We've spent the last week and a half adjusting to being home!  The kids LOVE Owen.  They want to see him, touch him, and "help" him.  When Owen fusses Grant says "it's okay, it's okay" in a high voice.  I guess he's mimicking mommy.  He loves to tickle Owen's feet and give him a binky.  Ava is a super-sister, a mama bear to the core.  She loves to check on Owen, give him a blankie, comfort him, show him toys, help change diapers, feed him, and even wash pump parts.  Most of all, she loves to hold him.  She has had nothing but positive things to say about her brother.

I will say though, the kids have had moments of frustration when I can't play with them because I have to feed the baby.  They both really want my attention, probably mostly because I've been gone for so long.  They don't seem to take it out on Owen though.  The other night I ran up to the store for an hour, my first time away from the kids since I've been home.  In hindsight I realized that this was very difficult for them.  Grant did not want me to leave.  Apparently Ava bawled once I was gone.  I think they both didn't know if I would come back.  Of course I did a short time later.  Then Ava curled up in my lap and started talking about how much she missed me when I was in Oklahoma.  She said "mommy, every time you have a baby we have to find a hospital in Michigan so we can visit you.".  I guess it will take a while for them to re-learn that mommy always comes back.

Here's a picture of Owen, at home, with no wires or tubes!!  He is such a good baby.  Sweet and snuggly and only fusses to be fed or held.  And as soon as I pick him up he stops the fussing and patiently waits for me to change his diaper and weigh him before he can be fed.  It's like he's used to the process.  He's precious.  My other kids were not so patient.  This may change over the next several weeks as he has more awake time.  We've taken Owen to our pediatrician here and he's gaining weight well, 9 oz in a week!  Because he did so well we decided to stop his supplement, but continue the pumping. However, in the last 24 h since we did that he's lost an ounce.  So we'll see how he does after several days. I'm hoping we don't have to go back to supplementing!

I know several of you in Michigan are anxious to meet this little guy.  We have been advised by our doctors not to take him out to public/crowded places until 2 months after his due date, which is early July.  We'll see if we really wait that long, but we want to let his little immune system get as strong as possible before exposing him to crowds.  We look forward to showing him off to you though :).

I will probably not continue to update this blog regularly.  We have a family blog that is set to private to protect the pictures of our children.  Any friend who would like to follow that blog, just leave a comment with your email address (or send it via Facebook) and I'll send you an invitation to the blog.  It will ask you to create a google log in and then you can read our updates any time.  I will keep that one more up to date.

Again, I can't express how much we appreciate each and every one of you who have prayed for our family. God continues to bless us more than we can ask or imagine.  We thank him every day. Thanks for participating in our journey.