Settling In

We've been in Las Vegas for almost a week already, and I'm happy to say that we are settling in quite nicely. Both John and I didn't know what to expect of this city, but we are pleasantly surprised to find that we are really enjoying it here. The dry climate is actually kind of great! My hair thinks so anyway :) Everything is so clean and green (considering they get next to no rain, that's quite a feat) and it's surprisingly easy to get around. We found a baptist church near our place and we're excited to go check it out this Sunday!

We've fallen into a nice routine, although that will now change since my parents left this morning. That was hard watching them go. I've realized that no matter how old and grown-up you get, it always just feels better when Mom and Dad are around. John and I had the luxury of being able to go to the hospital together multiple times a day while they watched Cassidy. Now we have to take turns, which is not as fun. Aviannah is on a tight schedule. Every 3 hours she gets her temp taken, diaper changed and bottle fed. Other then that, they try to have her sleeping. The more she sleeps, the less calories and energy she burns and she needs to keep as many of those calories in her system as possible so she can grow, grow, grow! We try to be there for her late morning feeding, afternoon feeding and supper feeding. The first time I changed her diaper I was so nervous. Her legs are like toothpicks and I wasn't sure how to maneuver around all the wires. I've learned though that the babies aren't as fragile as they look. Watching the other nurses skillfully handle them has helped me feel more confident. Today I whipped through the changing with barely a peep from her :) It will sure be nice to not have wires to work around once we get out!

The hospital is truly amazing. The nurses and doctors have all been so helpful and kind and it's fun to see how excited they are for Avi and for us. It's easy to tell how much they love her. As much as I can't wait to get her out of there, I've grown quite fond of the place. I think it would be great to take her back when she's older and show her where she spent her first few months.

Speaking of getting her out...she may be released early next week! I talked to her doctor today and right now she's on .04 of oxygen, which is really just a whiff. They are lowering it down every day and hoping that they can sneak it away from her and if she does well, she can come "home" Monday or Tuesday! She is doing great with her eating and everything else. I am trying not to get too excited, but please pray that this can happen!!

We signed placement papers with our agency today. It was so great to finally meet all the people we've been emailing for so long. They have been so great. We're in touch with a lawyer down here and it sounds like as soon as we get the custody papers from him, and once Avi is released and stable, we can go home!! I don't know how long it will take to get the custody papers, but I'm hoping not long. Birth parents have already gone to court and relinquished their rights. We told the agency that if they want to meet us, we would love that so the social worker is going to contact them. It sounds like they want to keep in touch, although considering that they are homeless, I'm not sure how that will work.

That's all I have for an update right now. We are loving the Ronald McDonald house. We have access to all the food we want, there is a nice sitting room with tons of movies to watch and toys for Cassidy and everyone is so friendly! It is such a blessing to be here but we really miss everyone at home. Facebook and this blog have been such a nice way to keep everyone in the loop. Your prayers are definitely holding us up. Thank you for standing in the gap for us.