The light at the end of the tunnel

This past 2 1/2 weeks in the hospital has been a roller-coaster of emotions.  First we were told that we needed 4 days of negatives, then it changed to 8-10, ending on 10.  We were in the clear for days when we received another positive (meaning there were signs of infection) and we had to start the count over.  For a while it was looking like we wouldn't be home for Christmas which was heartbreaking.  We know God has a plan and we are here for a reason.  We know that the infection may have protected Madi from something much more serious (babies with shunts have a higher SIDS rate as their shunt can fail at night and the pressure can build up too much too quickly), though knowing that did not always make our time here easier.  As of now, her surgery is scheduled for Tuesday and, if all goes well, we will be home on Christmas Eve.  God has taught us a lot during this time and has made us very grateful for our trials.  We are so thankful that, unlike many other families in the hospital, we get to return home with our little girl.  It breaks my heart every time I walk by the room on the end.  All the windows are blocked off, so it's hard to see in, but there is a sign up on one of the windows saying "Brandon says cancer sucks."  Whereas we will have just under 3 weeks in the hospital before we get to bring Madi home, that  poor little boy will be here for months and may never make it home.  In the long run, our time in the hospital is just a little blur in time.  God has really protected us, and we are truly blessed!  He's given us the best Christmas present in the world.