Picture(s) of the day

I couldn't decide Ergo...two pictures

So, we had an eventful week last week!

Tueday the 1st I got a fun email from my caseworker that said the Due date had been moved up, you all remember that!
well Wednesday was quiet, so quiet that I don't really remember what I even did, I remember thinking I should have taken some stuff back to Sephora that I wasn't really happy with, but...didn't.

Thursday morning around 6pm my cell rang in the kitchen, it is out there because it's a "smart" phone and makes noise all night, anyway I couldn't get to it in time and it went to VM. Well my mom doesn't even call me that early so, we knew it was most likely "the call". Jer's phone ringing seconds later pretty much confirmed it.

It was Becky! And Jer kept the call, so I don't know exactly what was said except that H. was at the Hospital and we should probably get going. Well, the flight of the bumblebee ensued. Jer got on line to let his work know what was going on, I got in the shower and out of the shower and then dried my hair as fast as I could. It was seriously cold outside and I would have been miserable not having dry hair. Then I scurried around getting clothes on, dumping my counter into a bag, and writing a note to the neighbors on how to take care of the dog. I nearly did the spits on the icy front deck, Stupid Uggs. What was I thinking??

By the time I got back from the neighbor's house Jer was out of the shower so we got our other gear together and got in the car.

We didn't even stop at Starbucks, because we were on the border line of hitting really crappy Seattle/Tacoma traffic. I updated my facebook from my phone several times whining about the traffic and letting people know where we were.

We got to the Hospital and checked in with the Family Birth Center and made ourselves comfortable. The hospital social worker was amazing, very sweet woman who made sure everything was in order. We got some coffee and then the nurse came out and talked with us. Something on our faces must have looked worried, because about 30 minutes later the nurse came back out and told me that H wanted to talk to me. So, I went back.

I hadn't seen her since our first meeting, and was pleasantly greeted by the same face I remembered. She told me that the nurse had mentioned we looked nervous, and she wanted me to know that this was "going to happen" in her words. I smiled and told her that I believed her, that our nerves were more from anticipation than fear, and we were really excited to be meeting our little guy that day.

We talked for another few minutes and in those few minutes, I probably saw more of her real life than I had at our first meeting. She mentioned that she chose us because she wanted him to be safe, and we were safe. I never realized how vulnerable she felt at home. I would have taken her into ours if I had known that things were so scary for her.

A few minutes later, she went into transition, and I politely excused myself. "I'll let you know if I need you" she said, "I really like talking with you." I agreed and squeezed her hand and I left to let her do her thing.

About 15 minutes later our case worker Becky came in. She looked really cute in her red coat.

About an hour later the Doctor came out and said, "Would you like to meet your son?" I was so excited I jumped up and was half way to the sliding door when Jer said, hey kel, you going to leave your stuff there? I grabbed my computer bag and purse and raced back to the door. She lead us back through the Special Care Nursery which was AMAZING. I'll post pictures so you can see how beautiful it is.

In the Stabilization area, on a warmer was the most beautiful little boy I have ever seen. All gooey from delivery, he sat there staring around at the world. He was so alert and wide eyed. Since he had been living inside H, the nurse asked us to wear gloves, I've never had a harder time putting on a pair of gloves in my life, and I don and doff probably 20 pairs of gloves a day at work, if not more, so this was a real irony in my head!

We spent the next few minutes admiring this miracle before our eyes.

His blood sugar was a little low, so we got to feed him almost immediately. After he'd been fed and burped, I told him how much we loved him and that we've loved him since we heard about him and probably much longer.

The nurse in Special Care asked us if one of us wanted to stay with him at night for the 48 hours before he would be discharged. I said, "please!" and not too long later they showed us to one of their sleep in nursery rooms. It had a twin murphy bed. It was awesome. I have never seen a Special Care Nursery like it. Apparently a benefactor's will had provided for the unit to be remodeled and some one put together a dream unit. Where most units would be partitioned by curtains, this one was little "suites" surrounding the nurse's station. and at one end there were three or four sleep in rooms. So courtesy of the state, I got to spend the whole time with my son.

Jer stayed with us during the day. He left around 10 the first night and I began my little adventure with my boy in the overnight hours. The room was mostly white and reflected light everywhere, and the blanket was light so I had trouble sleeping. I did doze a good 2 hours though. The activity in the Nursery was a little troubling as well, babies in incubators and IV's and stuff. I didn't look long, I wanted to respect their privacy, but curiosity is one of my faults. I really tried to stay out of the way!

J.C. and I got into a routine of eating, changing and sleeping, (Mostly him with the sleeping :)) The nurse (Marlo) would come in and do his vitals while I got his bottle ready, she was so sweet! Then we'd chat a little, I really liked her. She did his PKU test at about 5am.

Around 6am the Doctor from the day before came in and told me how she had been insistent that she get to meet the adoptive parents. We talked a bit about H's health history and I told her how much I respected and appreciated H. Then she told me that H. had related the same thing to her about me.

Jer and I watched movies and cuddled with our little guy. We watched: The Incredibles, Pirates of the Caribbean, and While you were Sleeping. The Oregon Civil war game came on or we would have watched "A Nightmare Before Christmas" too. Do you see the pattern? :D

The hearing test came next and his hair made it tough to keep the sensors on his ears! He looked like a little man wearing a pair of headphones under a stocking cap. We nicknamed him "i-pod baby"

That evening I took the gift I'd chosen for H. to the nurses desk. Later H. sent me a note telling me how much she liked it. I sent a note back telling her how much we loved her. She sent one back asking what we'd named "Him" The nurse was getting a kick out of being our courier. The nurse came back and said, "she likes it! and goodnight" I laughed and said goodnight too.

Jer had also brought my favorite quilt with him to help me sleep a little better. It worked. The little guy and I were like clockwork that night. Kari our night nurse that night was wonderful, She did his Hep B vaccine because I wasn't pleased with the charge nurses during the day. The blood test for his billirubin levels was a NIGHTMARE! I asked that the Phebotomist come and do the re-draw if it was necessary. I don't think that nurse liked me very much after that! (oh. well.) The Phlebotomoist was awesome! He came in and had all the tricks and was done in short order. Poor baby that was his 5th heel stick in 24 hours! So my night with Kari was wonderful. We got along as well as Marlo and I had the night before. We fed, changed and did the vitals as J. woke and such, while I was feeding him (sitting cross legged on my bed) she came in and laughed. "I forgot that you hadn't delivered him and was astonished by how mobile you are!" Then she asked me about how our whole adoption experience went, and that, is the first time I've ever told the whole thing from start to birth. I cried, she cried, J. cried. It was wonderful!

Anyway Vicky the morning nurse (a float from Labor and Delivery) greeted us and let us know that the Pediatrician would do the discharge order as soon as she saw the baby and we would be on our way!

There are so many little things that sprang up around the experience, things that I would never change, even though is wasn't "convenient" like having to eat in the waiting room and wondering if someone was going to walk in on me in the shower :P. Because that is what makes the story ours.

I'm sure there are more stories to tell, but they'll come out in smaller bits along the way.

Anyway, that is our story!