Counting Our Blessings...

View from our new room...

We finally moved out of ICU on Saturday. We were so excited....one step closer to home!!! Peyton has been doing so well, eating, walking, and playing. Her labs are looking great and are almost normal. We are continuing to do physical therapy to help strengthen Peyton's legs. She can walk almost normal but has a hard time standing up from the squatting position. As you can tell from the picture of my brother and her below, her upper strength seems to be fine!
She is finally starting to be more active and play too. She loves her new coloring books, bubbles, and playdough.

On Sunday her IV's were finally removed which made her much more mobile. We finally had the opportunity to take her for a walk. To my surprise she was excited to walk all by herself...we were very impressed!!! The Pediatric floor has a wonderful little courtyard for the kids to play in. This was her first day outside in 16 days. The first thing she went for was the ball of course. She didn't hesitate to give it a good kick.

The courtyard floor was decorated by engraved bricks...these were some of our favorites.

For dinner she finally got her FRENCH FRIES!!!

Playtime with Uncle Chris...

Now it is Monday, the day they said we would be going home if everything continued to go well and it has. This morning Peyton is scheduled to have her Hemodialysis Catheter removed from her chest. She will have to be sedated for this...good thing since she has her fiestyness back! She will also get her EEG this morning. This will let us know if she is ready to be off her seizure medication. The Pediatrician says if there is no activity it is unlikely she will have any seizures after her medication is stopped. I am praying that everything will look good. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to have her seize at home. I am sure the first few nights we will be constantly checking on her.
Peyton is so excited to come home. I am hoping we wont be let down today. She can't wait to see her kitty and sister Gwen. It will be interesting to see how she adapts to being back at home. I'm sure she will just be glad to not have scary people poking at her, being attached to cords and hearing beeping sounds 24/7. Trevor and I will be glad to!!! The sleeping arrangements here have been laughable. In fact the other night when Peyton was crying they told Trevor to lay with Peyton in her crib. Look at the size of her crib!!! Trevor thought they were joking but the nurse was totally serious. We all are just so excited to get to sleep in our own beds and finally have our little girl home again.

It's hard to believe only 16 days ago they told us our little girl had only a 50% chance of survival because of how sick she was. Her labs continued to go in the wrong direction for days and then she had her seizure. I knew in my heart that God could make her well again but I knew his will would be done and I was scared that this would be her time to go. I'm thankful that our many constant prayers were answered today. I hope she will be able to look back on this day when she is told this story and be able to pull strength from it. This was the time she fought for her life and won. I am so proud of her for hanging in there and being the strong little girl her friends and family know her to be. I am thankful for the support our friends and family have given us. I am thankful for the fasting and prayers of our ward and the Hazeldale ward. I am thankful to be a part of a church that has taught me the purpose and importance of life and family. That I have a Father in Heaven that loves and cares for my little girl enough to save her. I am so grateful to have my little girl in my arms again. I am counting my many blessings...

I want to take a moment to extend a thank you to all of those who have given their time, love, and support to our family. We are very blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives. I believe Trevor, Peyton, and I are as strong as we are because of your support and your prayers to our Father in Heaven. Thank you for the time you have sacrificed to bring us home cooked meals and treats, thank you for the time you have taken to come and visit us, thank you for the wonderful gifts and cards for Peyton, and most of all thank you for being a part of lives. I want to especially thank those who have cared for our little Gwen. It settles our minds to know she is in good safe hands. I also want to thank my mom for coming into town at a moments notice and cleaning our home, fixings us dinner, and caring for us and our girls. Thank you Billie, Grandma Harp, Heidi, Aunt Diane, and the Attack Family for staying through the days and nights with our little Gwen. We are so blessed to have each one of you in our lives. Your kindness will never be forgotten and will always be remebered when we look back at this time of struggle.

All Our Love to You,

Trevor, Brittney, Peyton, and Gwen