January 30- February 2

January 30 - My dad catches a one way flight to Dallas in order to "chaffeur" us home. I run around trying to get all Shayleigh's prescriptions filled. You can't even imagine all the drama we had trying to get her prescriptions filled. I also spend a lot of time making sure everything is packed and making sure everything is lined up for us at home (home health, medical supplies, dr appointments..etc). Today is Shayleigh's last round of therapy at Baylor. She does AMAZING!! PT even mentions that in a few days or a week he would suggest we try the walker or a gait belt!! She really shows off for all therapies! It was such a good way to end our time at Baylor! She was so proud of herself at the end of the day too! She has been smiling so much more! She still isn't talking and isn't making much if any noise, but the smiling and the giggling and laughing is music to our ears! We know we will get there!


January 31 - We leave the hospital around 11 headed home! We have to make a stop at CVS to pick up Shayleigh's last 2 prescriptions. Shayleigh has a meltdown about 15-20 minutes before we stop for lunch. I can't get her to quit screaming and crying and she keeps trying to come out of her carseat reaching for me. We stop at Cracker Barrell in Tyler to give her a break and thank goodness it is right off the interstate. Shayleigh looks at the food, but when I try to feed her she won't eat anything and just starts crying. My dad takes her to walk around the store while my mom and I eat our lunch. Have I mentioned lately that my parents are AMAZING/the BEST?!?! I realize during Shayleigh's slight public meltdown, that I am out of the "bubble" that has been my life for the past 41 days. And it is scary & surreal. We load back up into the car and Shayleigh watches Calliou on the ride home. She tries to cry or whine a little, but I pretend to be asleep and when she sees me "asleep" she calms right down. LOL. Poor kiddo. We pull up into our driveway and Shayleigh sees her daddy and just starts grinning, kicking and bucking to get out of her carseat! Nick gets her out of the car and gets me prepared for my surprise inside! Not only is the house spotless (thanks to Nick and his family) I also have a beautiful flower arrangment! As awesome as a clean house is, it isn't the biggest surprise! Our wonderful friends have decorated Shayleigh's room! The room is amazing and looks awesome! Our friends and Nick worked super hard to get it ready! The walls are painted light pink. They switched out the double bed we had in there planning to use, to Nick's twin bed he had growing up. They painted her furniture white and even spray painted her drawer handles pink to match her bedding! They made pillows! They made cute decorations! And she has a monogrammed pillow and sheet. I still smile EVERY SINGLE TIME I walk into the room! They didn't stop there! They also painted baby brothers room! They monogrammed his crib sheet! They even decorated the walls with paintings! We actually switched the kiddos rooms so they even moved all the clothes in the drawers and closet from one room to the other! (that in itself is a feat, especially for Shayleigh's closet!!) It looks amazing! It makes me so proud to have amazing family and friends! Nick and I have felt so blessed from day one and having friends and family coming together to help us is so amazing! We have the best friends and family!


February 1 - My first day by myself at home with Shayleigh. My parents leave around 10am to run to Lake Charles to take my 95 year old Memaw to her doctors appointment. My parents are super nervous about leaving me. I go ahead and get all her medicines ready for the day and try to plan for the day knowing that it will be a long day and I will need to make sure I have everything I need so I am not constantly carrying her around the house getting things. She is really heavy when you are 29 weeks pregnant. Shayleigh and mommy have an amazing day! It was almost "normal" and it was so nice just to be us at home! She was a sweet girl and we spent the day snuggling on the couch, reading books, snacking and taking a nap! It really was a wonderful and amazing day! Shayleigh and I were both so excited to have Nick come home! It was just like old times before this roller coaster started.


February 2 - Pajama day!! Shayleigh also apparently decided that she needed to eat like a field hand today and that she was going to train for the olypmics! She ate a whole yogurt, about 30 spoonfuls of Nick's rice pudding, a piece of king cake, a pretty decent size of lasagna, a bowl of oatmeal, and had about 5 sips of white grape juice. She also decided to pull up on the chaise lounger. She crawled about 2 times. She also purses her lips and smacks. Whew. It was a super busy day!! Nick's Aunt Martha came over and brought us some really amazing homemade lasagna! The BIGGEST surprise was the visitors that we got during Shayleigh's naptime. Apparently, Nick knew they were coming, but for some reason NEVER told me "Hey Nikki, you should get out of your pajamas and get dressed." lol. I actually had just laid down for a nap when Nick called me to the living room to answer the door. I was SOOOO surprised to see a high school friend and his wife at my door! I went to a small private high school in Lake Charles (it is 3 hours from where we live now!) By small school, I mean I graduated with a class of 19. Although I haven't kept in touch with most of them like I should, they have been keeping up with me and what's going on in my life and 11 of them got together and donated money to help with Shayleigh's medical bills!! Then apparently they decided on a messenger to drive all the way over here to deliver the money and some flowers!! I was AMAZED and blown away! I guess I really shouldn't be considering how generous and amazing everyone has been, but everytime we get money I am blown away. I am humbled. Everytime I hear of someone who has prayed for us I am blown away and humbled. Nick and I NEVER in a million years would have considered asking for donations. Once we found out, I, of course freaked out and worried about money, but Nick told me "if we have to pay for it $5 a month for 50 years then that is what we will do." After that, we were still nervous, but we knew as parents we would do WHATEVER it took to help our daughter!! Everyone wanted to help and all we kept asking for was prayers. I say all that to say, once again, thank you!! Thank you to each and everyone of you who have donated money. Everyone of you who have taken time out of your day to pray for our family and our little girl. We have been so blessed with amazing support and love!! We really can't begin to express our thanks to yall! We just hope that one day we are able to help others like each and everyone of you have helped us!!