Welcome Home Micah!!

        

   With such joyful and heavy hearts, Thursday morning slowly approached. With a little help from some sleeping aids Tim and I had our last good night of sleep for a long time I'm sure. A dear member of our Divine Shepherd offered her artistic abilities and painted 1 Samuel 1:27 ("For this child I have prayed...") in Micah's nursery along with making a "Welcome home Micah James" sign for our front door. Tim and I shared a lovely "last breakfast" together and made our drive over to the hospital at 11:00am.

   When we first arrived to the hospital we met for a little while with Autumn and Tyler's caseworker to sign some papers and go over a few details. This too was a rather emotional time as we heard of the great pain Micah's Birthparents were enduring. I will never fully be able to explain all the feelings and emotions of that day but it was definitely a very mixed bag.

     Tyler and Autumn opted to leave the hospital before we went to officially take Micah home.  After about 45 minutes, a nurse came to let us know that Tyler and Autumn had left and we were able to go see Micah. The nurse and the social worker walked us up to the baby unit where we were taken to Autumn's hospital room. A few minutes later, Doctor Lisa - one of Micah's pediatrician's partners - wheeled Micah in on his bassinet. What an incredible moment! We so just wanted to love on him but we needed to be debriefed on infant care by the Doctor and then watch two really helpful but completely scary and depressing videos on SIDS and shaken baby syndrome. We had brought a "going home" outfit for Micah to wear but unfortunately he peed through it within the first 5 minutes. Ha ha - welcome to parenthood Tim and Ruth!

      Around 2:00 we were all set to take Micah home for the first time. He seemed SO tiny in his car seat - even for being a bigger baby.

      We arrived at our home, welcomed by even more welcome home baby signs and balloons, thanks Kami! We brought Micah in and set him on the table in his car seat. Immediately we let Luka come to check in on what the situation was. She loved smelling his soiled clothes but had no idea he was in the car seat until a few minutes later when she heard Micah fussing. Then she got so excited and walked around the table several times trying to check him out. That was so cute! She has been so good with Micah and we are so thankful for that.

       The rest of the day we spent time cuddling together and providing all the care Micah requires. We were emotionally and mentally drained but so thankful to God, Autumn and Tyler for the most incredible gift we have received.

       The past two days have been a little more "normal" as we have so enjoyed caring for Micah and all that a baby entails. Our house will never be the same - that's for sure. Several loads of laundry, lots of bottle washing, diaper changes, cuddling, reading, etc.... We love parenthood and even more so we love Micah with all our hearts. Welcome home, Micah!