160 days......+1!!

Today was certainly a big day!  Not only did Atticus's big sister Sandy start her very first day of kindergarten (homeschool), but Atticus has now officially been OUT of the hospital 1 day longer than he was IN the hospital!!  What a wonderful gift from God!  My oldest child is growing up, and moving on to school, and my youngest child has now been home with all of us for an offical majority of his life!  This has been a day I've been looking forward to on both fronts! 

Words can't describe how special it is to have Atticus home longer than he's been away.  It's hard to express the emotions that go along with this day.  It's almost like validation after such a rough and difficult start to Atticus' life.  To have been hospitalized for such a long time, we can officially begin to say that he's been "well" more than he's been "sick".  To show the power of God and prayer; to be able to say that he's not had ANY emergency room visits or ANY rehospitalizations since we left MUSC now 161 days ago.  That is a wondeful feeling. 

We went to visit all our wonderful doctors and nurses in the PCICU on Saturday, when Atticus had some check-ups in Charleston.  (His appts were the day before, but they had a baby come back from the OR just as we got there, so we came back the next day.)  It wonderful to see everyone under such very different circumstances.  The nurses all took turns holding him, playing with him, and snapping pictures of him with their phones.  They couldn't believe how big he's gotten (up to 22.3lbs!), how many teeth he now has, his new hearing aids, and how red his hair has turned!  Several told me how he was their inspiration, because he was able to pull through so much!  They said they share his story with some of their new families; especially the ones going through a particularly hard time, as proof that sometimes, you never know what can happen.  That was humbling.  I'm glad to know that Atticus already means so much to people I've never met; and that maybe his story can bring them hope through difficult times. 

Thank you all for your many continued prayers for Atticus and our family.  He is living proof that God is powerful and that He has a plan for all of us.  Thank you for continuing to share in our journey.  I am so humbled by all of your love and kindness and support.  Atticus still has so much to face in his life, so as always....Keep on prayin'!!