Don’t let her adorableness fool you.
This was the work of an obsessive buddy monster.
One who insists upon unloading every buddy from all of her three baskets.
At least five times.
Every day.
*Especially* before naptime and bedtime.
Because how else can she pick her favorite two buddies of the moment to snuggle up with and make sure all ball gowns cover all formal footwear?
Yep. That’s how.
On the way home from the hospital, Charming and I planned out everything!
First, he would push me to the house in my wheelchair and set me up on the couch.
Then he would get Sir Sweetness from the car and hand him to me.
Finally, our other children would nicely line up and quietly take turns meeting their new baby brother as Charming recorded it.
It was such a lovely plan.
And I have no idea what we were smoking when we thought it up.
Because as soon as we drove down the street, my five children, mother and sister poured from the house and into my lap!! (Even our wonderful neighbor came out and gave all of the children gifts!!)
And you know what? It was way better than our plan. :) Seeing them all bursting with exclamations of awe and squeals of joy was loud, overwhelming and adorable.
Welcome to the family, dear Sweetness.
“Mom, I don’t know who did this mess! … I’m joking. I did… I like to trick you… like the bad guys.”
Our time at the hospital was up. I had passed all of the medical hurdles for my recovery and Sir Sweetness had passed all of his.
Usually I’m still beyond exhausted and not ready to leave emotionally or physically, so I ask to stay another day and my OB approves it. But this time around, my bed at home was calling my name.
It was a new bed with an adjustable base that catered perfectly to my chronic joint pain and intense acid reflux. For the first time ever, I could sleep through my whole pregnancy and wasn’t already exhausted going into the hospital! (Oh, how I dreaded those endless nights of pain at the end of my pregnancy with Princess Shoo-Shee.)
In comparison, I just couldn’t sleep in the hospital bed this time, even with eight pillows tucked all around me. And a searing fire of pain ripped through my incision every time I struggled to get out. Or in. Or out again. I knew I’d heal so much better with my new bed at home.
The other thing that usually kept me at the hospital was the comfort of room service at my fingertips. But this time I knew I’d be fine at home with the weekly meal service we purchased for our family that I deeply appreciated and enjoyed.
So for the first time in Heidi C-section History, I didn’t pray to stay an extra day.
[Moment of stunned silence.]
Instead, I prayed that we could finally name our dear child. And amazingly, Charming suddenly thought of a great name!!
We held our breath, worried that it would lose its appeal. But. It. Didn’t! So I whipped out our last hospital form and filled it out!!
(Well, OK. Maybe I chickened out and wrote it on scratch paper first… You know, just to see how it felt. And how it looked. And you know what? I loved it!!)
“We did it!!!”
After that, we loaded up and headed out! Charming pushed me in my wheelchair. And the nurse pushed our son in his car seat, our bags and my walker. :) (She was impressive!)
I felt a tug at my heart when we passed the waiting area outside the maternity ward. I looked at the spot where I waited to meet my child and knew it would forever be special to me.
Before I knew it, Sir Sweetness was settled in for his first car ride ever! Although, he really had no idea. But at least he was burrowed in the same knitted hat and blanket that every one of our newborn sons have worn at the hospital.
Hi, hat!! We’re almost home!!
… to be continued.