The doctor on Wednesday told me that if she fed well all day Wednesday they would release her Thursday. I guess these kids need a good 48 hours of feeding to leave the NICU. She fed well through Wednesday and Thursday morning Whitney called me after the doctor discharged them. Jane and I drove to the hospital and I was completely overwhelmed walking up to the NICU. It's still a bit hard to feel good to carry your child out of that room, yet to realize that there are children in that ward who have parents still hoping for that same moment. I guess all you can do is be grateful that your child beat the odds. At one point during Ruby's stay one of the nurses told us about how this little girl was such a miracle. The nurse then proceeded to tell her about how she had seen Ruby's condition in 8 other children during her time at Seattle Children's Hospital. Not one had survived.

We kept thinking about how these last few weeks have seemed like an eternity. It feels like a year has passed and gone. Most times I never thought we would get to take hew home, yet every day we gained more and more hope. I cannot fully describe how grateful we are for our friends and family. Without the thoughts and prayers that have been said in Ruby's behalf, it is unlikely that we would be here today. Children with Diaphragmatic Hernias often do not have happy endings. Whitney and I are grateful for being able to tell people that Ruby is one.