Our Baby Boy is Home!

Life has not been easy lately, but it definitely has been filled with joy. Over the past few years, God has been teaching us that an easy life is not guaranteed; in fact it is pretty unlikely. The good news? He gives us joyful blessings to help remind us that He is with us through it all. We have truly been blessed and I cannot help but share the experience. I hope and pray that my family and I serve God and bring him glory in every circumstance, joyful or hard.

About a month ago, we were shocked when my doctor told us that he wanted to schedule a C-section four weeks early because it would be a tremendous risk to go full term in my pregnancy. The news was piled on top of other circumstances we were already dealing with and sent me through a series of emotions that did not end until a few days ago when we were told our little boy could come home after spending 7 days in NICU. His life was never threatened and we are so grateful for the technology that allowed our doctors to see that there was a possible threat and gave them the ability to deliver him early.

I am truly praising God for the whole experience. The amazing nurses in NICU put my mind at ease and made us laugh when we were too tired to smile. The long cold walks from my hospital room to the NICU three times a night make nighttime nursing at home a sweeter time of bonding. Plus, all the exercise has helped me recover much more quickly. One of the hardest parts of the whole experience was telling his big sister that she could not meet her baby brother six days in a row. But on that seventh day, nothing could compare to seeing the excitement in her face when she saw him for the first time. My breaking point was on the third day of our hospital stay, when I was sitting in my hospital room empty-handed and I heard a nurse say to a mother in the next room “Your baby is here.” But now, cuddling and nuzzling my little son fills that emptiness and my heart with thankfulness for his little life.

To end on a bit of a lighter note, I will share the story of how I decided on little mister’s blog nickname. I like to give my kids blog nicknames mostly for fun, but also for their privacy. I wanted to be a little more creative with his so I went to McG, my two year-old daughter, for ideas. When asked what she wanted to name her little brother, she said, Helicopter, Ambulance or Airplane. She started calling him “Baby Helicopter” after we heard his heartbeat at our first maternity doctor’s appointment, and we said that his heartbeat sounded like a helicopter. So there it is. Introducing our little Helicopter.

His big sister was so patient! She thought the hospital was such a fun place to visit.