After a life time of waiting and a weekend that seemed it would never end, Olivia Grace came home with her new parents.
Last Tuesday we got a call from our birth mother saying she was on the way to the hospital (three days early). She had been throwing up all day and her doctor wanted to get her stabilized. In a mad rush we threw some things in a basket, put the dogs in the car, and head to Granny's (two and a half hours a way). We called Mom on the way and she went to the hospital to sit with our birth mother until we could get there. By the time we arrived at 5:30 pm things were settled and she was resting. We waited with her and took her home about 12:30 am.
Last Tuesday we got a call from our birth mother saying she was on the way to the hospital (three days early). She had been throwing up all day and her doctor wanted to get her stabilized. In a mad rush we threw some things in a basket, put the dogs in the car, and head to Granny's (two and a half hours a way). We called Mom on the way and she went to the hospital to sit with our birth mother until we could get there. By the time we arrived at 5:30 pm things were settled and she was resting. We waited with her and took her home about 12:30 am.
Since it was already Wednesday morning we decided to wait in San Antonio instead of heading home and coming back the next evening. Andy was supposed to start his new job that morning, but his pastor very graciously gave him the time off to be near our birth mother. Later that day we took her to visit her doctor, ate dinner with her, did a little shopping, and went to a movie (Ocean's Thirteen). She had expressed her need to Mom to keep busy and we wanted to help.
We were supposed to meet again on Thursday for dinner, but our birth mother cancelled after a long day of running last minute errands on the bus. She is so sweet and simply would not call us for help. We ended the day by taking her chocolate ice cream.
Our birth experience began on Friday at 5:30 am when we met our birth mother at the hospital. Granny (Mom) met us there shortly for prayer and to sit with Andy while I suited up to go into delivery. I got to watch my daughter being born and it was one of the most wonderful and amazing things I have ever seen. I had this overwhelming sense that God had been saving this baby for us our whole lives. Her birth mother was very strong and gracious. Without speaking an agreement we had both decided not to cry unless the other one did--so neither of us did. This was a huge accomplishment for me as I cry all the time.
Throughout the morning we all took turns checking on baby in recovery and in the nursery. The birth mother had a Doula, named Ann, present and she was very sweet. Everyone was so confident that this adoption was the right thing to do, including Ann, the birth mother, and even her doctor who congratulated me as I left the recovery area. It was an amazing morning!
We had asked the labor and delivery nurse about a room for us and apparently that is not something Methodist Hospital usually does. We were content to hang out in the birth mother's room and keep her company. On Thursday as last minute nervousness crept up I had decided to make the weekend about caring for our birth mother and to pray that everything else worked out. As we were all waiting with our birth mother, Mom ran into a lady friend from her previous church who just happened to be the Director of Nurses for Labor and Delivery. She immediately went into action and before the end of the day (around 5:30 pm) we had a room to ourselves next door to our birth mother. We moved in and didn't leave until we brought Olivia home on Monday morning.
Andy and I had Olivia in our room each night we were in the hospital. I have to admit that the first night was much harder than I anticipated as Olivia would not lay in her bassinet and seemed to fuss throughout the night. Andy and I worked together and somehow we made it through the night. On Saturday our birth mother's mother came into visit bringing a friend and our birth mother's 17 mos old son. It was a lovely day as we participated with our extended families in celebrating Olivia's birth. We took photos of all of us together--all the parents, Olivia's older brother, and both American Grandmothers. I hope that these will be a beautiful testament to Olivia someday of how much she was/is loved.
Finally, on Sunday morning (48 hours after her birth) Olivia Grace became our daughter as the placement papers were signed. Her adoption will not be final until six months from now, but she is ours. We allowed her birth mother and extended family to have her most of the day and she came back to us Sunday night. Early Monday morning her birth mother was released and we waited for Olivia's last blood tests. She was a little bit jaundiced and additional blood work was required. Andy had gone home on Sunday so that he could finally get to work Sunday night and Monday, but Aunt Mary Lou (visiting from Texas) stayed in the hospital with me and Olivia. Then on Monday when we were finally released Granny took us all home to her house.
Olivia has met her San Antonio cousins, her Uncle Lance and Aunt Lee Ann, Aunt Mary Lou, her Godmother Susan, Granny and Grandpa White. Then last night she met many more friends (even my girl friend from high school came--she is due to give birth on Friday to her first daughter) at a baby shower given in Olivia's honor. Granny and Aunt Mary Lou brought us home late last night and so ended a very busy, tiring, and blessed week!
Olivia Grace is home now and that's all that matters.
