Wow...so glad that is over!

Well, we are finally home. Yeah, we thought we'd only be at the hospital with Brooklyn for a couple of days. Turns out it was an almost 9 day stay at Hotel Arnold Palmer. Poor baby wouldn't stop vomitting. They wanted her to go 24 hours without IV fluids and without any assistance from anti-nausea medicine. Daily we'd watch the clock after each feeding, hope growing with every hour that she'd keep her milk/pedialyte cocktail down. 5, 6, 7 hours. Yay! And then she'd vomit. Well, let's start the clock over again. So this went on for days yet finally her little body decided it wanted to cooperate and go home too! So Saturday was a successfuly day and Sunday we were discharged.

I'm so proud of John for getting back behind the wheel of the car and carrying us home safely. I know he was apprehensive about other drivers all throughout that ride home.

I had to find some really important lessons to bring out of this accident. If I didn't, then it makes the whole experience a waste. This accident taught me that we can get by with just the basics in life as long as we have each other. We lived in that hospital without our big flat panel TV, without our cars, without our array of clothing, without my scrapbook stuff or many of the things we enjoy daily, and you know what? It didn't matter! Brooklyn being healthy and us having each other was all that did matter.

The second thing I learned is how blessed we are for the people God put in our lives to pray, support and care for us. The outpouring of calls, emails, text messages, visitors, gifts and meals was overwelming. Facebook was instrumental in rallying people all over the country and world to pray for Brooklyn's health and our sanity. God did not disappoint. His wings of protection were over us the whole time.

The third thing I learned is that yes, we are all just one phone call away from having our world turned upside down. You never know how you'll react in the situation until it shows up. I feel like I kept my cool and stayed positive for the most part. I was able to make wise decisions for the good of my baby even when it went against what hospital staff told us. I feel like I was firm about many things when normally I'm a total wuss. I'm proud of the me that came out of this.

The fourth thing I learned is that I didn't run to God like I should have when things felt overwelming. I found comfort in friends and family and THEN did I pray or seek God. I'd like for Him to be my first stop when I need help.

And finally, I feel like crisis bonded John and I together even tighter than before and in a way that just might never have happened any other way. We truly worked as a team supporting and encouraging and lifting each other up when the load became too heavy. I truly love this man and never could have made it through without him.