We went to dinner the night before going in to the hospital. It was so surreal, knowing the next morning we were going to meet our son, as we had been hoping and praying to. It felt wonderfully normal to go out to eat the night before having a baby. No emergency. No unexpected anything. Just a quiet peace. It was sweet.
Nurse Cathy. She's amazing. She was our nurse the day I went to the hospital at 19 weeks with back labor with Asher and Titus. We had never met, but realized we went to the same church and had some common friends. She loved on us, prayed with us, the entire time I was on bed rest with Asher and Titus. She was my nurse the day after I delivered the boys. I don't have much to say about that except that it was such a tender time, and she was exactly who God planned on taking care of me that day, knowing she was exactly what I needed. So…fast forward. She's my pre-op nurse for my c-section for baby Shiloh! She moved her schedule around just so she could be there with us. We walked through the doors at 5am and Cathy is there with a huge smile saying "I've been waiting on ya'll!" I just don't have enough words to explain the sweet redeeming nature of that! She prayed with us before I went in to surgery and was there the whole time. So much sweetness. I'm tearing up typing it.
So then…
Shiloh Creed Adams is born…and he's HUGE! 8 lbs 4 oz! My jaw dropped!! That could not BE more opposite of my 1 lb 2 oz baby. I would have never dreamed…all along I was just hoping to get this baby to 5 or 6 lbs!
And our best friends had their baby girl 3 days earlier, in a room 3 doors down from us! Ya'll! I'm telling you, this was stuff we dreamed of happening but wouldn't let our hearts go there. These were the same friends who were pregnant with twins one month apart from our twins. We had been through a lot emotionally as friends. Again. God was serious about all the redeeming He was doing this weekend!
Shiloh and Piper
We had friends and family come visit us at the hospital….I know this all sounds boringly normal, but to us it was AMAZING. We had ONLY known tragedy and sadness regarding a baby being born. Our only experience with this normal business was when we went to visit our friends after they had their babies. So, it just felt very surreal.
So let me explain more of my thoughts…people are just holding our baby. Our parents, our family, our dearest friends, all there to join in with us on this nothing but joyful event! He's breathing fine, eating, just hanging out in our room. Last time no one saw our baby for a little while, and no one touched him for quite a while besides us, and even then it was nothing like holding him, it was just a tiny touch on his tiny, fragile hand…maybe 2 or 3 times a day.
Another blessing was nurses we knew from our month on bed rest with Asher and Titus, and from the NICU with Asher came by as well to celebrate with us. So, again, it was very special to see them on this much sweeter occasion.
Whitney was our nurse while on bed rest. She also sat and prayed with Asher in the NICU the day of Titus' funeral. It was hard to not be with him that day, he had crashed pretty bad the night before. We were so thankful for her sweet heart to serve us that way.
Nurse Jill, another awesome nurse we had on bed rest! We had many sweet conversations together!
Nicu Nurses! All of them cared for Asher in his teeny tiny fragile days! Sheri, Sherri, and Denise. It is always special to see these ladies.
Ok…and there's more to the weekend Shiloh was born! It was also the NICU Reunion for Asher! He had never been to one yet either because there wasn't one, or it didn't work out for us to come. So, this was SUPER sweet to see more of his Nicu nurses and doctors. I mean I can't tell you how much our hearts were overflowing with joy to see them and hear them retell stories of the times we almost lost Asher..and to hear them just be in awe of how healthy he is. There are so many people who walked along side us through the sadness of losing Titus, through the fear of losing Asher too, and then through the slow but sure process of Asher healing and growing. These ladies and gentlemen are so special to us.
I left Shiloh with the nurses and was able to come down for just a bit. I was really thankful it worked out for me to be there too!
Going home! After 3 days, instead of 5 months!
And then...Newborn Pictures, with an actual 10 day old sleepy newborn! This was really sweet to get to do.
"Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."
And here's this sweet big boy now! He's not been the easiest baby in some ways but in all ways he's been wonderfully, refreshingly "normal", and that I choose to see that as a HUGE blessing. As tired as I may be! I will sleep again one day, right? Some days I embrace this better than others. :) When I'm not so tired, and have time to process, I'll have more to say about what the Lord has been teaching me through this baby!
