Make this Place your Home....

I have been trying to write this blog for days....  Apparently, babies and blogging do not mix.  I want to be sure and get down the happenings of the day we came home, because it was a day we had patiently waited and prayed for for so long.

I wish I could say that we got a great night's sleep on Tuesday night, before going to get David Wednesday morning.  Unfortunately, the anticipation was just too much, and Charles and I both tossed and turned most of the night.  We left the house around 7:30 with empty car seat in tow....a car seat that would soon be filled with 9 pounds of sweet baby!

This is really our day in pictures....LOTS of pictures....

 

Going into the parking garage and walking across the catwalk.... My car probably spent more time in that parking garage than it did in my own driveway the last 4 months.

Julia Hill gave me this outfit not long after David was born.... I knew that minute that this is what I wanted our "going home" outfit to be, because this is EXACTLY how I feel.  Blessed and Thankful...that's it.  This was also our first "real" outfit to wear, so that was exciting for me who had been waiting to dress this boy up!

We each had our own individual family photo sessions with David....

This picture is a little silly....but this was our spot for the majority of our NICU stay and I have probably spent hundreds of hours sitting in this chair the last 117 days....  It was kind of poignant to me to look over just before we left and see it sitting empty.  I can't help but wonder what mother will sit there next, and cry as she prays for her baby, or reads her baby stories, or rocks her baby and feeds him bottles.  I was just one person who sat in that chair of the many mothers and fathers that will take their turns in the NICU.

 

Finally all packed up and ready to go!  He was snoozing good towards the end... We probably should have held the car seat and turned in outwards, but we had brought the snap and go in so we could lug the oxygen and monitor out with us.  It was definitely the best decision.

Waiting for Charles to bring the car around.... just an idea as to what we were coming home with.  1.) the most precious baby ever in the car seat. 2.) The apnea monitor so we make sure baby keeps breathing. 3.) the oxygen tank and the whole she bang.  Needless to say, with all the equipment, it makes it difficult push a stroller and an oxygen tank at the same time.  I can't imagine we will be doing a lot of strolling for a while!

There's our ride!!  David snoozed the entire ride home, which was quite a blessing!  I was a little anxious about being able to soothe him or feed him.

As we pulled into Indianola, my sweet friends who work in Indianola and the wonderful folks at Continue Care, made signs for us and held them us and we drove down 82.  It was so special and definitely added some excitement.  I had thought when we walked out of the hospital that I would start crying, but I was surprisingly dry eyed.  It was when I saw these people, some of whom I had never met,  but were just as excited about my baby coming home as I was, that it really started sinking in as to what was going on....We were REALLY coming home...  The tears definitely started to well up....

And then I actually got to Leland, and saw signs in the yard of our church, and signs that had snuck into our house and in our garage...and then I really started sobbing.  It is so overwhelming to me that everyone is so overjoyed about David coming home, but they are totally understanding over the fact that they can't even really see him since we have to stay so secluded.  I am 100% sure that God has me living in this wonderful town for a reason and I could not be more blessed with people in my life who are as close as family.

I just can't believe we are finally home as a family....  I was nervous about how Gabby the dog was going to react to little David...she tends to get over-excited and do lots of licking.  We are keeping her outside a majority of the time, but every now and then she sneaks inside.  I walked in the other day and she was just hanging out with her baby brother... I can see them having lots of play dates in the future.

The last couple of days have been a big ole clump of emotions.  I am still pretty anxious about something going wrong and not having the safety net of the wonderful NICU staff.  But I am also so thankful and blessed that the baby is in his own room, and that I am getting the chance to give every bottle and change every dirty diaper (of which there are a lot!).  I have also never felt more loved by the people around me.... constant text messages and voicemails of friends who know they can't come over, but just want to check on me and see how we are doing, or just want me to send them a pic of David.

We are pretty secluded to the house and aren't really enjoying any Christmas festivities this year.  While a part of me is a little sad to be missing out on all the family gatherings, I know I have received the most precious Christmas gift this year and I want us to stay as healthy as possible!!  I hope that each of you have a healthy and wonderful Christmas as well!