Welcome Home!

After our shopping trip Friday night, we went home to get everything ready.  My friend Brandi and her husband Chris came over to bring the Pack and Play they had so generously bought for us.  We set up her temporary bed in our room and strapped the car seat base into my car (Chris had researched the crash test ratings for both of our cars and surprisingly the Scion was safer)!  We were as prepared as we could be when we went to bed that night!

Saturday morning Chris had to work.  We were told the nurse would call when the pediatrician made rounds and signed her discharge paperwork.  I picked up Brandi and we headed out for a little last minute shopping!  We got a few things that we had overlooked the night before and I asked Brandi a million questions!  When I got home, I packed a diaper bag and straightened up, anxiously awaiting the call from the nurse!  Around noon, my phone rang and it was the call we had been waiting for!  The nurse said the doctor had signed the paperwork and Isabella was ready to come home!  I called Chris and he left work early.  When he got there, we grabbed the diaper bag and the car seat and hopped in the car.  

On the way to the hospital we called the minister who had married us just two months before.  We talked to him for most of the drive.  He voiced his concerns about our new marriage and said that while a new baby wasn't the ideal situation, he knew that we were in a strong, healthy marriage and he had no doubt that we would be fantastic parents.  We talked about ways that we could continue to build a strong foundation for our marriage while we were building a strong foundation for our baby girl.  He suggested family counseling to prepare ourselves for the questions and issues that will come with adopting a child.  Before we got off the phone, he prayed with us and promised to continue to pray for our new family!

We arrived at the hospital around 2 pm and headed straight to the nursery with our diaper bag and car seat.  This time we knew we wouldn't be leaving empty handed.  We walked in and I scooped up Isabella and sat down with Chris and the nurse to go over discharge paperwork.  We talked all about feeding and changing, bathing and sleeping.  We signed the paperwork and verified our custody order with the hospital social worker.  We were ready to go!  We changed her diaper and her clothes and strapped her into her car seat.  That Saturday, Isabella was 13 days old.  No one had been to visit her since the day after she was born when *Jane* left the hospital.  It made me so sad to think that she had been all alone with no one holding her for nearly two weeks, but that was clearly not the case!  As we were walking out the door of the nursery, several nurses gathered around.  They had all become very attached to our baby girl in the last two weeks, often taking turns holding her while they did paperwork.  They gave us things they had made for her, hats and bibs, and loaded us up with diapers and bottles!  I will never forget one nurse who took me in her arms and gave me the sweetest hug.  With tears in her eyes, she said "We've been praying for someone to love this baby girl and we're so glad our prayers have been answered.  Congratulations, Mommy".   With that, we were all crying!  Isabella's nurse carried her in her car seat to the door where Chris had pulled the car up.  We clicked her car seat into the base and I hopped in the backseat with her and we were headed home.  With our daughter.  :)

We got home that afternoon and settled in.  My dad and his wife came down to bring us a rocking chair and meet their new grand baby!  Chris was a nervous wreck.  He ran around like a crazy person all night long, checking and rechecking our stock of diapers, formula, and other supplies.  I was considerably more calm than he was which shocked me since I'm usually the one over reacting and he's usually the one calming me down!  Isabella wasted no time breaking in the couch with a little vomit action and we laughed about the fact that it was the first of many messes we would be cleaning up.  We took turns holding and loving on her until it was finally time to say goodbye to our visitors and head to bed.  That night Isabella woke up twice.  Every three hours she was up and ready to eat but went back to sleep quickly each time.  It was a pleasant surprise for me since I had been preparing myself to be up all night with a baby that refused to sleep!  

Sunday we had a few more visitors and continued to adjust to life as new parents.  We were both tired but so happy to have our baby home.  For the first few days, I cried every time I looked at Isabella.  Chris thought I was crazy and it was hard for him to understand that I was just happy and so in love with our daughter...and maybe a little sleep deprived!  Those first few days, we also had something extra on our plate that a lot of new parents don't have to think about.  We began the long journey that would lead to our legally becoming a family.  The adoption process.