Nadia is here!

What an amazing and whirlwind three days we have had! Last Tuesday after a wonderfully full 92 years, Gran died. We were filled with sadness and grief, but knew that soon our baby girl would be coming into the world. It was the very picture of the cycle of life. The day of the funeral was Nadia's original due date. We went to the funeral and in the middle of the service, just as my sister Alison stood up to sing, our phone starting buzzing. We sent the call to voicemail and had a message. We didn't know it at the time, but at the same time, my dad's phone started going off over and over and over in his pocket. As soon as Andy had proceessed out with the casket to the hearse, he and Daddy went to check their messages. It was time! Erin's water had broken! We ran back into the church to announce the news to our entire extended family. Everyone was so excited in the midst of a challenging moment of saying good-bye. We jumped in our car, ran by the Dwarf to change clothes and were on the road to Albany! We got a text saying her contractions were 2 minutes apart, so we didn't think we'd make it before she arrived, but would be there soon after. Three and a half hours later, we pulled into the hospital parking lot, and raced to the labor and delivery area ready to meet our daughter! We met Erin's dad in the waiting room for an update - she was 4 cm and had started her epidural. A few minutes later we were allowed to go back to the L&D room to visit with Mitch and Erin for about an hour dispite strict rules about visitors because of swine flu. When we left, the nurse had come in to check her again and within minutes we had a text saying she was an 8! That was around 6:00. By 8:00 she was ready to push, but after pushing for a while, we heard they were going to back down the epidural to let it wear off a bit and try again at 9. We were all on pins and needles again at 9 waiting for the word. Well, baby Nadia was determined to take her time and made Erin push for nearly four hours, finally entering the world at 11:47 pm October 15, 2009!

I was invited back and escorted to the delivery room at 12:10. Andy was able to join me at 12:15 to meet Nadia Janelle Madison Jones for the first time. She was PERFECT in every way! She was alert and wide-eyed. She just looked around and let us hold and be in awe of her. About 1:00 I was able to feed her for the first time and she latched on like she'd been doing it forever and ate for about 10 minutes. It was incredible!

By 2:15 we were all moved upstairs to the 5th floor - each to our own rooms. Nadia was taken to the nursery to be washed and measured. She was 20 1/2 inches long and 7 lbs 12 ounces with lots of dark hair. She was brought back to our room for the night - a night of regular changing, feeding and sleeping. I was so elated, I couldn't stand to put her down and just held her most of the night staring at her.

Friday, Erin and Mitch got her and visited with her several times throughout the day. She met her extended birth family and was loved on so much. We moved to a different room from the Wee care suite and spent the day feeding, changing and watching her sleep. The lawyer came to get signatures around lunch time. We took pictures with Mitch and Erin and gave them gifts we had chosen that afternoon. Nadia was just doing amazingly well - wowing all the nurses each time they came to check on her. She was so healthy, and so content, and eating and pooping so well.

We'd been assigned to the on-call pediatrician who was apparently a stickler for 48 hour baby stays, but because she was doing so amazingly well, all of our nurses shared that they'd work hard to try to get her out of that 48 hour rule. Saturday morning we met the pediatrician for the first time, and she agreed that she was doing great and that we could go home when Erin was also discharged. Erin's bloodpressure had spiked in the night, so her doctor was monitoring that before making any calls. We all visited together and then Nadia went to spend some special time with Erin and Mitch alone before we got the word that we were all going home.

We took her back to put on her special going home outfit and for everyone to get all packed up. She got fed and changed one more time and then one of the hardest moments began - a time of saying goodbye. Her birth-grandmother came by to say good bye and then her birth parents. We all took some pictures together and shared some final hugs. Then we walked downstairs together, got in our cars and left the hospital.

No doubt, this special baby is the most incredible gift we will ever be given. She is so wonderful and precious in every way. We are so grateful and words don't even begin to express our gratitude and respect for her birth parents. We know how much they love her to give her this opportunity and we will do all we can to make sure she always knows about that great love, and has every opportunity that we can provide as she grows up. She is our little miracle and most definitely the baby that God meant to be a part of our family.