Homecoming!

9/14/07 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:1-3) Thursday the doctors orders were that we could take our girlie home either Friday or Sabbath. Thursday night I was to room in with my baby in a separate room down the hall so I could gain some experience at the 24/7 care before we were home on our own. Fortunately Mom R was planning already to stop in that afternoon so she could help me move out of Ronald McDonald house and back to the hospital. Couldnt have possibly done it without her and we managed to be back in time for the next feed! I phoned GR to get the car seat that we had been given out of the basement, clean it up and be ready for Friday. Yes! We get to be home before Sabbath! Thursday evening when I landed in the room alone with baby and everyone else had gone, I suddenly got the overwhelming feeling that baby was now solely my responsibility and I still didnt know what I was doing! Wed only experimented with breastfeeding three times and I was still awkward with the burping. She wanted to eat every 2 hours that night and was bright eyed and bushy tailed when she was supposed to be sleeping at midnight! Did I get all the burps out before I lay her down? Why isnt she going back to sleep? The first couple feeds she didnt want to latch on. Wouldnt even open her mouth. I had to pry it open to get the bottle in. Will I ever get her off the bottle and onto breastfeeding? Isnt this hindering the process? Is she eating too much? So many questions. But babys nurse asked me to phone her to come in at each feeding time to check her vital signs as usual. She very patiently answered my questions and eased my worries. By morning things were going better. I discovered that when baby was sufficiently awake she would latch on just fine. But when she was too sleepy, at least with the bottle she would still eat. And when she had enough she would refuse to suck the bottle. I even got the burping thing figured out. Feeling more confident and relaxed I assured the nurses that we would like to go home on Friday and wouldnt need another supervised all-nighter. We dressed her in the outfit that GRs cousin, TJ, had gotten for her and wrapped her in the blanket her Great Grandma R had crocheted. Fortunately the old car seat that had bumped across the wheat fields through four kids still passed the hospitals inspection! Amazing! With assistance GR managed to adjust it to the smallest size. A couple towel pads secured her in and we were out the door by 3:30 pm. She slept hard all the way home except for when I made her drink half a bottle. Id rather she save her long sleeps for night! It may take a few days for her to figure out which is night and which is day since again last night she wanted to eat every two hours. We stopped at Wal-mart and fortunately they did have preemie size pampers of which I only got one small package. I wasnt sure what else she even had to wear at home or what

there would be for bedding because I hadnt gone through anything we had received or been able to wash my doll blankets and clothes. But thank the Lord for Grandmas!!!!!!! Grandma ER had been very busy preparing a place for her new granddollie. She had sewn up 12 of the cutest little diapers you ever saw, a blanket, washed all the clothes Id gotten at Value Village, and picked up diaper pins and other necessities at the store. She prepared a delicious supper for us and even cooked dinner food for us to take home for Sabbath. My house was kind of a wreck, especially after I dropped all my boxes of junk on the living room floor. But at least things were ready for baby. We got home just before sundown. GR hustled the crib out of his office and cleaned out all the dollies and junk that were piled on top, wiped it down and set it up next to our bed. Only one end table had to be moved out to the living room. Now I can reach down and touch her without getting out of bed. I made the beds and tidied up a few things (hed been living like a bachelor for two weeks!) then joined Mom R for worship and supper. So good to be home!!!! I say GR was batching for two weeks but he really did have it that bad. Thanks again to Mom R! She fed him and would have even done his laundry if he had brought it to her. She came over and washed the dishes and tidied up the kitchen or who knows what would have grown here while I was gone! She even ran the tiller through my weedy garden and got it ready for the first frost. Honestly, she thought of everything. They picked apples and GR filled the dehydrator several times. She milked the cow and fed the calves and is still helping with the milkings that I cant make it to. I was able to relax and enjoy my vacation knowing that everything at home was in good hands. I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. (Revelation 2:19)