And all of you are pushing us towards it…

We hit the one month mark since Joe’s surgery on Thursday. We are now past the estimated 30 days we had planned for and still no clear end to this incredibly long journey. BUT we can see the finish line, we just can’t determine when we’ll cross it.

Joe has made amazing headway and just this week had two more drains removed from his belly. He’s getting closer to having his pain under control and now doctors are just closely monitoring what’s going in and out of his body. They can’t send him home until the number is just right and he won’t be at risk for dehydration. So that’s where we are for now. We’ve watched the “Ghostbusters” movies (both 1 & 2) multiple times in the hospital and don’t ask me why Bill Murray keeps popping up along our race to recovery.

While there is so much I don’t know, there are some things I do know. There are angels that walk this planet. Real people we know and even click the “like” button on our Facebook page have shown their wings by doing such selfless things to help us through this difficult time.

Our mailbox has been full of cards, care packages have shown up with so much thought put into them and the recent fundraisers and random donations are helping us pull this off as we pace our way through this final stretch.

It was just a few weeks ago when we decided we were going to have to extend our apartment stay another week and that meant paying up. It was like someone knew and suddenly a big chunk of change from an anonymous sorority sister landed in our account. It literally almost covered the cost to the penny.

Boxes have shown up in Orlando full of gifts from our baby registry. A complete stranger sent our little girl bibs and onesies.

My inbox has been full of words of encouragement and personal stories. It’s like people waving signs along the race route saying, “You can do it, you’re almost there”.

Friends of Joe’s from high school whom I never met, sent me a pre-natal massage. Everything was taken care of and set up for me at a spa just 5 minutes from the hospital. I was able to re-fresh at just the right point when I thought I literally had nothing left to give.

We just got word that family friends have raised money selling breads and foods. It took over people’s pages and they’re donating the money to us. It’s just enough to put away for plane tickets to get us home.

Then last night in Orlando, a #Joestrong happy hour. They even named a drink after him. There were raffles and prizes…

and everyone was wearing their blue t-shirts.

Joe and I sat in the hospital re-freshing our pages, wishing we were there but smiling at the pictures of people having fun— all for us.

And finally we have our angel friends who have taken care of our angel puppy who we miss so much.

Sweet Wrigley has been adopted by their boys and been on more adventures in the last month then we’ve probably taken him on in his whole puppy life.

Every parent knows it’s hard to leave your child but knowing they are safe and having fun makes it a whole lot easier.

These are the people pushing us to that finish line. We hear your cheers, we feel your commitment and we aren’t giving up.