Going Home

           I'm home and tired, but I wanted to write a quick update about the last couple of days.  Flint is doing SO WELL!  He is defying the odds and we are so excited, humbled, and blessed to be a part of his journey!  This morning he had his vision test and he PASSED!  Since I found out that his vision could be affected by his condition, I have been so worried about this issue in particular.  For some reason, the possibility of him being blind hurts me more than the possibility of him not walking or doing other things.  I just REALLY wanted him to be able to see!  Several times when I've been with him he has looked all over and even seems to be focusing in on things in the room, but who am I to say what he's actually doing?  I was so relieved to hear that as far as vision goes, so far, so good!  They'll do another follow-up test in a couple of weeks to make sure, but at this point, that is not an issue.  We are so GRATEFUL!
           Another thing Flint is doing really well on is his weight gain (he gets that from me).  He is up 3 ounces from his birth weight, so now he weighs 3 lbs. 4 oz.  That's pretty good weight gain from any baby, let alone a preemie who was growth restricted.  The doctors all say he is fairly stable and they are beginning to assess the timing for him to receive his shunt.  The doctor today even suggested that we could probably do the shunt here, instead of having to go to Dallas, which would be AWESOME!!  I am just amazed at how Flint is defying the odds and know this little boy is going to be a living testimony to the power of God!  Plus, on top of that, he is JUST SO CUTE!!!
          The only sad part right now, was having to go home from the hospital without him.  I thought I would handle it fine!  I have dear friends and family members who have had to go home from a hospital without their baby, and it's not because their baby is still in the NICU.  It's because their baby didn't survive.  I know that going home without a baby for that reason is far more difficult than what I had to do today.  Still though, it was bitter-sweet to get in the car with everyone from my family...except Flint.  The only comfort I have is in knowing that he is in the best place for his needs right now.  He is well taken care of and I will be in the NICU a lot over the next several weeks, doing all I can to help him progress.  I miss him though, and I miss being able to walk down the hall to say hello to him whenever I want.  The next few months will be hard as we juggle our home life and kids' schedules with the NICU life and Flint's schedule.  I'm SO happy to have to figure this out though!  What a blessing that Flint is here and thriving!  Even though the future is still uncertain, we feel so incredibly blessed!