My Journey Ends Today, In The Arms Of Loved Ones :)

Hey guys! Yep I am awake here just saying Hi and that's pretty much it so see Ya!! Ok just joking as you can tell from the title today has been THE Day! The day I have been waiting for my entire short life! The Day that I was too impatient for 99 days ago! The day all of you have been waiting for! The day where every prayer and well wish comes to fruition! The day I Finally get to wear my Washington Husky gear! Look below and watch me strike a pose!!!

OK that's really not it, its just my last parting shot at my Coug Cousin Sammi!! Hahaha!! But no, today is the day I get to FINALLY go home!! My oh my what a Journey indeed!! But FIRST for old time sakes how about my stats??? Well today I gained 3 ounces!!! So that put my release weight at 7 pounds 15 ounces!! So for all of you who chose the first option on the poll congrats!! You are winners!! :) And whom ever decided to vote for over nine pounds, what were you people thinking!!! :) Now to the good stuff :) Well when mommy and daddy came in they found me with no cords anymore, so I was basically just ready to go! Daddy swooped in to pick me up and hold me while the mama signed all my paperwork for my release from my plastic prison!!!! Once mommy was done it was packing time! Mommy packed all my stuff into bags while daddy got me in my car seat ready for the ride home!! See Below!

Again I am striking a pose!! While I was sitting here waiting as patiently as only I know how to wait (See May 11th 2012) I began to cry because everyone was taking sooooo long!! PLEASE take me home guys PLEASE!!! Finally when the papers were signed and the goodbyes were over it was time to sit in my car seat, on a cart, with all my stuff being marched out of the IC unit. Now I would love to say there were hundreds of people here waving their hands goodbye and clapping and blowing me kisses, but no it was just my mommy, daddy, and the nurses who have taken care of me all my life and I would not have asked for it in any other way :) It's hard to say goodbye to the people that have basically made it able so I could go home and be here today to write to you, but I really need to go and be home now :) I have had my ups and downs with you nurses (and you all know what I mean) but at the end of the day you all are the reason I live today and I will never forget you! I would list you all off today by name, but there were sooo many of you and my little preemie mind cannot remember all your names so I will just leave it at this, I will never forget you, and my parents will never forget you. The amount of love you have all shown me these past 99 days is unbelievable. I would have never expected this amount of compassion, loving, and caring from complete strangers, and all of you deserve to be commended. The love in my tiny heart for all of you can only be eclipsed by the love I have for my family (And that is a WHOLE lot!). Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, you all will never be forgotten. And as the tears fall down my cheek for the last time in the IC I bid you all farewell and good bye :)

Well here I am waiting for the car!! It's always tough to say goodbye to your first home, but in my case it will be ok, so GOODBYE Tacoma General!! :) And it's off to the car for me! So daddy gets me in and ready to go and then off we went!! Now I thought we were going straight home, but mommy and daddy had more baby stuff to get, so it was off to Babies R Us!! I got me some new formula, a new bathtub,  and some new TOYS!! :) Now I have never had toy's before but I heard they are really FUN! Can't wait to try them out!! Now its finally off to home!! Now it was a long drive but I kinda woke up as we pulled in the driveway. Everything looks SOOOOO weird! I have NEVER seen the outside world what a trip! Looks a lot different from my plastic box at my previous house!! Daddy grabbed my car seat and took me in the house and now is the time I GET TO MEET MY FAMILY!! Jayce, Alexis and Preston, my brothers and sister get to see me for the first time! Eeek I am nervous!! See Below!

Wow they are SOOOO BIG!! You can't see me but I am in the car seat right there as Jayce (to the left) looks at me confused and shocked to finally have his baby sister at home. Alexis (in the middle)looks at me with the sweet eyes of someone whom just gained a sister, and Preston (to the right) looks at me with the sweet stare of love and excitement for finally getting to meet me!! And daddy just looks at me like a weirdo! Way to photo bomb daddy!! :) After that is was time to be held by the Brothers and sister's :) See Below!

Here you can see Jayce holding me, it looks like I fell asleep there but really I blinked!! Preston just can't stop looking at me :) And Alexis is showing off for the camera :) Trust me sister I know how you feel, I love the camera as well!! :) After our group shot, My auntie Sarah (my daddies sister) wanted her moment with me! See Below!!

Awe she is as happy to see me at home as I am!! :) I love you auntie Sarah!! :) Quickly after my sister Alexis wanted to hold me for the first time and show the world what princess sister looks like, See below!!

