Holden Comes Home!

To say we've been looking forward to this day for 10 weeks would be an understatement! Yesterday, Holden finally came home! It was a day full of emotion, joy, hope and "firsts". As we exited the hospital that we've grown to know oh so well, Holden began to experience the beginning of many "firsts" in his life. It was the first time he felt a breeze on his adorable little cheek. The first time he truly saw sunshine. The first time he got to ride in his car seat in the car (which he cried half way home). The first time he saw his house and nursery and the first time he met his puppy dog, Alex. Not bad for one day.

It did not take long for Mommy and Daddy to get comfortable with the home monitor, oxygen and feeding tube. The biggest challenge is being mobile while carrying Holden and walking throughout the house, but thanks to a carrying bag for the oxygen and home monitor it can be done!

Alex greeted Holden at the door and has done extremely well around the little munchkin.

Now that Holden is home, we are looking forward to some "normalcy" in our lives. A couple of days with the typical newborn stuff (sleepless nights, spit ups, poopy diapers - the works) sounds great right about now. And home is where Holden belongs.

It also feels like an appropriate time to bring some closure to Holden's first Blog. We want to thank each and every one of you for caring about our sweet baby boy. It is overwhelming to know how many people pray for Holden and some of you we've never even met. Thank you for all of your kind words, gifts, home made meals, positive thoughts and most of all - prayers. God has blessed us beyond belief. And through this journey, we've not only learned to love with all our heart, we've learned the power of being loved by others. I now believe that you do not truly know love, until you love with all your heart. It means risking getting hurt and feeling vulnerable, but it is so worth the risk! I think it goes without saying that "faith" is what helped us through this big bump in the road of life. And we have faith that the journey will continue to get better and better through the years now that Holden is part of our family.

The plan for Holden now is to stay healthy, grow big and strong and enjoy life as a newborn. He now weighs 7 lbs. 1.5 oz. Initially, we'll have several doctors appointments, but then we'll likely just have monthly visits and check ups. Once he is big enough, he'll have a procedure to close his PDA and ASD. We will keep in touch with family and friends via e-mail, Christmas cards, phone calls, etc. We also plan to have a get together sometime this summer, so everyone can meet Holden in person. If you'd like for us to keep in touch, please e-mail us your contact information (E-mail, home address and phone numbers) at reeceandchristine@yahoo.com. Thank you again and God Bless.

Love,

Reece, Christine, Holden and Alex