We are Family!

We had a very busy weekend! It's always fun to sit down and blog about the exciting moments...

Friday, Uncle Matt and Aunt Becky got into Indianapolis after their long 9.5 hour car ride. Becky had not seen Elise since she was three days old. Uncle Matt saw Elise right after her PDA surgery on Feb. 21st. Needless to say, they were both chomping at the bit to get their hands on their sweet niece! They got to give her a bath and rock her to sleep Friday night. I know all three of them loved it. Nothing better than family time.

proud uncle :)

Hi, Uncle Matt!

Loves her bath from Auntie B! 

Saturday was a wonderful day as well. Uncle Jordan graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine! We are all so proud of his amazing accomplishment! We are especially excited that he will remain close to home for his residency program. Out of fourteen IU applicants, Jordan was one of six medical students who was chosen to complete his neurological residency at IUSM in Indianapolis. Elise is one blessed little lady to now have TWO doctors in her immediate family.

Dr. Raynor! 

At the graduation ceremony on Saturday, I couldn't help but think back to Jordan's white coat ceremony four years ago this August. This was before Grant, before Elise, and before Momma passed. I remember watching my mother's reaction as Jordan walked across the stage of the Murat Theatre and a doctor helped him into his first white coat. Mom's face was priceless...a huge smile as her eyes glistening with tears. I'm sure she wondered if she would be able to watch him walk across the stage four years later to graduate medical school.

A very proud momma with her doctor son-- just beginning his journey

She did watch him walk across. She had the best seat in the house along with our grandpa and grandma and our 90-year-old Dr.  Russell Davis. Was it hard to not have her physically with us on Saturday? Absolutely. She flooded our minds and hearts many times during the moments we celebrated. However, we could feel she was with us, making sure we were celebrating the right way...many laughs, only happy tears, and of course, cocktails in hand. I think we made her proud....the only way we want our Momma to be.

Momma continued to be in our heats and mind on Sunday, Mother's Day. I know she wanted to be around to see me become a mother, but God had a different plan. Today marks the second Mother's Day that she has spent in Heaven. As I think about her on this Mother's Day, I feel her patting me on the back. No words need to be said. Just feeling her patting me on my back keeps me confident that I'm doing the best I can do as a new Mommy. I know she approves.  It's hard work to be a good mother, and I hope everyday I'm on my way to the level of my own mother. Quite frankly, being a good mother takes big cojones (or shall we say ovaries?) that allow mothers to remain strong during the difficult moments of raising a child or children. I know Matt, Jordan, and I gave our mother plenty of worrisome moments as a single mother of three children- all fourteen months apart, but we all made it through. Elise has already presented us with numerous moments when we've had to remain strong during times of instability, but that's a child's job, right?

In the end, the most exciting part of my first mother's day is knowing we are almost at the end of our NICU journey. Elise continues to soar! She is now on one-half liter of nasal cannula and still sitting at room air (21%). The doctors continue to play around with her feedings so she continues to increase bottle feeds and decrease pump feeds. She now gets four bottles of rice cereal a day of 25 ml's. The other four feedings are fortified breast milk and on the pump. Elise also continues to increase her weight. She is now up to 4 lbs. 15 oz! SO close to having a five pound party!!

What a story this eyes can tell....

Guilty! ...of being cute. 

Getting closer,
G & J & E