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Friday, June 15, 2012

JAYDEN IS HERE!!!!!

I really wanted to write this blog last night, but I just couldn't put two thoughts together by the time I got back to the hotel.  And I'm not sure I'll do much better tonight - but really wanted to get this post done before too much time passed.  :) 

We drove up Wednesday afternoon and checked into our hotel.  Once we got settled in, we found a local restaurant and had dinner, and then went to Publix to pick up a few things we needed (our hotel has a kitchen, so it enables us to cook some meals & save on eating out).  When we got back to the hotel, we gave Christopher his Big Brother gift from Jayden.  He was so excited!


Christopher got his very own camera so he could take his own pictures of Jayden.  Christopher loves taking pictures and video & we found out that his new camera lets him do both! 


That night, I got very little sleep...but not for a lack of trying!  I kept tossing and turning...and checking the clock!  I finally fell asleep sometime after 12:30am (once I finally realized how to turn off the sound notifications every time someone posted to my Facebook page)...but I was awake again by 2am.  I slept in little 30-45 minute segments until about 5:15am - so, I guess you could say I slept like a baby!  LOL!  ;)  I met the lady from the adoption agency in the front of the hospital and she and I walked to the Labor and Delivery area together.  When we got there, we found out that I was the only one allowed in - so we parted ways there at the nurse's station so I could go to where they were getting the birth mother checked in.  I was given a surgical gown and booties to put on and handed a mask that they said I should put on just before going into the OR.  After the nurse was done gathering all the birth mother's information, I asked the birth mom if I could pray with her and she said she would like that very much!

They took the birth mom in first to get her prepped for surgery while I waited in what would become the recovery room.  When they were ready to begin the c-section, they called me in and I was shown a stool to sit on.  As they began the surgery, the birth mom asked me to pray with her again, which I happily agreed!  Before long, we heard a strong cry coming from the other side of the curtain.  I stood up to see, but was quickly instructed to sit back down.  His official birth time is 9:31 a.m. 

Once he was out and the cord was cut, they brought him around to the warming table in the OR to clean him up.  I kept hearing the nurses comment on the fact that Jayden looked like he was 42 weeks...which confirms what I thought when I saw him on the ultrasound!  :)


Just like his big brother, Jayden has quite a good set of lungs on him!  He was quite vocal about his objections to pretty much everything they did to him on that warming table!  Just after the above picture was taken, they wrapped him up in a blanket and handed him to me.  After giving his birth mom a minute to look at him, I got to carry him into the recovery room, where they weighed him (7 lbs. 8 oz.), measured him (19 1/2 inches), and gave him his first bath.  The only time he wasn't screaming was when he was holding my finger.  I couldn't get over how much he looks like Christopher did when he was born!


After they were out of recovery, we ended up in a room in the pediatric unit because they didn't have any available beds in the post partum unit.  The nice thing about that is that every room in the pediatric unit is a private room.  :)  The birth mother's family came shortly after we were out of recovery and her mother gave me a hug and told me how thankful THEY were that WE were willing to adopt Christopher's brother!  Oh...if they only knew!


This whole experience has been so different from when Christopher was born!  We didn't get to spend much time with Christopher right after he was born...just about an hour or so in the nursery.  Then, we went back to the hotel until he was ready to go home the next day.  But with Jayden, I have been with him pretty much his whole life!  Not only did I get to be there when he was born, but I've also had the pleasure of staying in the room for most of the last two days!  The nice thing about being in the room with Jayden and his birth mom is that not only did I get to bond with my new baby, but I also got to know the birth mom of both my sons so much better!  I have always had such great respect for her for having the courage to do something I know I could never do - place a child she'd carried in her womb for 9 months up for adoption!  But, what's even more amazing is that from the very beginning, she's always referred to us as the parents! 

I remember right after Christopher was born and she held him first, after awhile she told him, "I think your Mommy wants to hold you now" and had the nurse hand him to me.  When we went for the ultrasound for Jayden, she always referred to David and I as the parents.  And even today, as the nurse presented her with a consent form, she asked my permission before she signed it!  There is no doubt in my mind that she loves these boys every bit as much as I do...and yet, she has done far more than I would ever be able to do - she's let them go because she knows that is what's best for them!  For that, I will be forever grateful!


Today, Christopher got to come up to the hospital to meet his brother for the first time.  The agency advised us against letting their birth mom meet Christopher before she signed the papers relinquishing her parental rights of Jayden, so it took a little bit of fanagaling to get it done.  But, with the help of a wonderful nurse, we pulled it off without a hitch!  When I told Nurse Millie what we wanted to do, she came up with the plan for me.  She told the birth mom she was going to take him to give him a shot and invited me to come along.  She took us into another room in the unit, where David and Christopher met us.  David told me that on the ride over, Christopher said, "I'm going to get to see my brother FOR REAL, not just pictures and video?!?"  ;)  When he came in the room, all Christopher could say was, "He's so cute!" - which he repeated over and over during his visit!  He also got a lot of use out of his new camera!  ;)


After we had our visit, the nurse gave Jayden his shot and took him back into the birth mother's room while David, Christopher, and I went to grab some lunch.  When I got back to the room, the birth mother's family was there and I got to visit with them as well.  I have learned so many wonderful things about them that I look forward to sharing with my boys as they grow and ask!  I'm so thankful for that time with them!

Tomorrow, we get to take Jayden home.  The way it works here is that the birth mother can sign the papers to relinquish her parental rights 48 hours after the birth or when she is released from the hospital, whichever comes first.  Because she had a c-section and had a hard time managing the pain afterwards, that time comes at 9:31 a.m. tomorrow.  The agency director will go up in the morning around that time with the paperwork and meet with the birth mother.  Once she has signed the papers and the baby is ready to go, I will dress him in the outfit I made for him and we will get to bring him home!  I can't wait!  :)

6 comments:

Teri said...

He really DOES look like Christopher!! Thank you so much for sharing this with us. SO COMPLETELY AWESOME!!!!!!!! WOO HOOOOOO!

Unknown said...

So amazing. Congratulations to all of you. A wonderful story to tell and thanks for sharing with all of us.

Alison Roberts said...

I just can't quit smiling for you. I AM SO HAPPY!! Thank you Lord for this gift.

Blog with Laurie said...

So exciting Kara! HOpe you can get some rest before morning.

David Jones said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

The tears were streaming as I read your post. I am so happy for you and your family! God is SO good!