Janessa's Journey

On a rainy Wednesday morning,  October 7th,  to be exact,  my boyfriend,  James,  and I nervously welcomed our precious little peanut,  Janessa Joy, into the world.  Despite my best efforts to carry her to term ,  impatient Janessa decided to come 11 weeks (2 1/2 months ) early.   Our tiny blessing weighed in at two pounds thirteen ounces and measured only fifteen inches long.  At first I think both James and I were terrified to even look at her.  We had no idea what to expect from a baby born so small.  But after only a second or two of hesitation,  we were both straining to get a good look at her.  The team of doctors and nurses surrounding Janessa ,  while assessing and evaluating her ,  helped ease our fears.  They all kept saying things like, "She looks really good" and "She's a good size for a 29 weeker".   And just like that our lives changed.  
     We were now not only parents of a newborn, but also parents of a preemie.  We had been down this road, not that long ago, with our daughter, Jocelyn,  but this road was much longer than the one before.   James and I were told that Janessa would most likely be in the NICU for 8-11 weeks.  
     That was 50 days ago.  Janessa is still in the NICU.  By the grace of God, she has had no major complications.  She has been a little rock star from the get go , her nurses say.  She has gone from weighing not even 3 pounds and taking less than a teaspoon of breast milk per feeding through a feeding tube, to weighing 5 pounds and polishing off almost an ounce and a half bottle every three hours.  James and I are hopeful that she will be coming home in the next week or so.  
     Although we couldn't be more excited and mentally and emotionally prepared to bring Janessa home ,  we are financially exhausted.   I ended up having to take leave from work in September when my doctor put me on bed rest.  James and I were not prepared for me to leave work three months early.  We definitely depend on our two incomes to cover all our monthly bills.  We were in the process of saving a little every month to help cover my upcoming maternity leave, but everything stopped when I had to stop working.   
     Very quickly we fell behind on rent.  Our land lord has been extremely understanding and has offered to work with us as much as he can.  I have even gone back to work a few hours a day to try and help dig ourselves out of this financial hole. Unfortunately,  every month we are falling further and further behind on our bills.  And now when Janessa gets discharged,  I will have to take leave again for at least a month.   She is too little and her immune system is too weak to handle going to daycare.  
     I know we will be facing eviction shortly if we don't get some kind of help.  I can't imagine not having a home to bring Janessa to when she gets discharged.  She has been so strong and come so far in the last two months.  I want to be able to bring her home to the stable , safe and nurturing environment she needs and deserves.  Every amount received will help insure that  stability for our family.   I am grateful to all of my family and friends that have taken the time to read this and send what they can , or said a prayer for Janessa, or offered me a few encouraging words.  God bless♡♡♡♡