Homecoming

 

   As for the last 8 weeks, all I’ll say is 4 kids + no sleep = no blog.

    After 17 of the longest days of my life, we were finally able to bring Gretchen home from the NICU.  It was a a different kind of celebration than when we brought Jakers home.  Back then, we realized that we had only completed the first of what we thought were going to be many hospital stays.  Thankfully, he has proved to be a healthy little guy!  With Gretchen, we know there will be more doctors visits than with a full term baby, but hopefully the worst is over!

    We didn’t know we were going to be able to bring her home until that morning.  Her nurse called to tell us she had passed her car seat test, hearing test, and had finally taken all her feedings.  I quickly called Jason to get him home, Misty to pick Emma up at school, and my mom to come babysit.

   Once we arrived in the NICU, one of the other moms spotted me and asked if she could come see Gretchen.  Her son’s  isolette  was right in front of the nurse’s station, and she said that all the nurses always talked about how beautiful Gretchen is and they all fought over who got assigned to be her nurse for the day!

    It was finally time to get her dressed and ready to go.  I had ordered some preemie tights, but they proved to be way too big.

  So we just went with her booties instead and made sure she was well snuggled in her car seat before we made the momentous journey to the outside world.

  The most fun about bringing her home was that we didn’t tell Emma – just walked in the door with her little sister and surprised her!

Do you see the tears in her eyes? I think she was a little excited.  Gretchen big brothers were just as happy.  Emma had met her though the window at the NICU, but the boys had never even seen her except in pictures.  We were giving Emma and Jake turns to hold her when Grady held his arms to hold her.  He had never asked to hold anything before! (Except grunting and pointing, which I don’t count.)

  I think it is safe to say that she is a well-loved little girl!  Emma has been a phenomenal big sister, feeding, loving, rocking, holding, and even changing her baby.  Jake has even done his share of carrying and holding – more than I would like!  Grady just asks to see her and then pats her little head.  I personally think that he remembers her from their time together before, and is periodically making sure she is really here on this side of the veil.

   We are all so glad this little spirit chose us to be her family, and that now the Howle family is complete!