This is the blog for Gavin and Carrie Jones and family. We live in Papua New Guinea and are working to see lives transformed by the living Word of God through Bible translation. Gavin is a helicopter pilot. Carrie, who has her degree in Public Health, works in the lab at our busy rural clinic. Our son, Isaac, was born in 2004 and our quintuplets, Will, David, Marcie, Seth, and Grace, were born in 2012.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. The you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. -Proverbs 3:3-6

Saturday, October 20, 2012

And then there were 4!

Yes, David has arrived home!  We spent the night at the hospital last night with him at our bedside-- not going to happen much longer since he (and his siblings) is such a grunter.  All went well and we brought him home at about 2:30 to a welcoming big brother and two happy sets of Grandparents.  He is doing great and we are embarking on yet another phase in this journey.

Seth is doing about the same today.  They were to start him on the steroids today for 10-12 days and are hoping that his lungs will respond this time.  The intention of the medication is to "re-recruit the lungs." Please pray with us that it will be successful and allow him to be weaned off the oscillator.

Marcie and Will are doing well, though still needing occasional oxygen supplements.   They won't be too much longer in the hospital.

Grace is still needing a good bit of flow on the vapotherm and significant oxygen, so she's likely to be in the NICU for some weeks yet.

Marmi and Papa get to hold David for the first time.

Debonair David knows how to pose.

Happy Marmi

Papa's first try at feeding.

Proud big brother with Will

A growing family 

Just coming home 
Julie and Mary, two of the many amazing nurses who are caring for our babies.

A fuzzy picture, but the first one with all four babies in it.  Left to right: Marcie, Grace, David, Will.

27 comments:

  1. So good to see them improving and so excited that David got to go home. Praying for continued improvement for all of them and especially Seth.

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  2. Joy, pure joy!
    Blessings,
    Jo Miller

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  3. Ahhh so happy for the whole family!! What wonderful smiles!

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  4. What a blessing that David is ready to be home!! We continue to pray for Will, Seth, Marcie and Grace and hope that it wont be too much longer before they can also join you at home. Thinking and praying for you all the time. Love the Byl's. xxxxx

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  5. Happy homecoming David! Blessings abound today for you all. prayers continue for those still receiving care in the hospital...Seth, Will, Marcie and Gracie. Praying the steroids work for Seth this go around....what a beautiful family.

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  6. What an exciting post!! We are so happy that David has made it home and will be praying the adjustment to home will be an easy one. We continue to pray for the other sweet babies as they wait their turn to come home. Praying the steroids work for Seth and that he will continue to grow and one day soon be able to join all the fun at home. So enjoyed seeing all the pictures, what a beautiful family!!

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  7. Congratulations on David's homecoming! My triplets all came home from the NICU on different days, which was super hard at the time, but now I like that they each have their own "homecoming day" we can celebrate and they don't have to share it like they do their birthday.

    It's such a small world. Do you know Lee and Karen Wood (he's a helicopter mechanic and she's a nurse) in PNG with Wycliff? They are my aunt and uncle. My husband's family lives in Duncanville (we're in Austin) and his step-mom works at the hospital where your babies are. Anyway, I've been following your blog since your babies' birth and praying you have all 5 of your babies home with you very soon!

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    1. Oh my goodness, yes, we know Lee and Karen! Gavin obviously worked with Lee at Aviation, and I got to see a lot of Karen when our paths used to cross at the Clinic - I worked on the national side as a researcher for a while. Homecoming day is a great idea! We'll have to do that. Hope Marcie and Will don't come home the same day and have to share that as well! :) You're right, it's a very small world! Thanks for reading and caring, and congrats on your triplets!

      Carrie

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  8. Isaac looks so happy in the pic of the four of you! Yeah for big brothers!

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  9. AAHHH! I can't believe you have a baby at HOME! That picture of the four of you at home makes all of this so REAL! I can really picture you with babies at home now. How exciting my friend. Hopefully those family pictures will grow in numbers really soon. Love you Joneses!

    Kelly

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  10. Tears of joy for your beautiful family-still praying in Florida :)

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  11. I love seeing the joyful expressions in everyone's faces in these photos, you can see how much you all love these babies. I also loved seeing the photo of you guys holding little David outside your house - how exciting to finally have one at home under your full care and responsibility now!

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  12. So happy that David is home. He has really grown and just to look at his picture one would never guess that his story is any different from other seven pound little newborns. What a remarkable gift life is along with the NICU who helps these defenseless babies to adjust as they enter this world. May the Lord bless all of you as only He can.

    Blessings

    Gail Boemker
    JAARS
    Waxhaw North Carolina

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  13. So very glad that David is home and I am praying for the other babies to mature and grow and heal. I had to chuckle just a bit at your picture with your eldest son and David...you look like such a "normal" family in that pic, and just from the picture I'd never guess you have 4 more wonderful little ones waiting to come home too. I look forward so much to seeing the first "at home" picture of the whole crew when that fabulous time comes.

    God bless, Laraba (mom to 8, but all singletons!)

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  14. The pictures are just fantastic. Blessings on you all as your journey hits such a memorable milestone. I continue to pray for the time when all five babies join Isaac at home and get to enjoy the love and attention of their parents and their extended family. Grandparent faces mirrored the love we oldies all feel for the miracle of grandchildren. I know it was disappointing not to bring David home earlier, but I pray you can relax and enjoy him even more now. Thank you so much for sharing your family who feels like "our" family. We pray for each of you that God will continue to heal, bless, comfort, and that each of you recognizes His love and presence in your life. We continue to focus our prayers on Seth, Gracie, Marcie, and Will, but we lift you all up to God!

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  15. Welcome home, David! Wonderful pics - growing family indeed!

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  16. Congratulations and welcome home David!

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  17. Yeah!!!! How exciting. Praise the Lord!

    Sarah

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  18. Thank You, Lord, for the blessing of having David home. Praying that the others will join him in their own time and according to Your Will. But, hoping that their time is soon and that their little bodies are completely healed. Please provide the help and support the Jones' need and give them peace to handle all of these transitions. All honor, glory and praise belong to You, Father. Amen. NKL

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  19. Oh he is too cute! Look at his beautiful, tube free face. That was totally my favourite part about bringing baby home :)

    Everybody looks so proud! And so you should be! So much hard work went into getting him home! *Just* four more to go!

    Thinking if you daily

    Sarah

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    1. It's awesome, too, to be able to carry him around untethered by all the probes and tubes, isn't it?! It's time to pull out the pumpkin hats, and I even have an outfit to match! :)

      Love,
      Carrie

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  20. Wonderful pictures. Continuing t pray. Can't wait to see pics of you holding all 5. It will be here before you know it. What a mighty God we serve. King of Kings.

    ERIKA

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  21. Wow what a journey so far! I'm so happy that one got to come home. Love seeing everyone's smiles!

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Gavin, Carrie, Isaac, Will, David, Marcie, Seth, & Grace Jones

Gavin, Carrie, Isaac, Will, David, Marcie, Seth, & Grace Jones

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