Hey Baby,
We love you! You had another great day. We love every moment with you. You got your new ventilator today! I think you love it. You had partially collapsed lungs and blockages on both sides showing up on your chest x-ray. So the Dr swapped your ventilator out from a conventional big breath in- big breath out style to a new kind that gives you smaller puffs while still expanding and contracting your lungs. It looks less comfortable, but you’ve responded well. The amount of oxygen you need has been cut in half in a day. Your x-ray is also showing small improvements. Small improvements on such a small girl can really make all the difference. The Dr seems pleased with your improvements as well as your overall state right now. So the days are piling up, and you are getting stronger by the minute. Your mother and I are comforted daily by the staff in the NICU.
Your mother and I checked in to the Ronald McDonald House. It is a wonderful place. We got a tour and signed some paper work and I took a nap. Naps there make me happy. All naps do but these are extra special. It feels like my home and yet its just a floor away from your room. We have a refrigerator, laundry, showers, a full kitchen, dining room and living room anytime we need it.They also provide many snacks and small meals throughout the day and a big dinner provided and served by volunteers. All this is the most wonderful gift given to us here. Comfort, relaxation space, and nourishment all so we can be better for you.
So your Uncle Corey drove up from and back to Dallas today. It was my proudest moment yet introducing you two. Corey and his wife Sarah have three of the most beautiful children that I have the honor to call nieces and nephews. I have always loved them so much , and have always been extremely happy for my brother to have such a wonderful family. Having him here to show off my beautiful family for the first time was a joy I won’t ever forget. He was immediately in love with you too. I knew how he felt, the same joy for me I had felt for him. I was proud and thankful and so was he. He thinks you are left handed because you kept kicking around your left foot, almost trying to capture his attention and introduce yourself.
My brother and I are only 20 months apart. Our relationship growing up, as with most brothers, was a mixture of allies and adversaries, best friends and annoying roommates. He was my role model and I was his little tag along. We fought hard. I had no line I wouldn’t cross in fights; he did. He protected me while simultaneously beating the crap out of me. We were brothers. I learned the importance of financial responsibility. His frugality still makes me laugh. My shaggy headed big brother reminds me that sometimes a haircut is a want and not a need. He showed me you can drive a turd and still be cool.
You are blessed with your older sister Rowan. Love her and learn from her. Remember that even when you hate her, you love her. You won’t have a closer ally. Learn from her victories and defeats. Give her a little space when she needs it but always stay close. Blood is thicker than water and you only have one family and yours is a good one. Cherish it.
We love you and can’t wait for another day with you.
Letters to Holland 