I don't want to forget any of this. I want to remember the long drives to the hospital. The long days spent at in the NICU. I want to remember the smell of her room, and every little detail. Life is a series of fleeting moments, but these are ones I never want to forget.
I want to remember all the work we had to go through each and every day just to get to her. Our early mornings always start out with a phone call to the NICU, where I say, "hi there, I am Miss Emmarie's adoptive mama, room 20** - and our code word is ________. Could we speak with her nurse to get an update on how she did throughout the night?"
And then we were transferred to her floor where the nurse answered, and I again gave the same information.
We then would hear how her night went, and most every time the nurse would say "she's a feisty little one!" And with a smile, I would say, "yes, our sweet girl is a feisty little babe!" We always have gotten good reports - she's a fighter, and she just keeps getting better, and stronger!
When we get to the hospital just a little while later, we'd park on "Yellow 2" that is where the walkway is to the Women's Center at the Hospital we are at. Once across the walkway, we enter two double doors, where we then have to pick up the phone, campus police answer, and we say, "we are here for room 20**." They then ask if we have a pass or id band, and we say yes, and they let us in. From there, we are on the 2nd floor. We must then walk quite a ways to get through the connector into the Women's Center. We have to take a quick potty break most usually, and then take the elevator down to the 1st floor, where we go to a desk, sometimes show our ID's, tell who we are, give our code word, and get parking tokens for the day. Then it's back to the elevator where we go back up to the 2nd floor, pick up the phone outside of "NICU 2" and they let us in. Just around the corner, the first room on the right, that's our sweet Emmarie's room.
Everyone we've encountered here at the hospital has been amazing; so helpful, and just wonderful. Our favorite nurse is Haley. They are all great, but there's just something special about her!
Once in our babe's room, we must wash up for two minutes. And then, we open her little Giraffe OmniBed up, and we touch her. We talk to her and let her know we are there. The nurse comes in, and we request skin to skin. Emmarie loves it, and we do too. It's such a great time of bonding, and it's healing for her. From the moment we first took part in skin to skin, we noticed how her vitals remained steady, better than just being wrapped up in her bed.
This strong little warrior princess of ours improves every day, and we look forward to the day that we can take her to her forever home! But in the meantime, we know she is right where she needs to be, getting better, and stronger every day, and receiving the best care possible.
As I think of my new life as Emmarie's mama, I look back and think of how my heart has always needed her. Sure, I've always desired to be a mama. But I think of all the little ones, and people in my life, and I think that each of them have helped shape me into the kind of mama I will be. I've loved on many little ones over my lifetime, and I am thankful for the experience I had with each of them. It started with Kelsey, and then Shawn and Mariah. My step-daughters, Harlee and Sydnie, and now their babies, Isaac, Oliver and Mavis. Then my little Addy girl came along. What a blessing each of these lives have been to mine.
All along, the Lord had a plan for my life. He knew long before me, that I would not be a mama to children of my own, but to the children of other mama's and daddy's, and that's okay. Because every child deserves to be loved. And if this is the calling he has for my life, I'll gladly follow where he leads me, because I believe I am right where I am supposed to be.
Our journey to adoption is not over, this is just the beginning of our story. The Lord has been speaking to me about this journey and how Kevin and I have been rooted and grounded in love, and how we must remain in that. I see with new eyes that the best thing I can do for my family is fall in love with God and His Word continually. A relationship with my heavenly father is what prepares and equips me to teach Emmarie about His love for her, and for me to love her just as I love God. Discipleship will flow from my heart to my family.
For this journey we are on, we have renamed our blog, and I feel it's fitting, to "Rooted & Grounded in Love."
Thank you for being here friends. Thank you for your love and support. We can't wait for you to watch our sweet Emmarie grow and thrive in the life that God has always had planned for her!
I want to remember all the work we had to go through each and every day just to get to her. Our early mornings always start out with a phone call to the NICU, where I say, "hi there, I am Miss Emmarie's adoptive mama, room 20** - and our code word is ________. Could we speak with her nurse to get an update on how she did throughout the night?"
And then we were transferred to her floor where the nurse answered, and I again gave the same information.
We then would hear how her night went, and most every time the nurse would say "she's a feisty little one!" And with a smile, I would say, "yes, our sweet girl is a feisty little babe!" We always have gotten good reports - she's a fighter, and she just keeps getting better, and stronger!
When we get to the hospital just a little while later, we'd park on "Yellow 2" that is where the walkway is to the Women's Center at the Hospital we are at. Once across the walkway, we enter two double doors, where we then have to pick up the phone, campus police answer, and we say, "we are here for room 20**." They then ask if we have a pass or id band, and we say yes, and they let us in. From there, we are on the 2nd floor. We must then walk quite a ways to get through the connector into the Women's Center. We have to take a quick potty break most usually, and then take the elevator down to the 1st floor, where we go to a desk, sometimes show our ID's, tell who we are, give our code word, and get parking tokens for the day. Then it's back to the elevator where we go back up to the 2nd floor, pick up the phone outside of "NICU 2" and they let us in. Just around the corner, the first room on the right, that's our sweet Emmarie's room.
Everyone we've encountered here at the hospital has been amazing; so helpful, and just wonderful. Our favorite nurse is Haley. They are all great, but there's just something special about her!
Once in our babe's room, we must wash up for two minutes. And then, we open her little Giraffe OmniBed up, and we touch her. We talk to her and let her know we are there. The nurse comes in, and we request skin to skin. Emmarie loves it, and we do too. It's such a great time of bonding, and it's healing for her. From the moment we first took part in skin to skin, we noticed how her vitals remained steady, better than just being wrapped up in her bed.
This strong little warrior princess of ours improves every day, and we look forward to the day that we can take her to her forever home! But in the meantime, we know she is right where she needs to be, getting better, and stronger every day, and receiving the best care possible.
As I think of my new life as Emmarie's mama, I look back and think of how my heart has always needed her. Sure, I've always desired to be a mama. But I think of all the little ones, and people in my life, and I think that each of them have helped shape me into the kind of mama I will be. I've loved on many little ones over my lifetime, and I am thankful for the experience I had with each of them. It started with Kelsey, and then Shawn and Mariah. My step-daughters, Harlee and Sydnie, and now their babies, Isaac, Oliver and Mavis. Then my little Addy girl came along. What a blessing each of these lives have been to mine.
All along, the Lord had a plan for my life. He knew long before me, that I would not be a mama to children of my own, but to the children of other mama's and daddy's, and that's okay. Because every child deserves to be loved. And if this is the calling he has for my life, I'll gladly follow where he leads me, because I believe I am right where I am supposed to be.
Our journey to adoption is not over, this is just the beginning of our story. The Lord has been speaking to me about this journey and how Kevin and I have been rooted and grounded in love, and how we must remain in that. I see with new eyes that the best thing I can do for my family is fall in love with God and His Word continually. A relationship with my heavenly father is what prepares and equips me to teach Emmarie about His love for her, and for me to love her just as I love God. Discipleship will flow from my heart to my family.
For this journey we are on, we have renamed our blog, and I feel it's fitting, to "Rooted & Grounded in Love."
Thank you for being here friends. Thank you for your love and support. We can't wait for you to watch our sweet Emmarie grow and thrive in the life that God has always had planned for her!
Beautiful! I'm touched by not only being your momma, but the gift that amazes me in your writings, which actually come from your daddy! I'm thankful for our family, and where God has opened hearts to LOVE! I have 4 Gran children that mean the world to me! And thankful to watch them grow and most of all, see my beautiful daughters be so happy with life and their families! God Bless days ahead!
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