She is soooo pretty I just can't sop staring at her, you see!! Now Preston was a little too nervous to hold me, so that photo will come sometime later :) It's ok brother I still love you!! God it has taken me sooo long to finally meet you guys, I can' wait to spend the rest of my lives as your sister!! What a proud preemie princess I sure am!! :) Thank you all for all your loving today!! :)

What a Journey it has been, this all started 99 days ago on May 11th 2012, and now here it is today August 17th. They say Preemies have 2 birthdays, they day they leave their mommy's tummy, and the day they escaped the hospital so today as my journey ends its my second birthday :) You know when my mommy first got pregnant this was her due date TODAY, what a weird coincidence, or maybe it was fate either way I am finally home :). Now most babies spend all their time in their mommy to grow, but I needed more than my mommy to grow because of my impatience. I have had tube's, sensor's, med's, heat light's, UV light's, oxygen masks, cpap machines, probes, picc lines, IV's, and here I am today as healthy as can be!! Just like I was supposed to be today when my mama found out she was growing me in her tummy. :) Now I won't lie and say that it was not easy, there were really hard days, but all those days got so much better when my mommy and daddy came to be with me, and when my family and friends came to see me :) So this is for all of you !!! To My grandma's Rolene, Roberta and Debbie, to my Grandpa's Andy and Gary, you guys made me feel so special and loved and visited me as much as you could, and thank you sooo much for that. I love you all so much and I am already attached to you more than you will ever know :) Not a day you guys came by was a bad memory and I will always cherish those times :) I love you all soo much. To my Aunties Vicki, Sarah, Patty and my Uncles Joey, Seth and Terry, You all gave me and my parents strength to get by. The way you all treated me when you were around made me always feel like family and that's what a Preemie needs more than anything. The Love you showed me will never be forgotten :) To my extended family members that came out to see me all the way from the east coast, My Great Aunt Dawn, Great Aunt BeLinda, and my Great-Grandma Sue you have NO CLUE how special that made me feel, I love you all so much and thank you for making that trip, I never knew how much I meant to the family until that day :) To my other Aunties Krista, Loni, Jade, Kalia, Sam, Melissa, Jamie, Julie, Sheri, Krista R. and Jesi and my other uncles Chad P. Steve, Brian, Rick and Brian H, you guys came out of your ways to meet me and make me feel special. Most of you started out as my mommy and daddy's friends but now you are my friends and you helped me get past those tough day's and always brought a smile to my face with all your love and kindness!! To my God Parents of course Amber and Chad, I will never forget our visits or the excitement involved in the both of you every time you ever laid eyes on me :) The love felt from the two of you always touched me and it's the kind of love that will be carried with me all my life :) And to my mommy and daddy. What can I say about you guys!! You battled as much as I did, everyday you never skipped a beat, you were there to see me no matter how tired you were or how hard it was on those bad days. I could have never done it with you two! This is what it means to truly feel loved, the sacrifices by you two and all things you did for me is the reason why I am who I am today, I truly love you both with all my heart and I could have never asked for better parents. I could have never asked for a better life! PERIOD! You all that I have listed above have come and visited me in my lowest points of my short life, but it was YOU guys that gave me the hope and fight to live. You all showed me it was worth fighting to get out of here, it was a miracle to be brought here so early, but it was also a miracle to be brought into the life I have, and with the people I know around me. I love you all sooo much and again I will never forgot all of this!! Finally to you the readers who made me the most popular preemie baby princess on the planet! Your love and prayers I KNOW have had an impact on my life, and I know I am here today healthy because of all you giving me your good wishes, and blessings :) Thank you all for giving me your time every night :) I love you all....I have decided that after all of this how could I stop the blog, this is about my journey is it not? So I will continue this weekly until I turn one :) Every Sunday I will post about my past week and have pictures too of course!! I owe it all to you, and besides I would miss you all if I just ended it today, so this is my gift to you world :) Again I thank you for you support :)

Wow and after all of that, it is time to say goodnight! I have a family to get to and I can't wait to get to know them better :) But before I say goodbye I have to tell the truth!! I of course have not been writing this blog :( I have been whispering my stories to my mommy and daddy whom are living these stories with me. Daddy does the writing and mommy does the checking :) Hey if I could type I would do it myself, but for now I will work on just eating :) And on that note I still have growing to do, so I got's to get to it!! My Journey home has ended yes but my Journey at home has just begun :) So say hello and goodnight to me and my happy family :) This is Olivia Remy Vannoy Signing out!! :)