We are now at the point of meeting our tiny baby girl for the first time. After meeting with the birthparents and birth grandparents at Applebee's in San Antonio, we headed to the hospital. What an emotional ride!
We had just met Kelly and David (the birthparents) and Don and Shirley (David's parents) for a short time. David and Kelly were in their 40's, no previous children together, (children yes, but none together prior to Savannah), and
life looked like it had been very hard on them.
Don and Shirley were so loving and supportive of all of us. They seemed thrilled to meet us and that we were going to be Savannah's parents. David and Kelly were happy for us, yet grieving at the same time. It was very hard to be excited and gushing with joy as I saw Kelly's pain.
Yet I was terrilby excited to meet Savannah
When we got to the hospital, up to the NICU, we had a brief wait before they were going to sign the relinquishments in another room and we would meet Savannah. If I had known that was the last time I would see Kelly, I would have hugged her one more time. We didn't really say goodbye.
The birthfather, David, took us through the process of sanitizing before entering the NICU and then he introduced us to Savannah for the first time.
At two weeks
She was so small, but so strong.
David said goodbye to us and the nurse started giving us her status. I changed her diaper for the first time and that's when she lost her umbilical cord thingy. I was there for that. =)
My first question was, "When can I hold her?"
They explained that I could hold her for short periods of time but that they have to be sure she maintains her body temp, blah, blah, blah....I just said I wanted to hold her as often and as long as I could.
I also informed them that I would try to breastfeed so I was going to start "pumping." That was new to most of the nurses. An adoptive mom breastfeeding? Yeah.
I held her skin to skin as long as they would let me. Letting her get to know my heartbeat, my scent, my warmth.
God gave me a sweet bonus--We met her around 6:30 pm on Thursday, June 28th. We stayed with her about 3 hours and then returned early the next morning. I did not leave her side and held her as much as I was allowed that day.
Emily and Wesley came that day and they absolutely loved her. The first thing Emily asked when we told her she was about to meet her new baby sister was, “What color is she?!”
But here's the sweet thing, when I came back to her after dinner that Friday night, the nurses were attending to her in the open bed and I said something as I walked in. Savannah turned her head to my voice and moved her eyes to find me. She knew my voice from just the sweet hours that we had. The nurses were like, "Did you see that???" It was amazing. Bonded!!
Get this: There was some confusion about her actual due date. When Sara first called to tell me about her, she said Savannah was about 7 weeks early. Sometime between being chosen and getting to the hospital, we found out she was 11 weeks early.
Quite a difference for a preemie.
But the cool part about it was that as we thought back, we realized that Savannah was conceived at the same time we said YES to adoption the November before.
(things that make you go "hmmm")
We spent 2 weeks in San Antonio and then transferred Savannah to Houston. God worked out so many details in advance for us—Savannah’s hospital was just two miles from where Jeremy’s grandmother lived. We came and went as needed. His grandmother’s neighbor even made Preemie clothes and gave us a special dress for Savannah to wear home from the hospital. Savannah spent another 2 weeks in the NICU in Houston.
The doctors and nurses from San Antonio and from Houston were all very amazed at Savannah—just how well she was doing. She could suck, breathe, swallow like a full term baby. Even some full term babies struggle with that! She never had to be on a ventilator.
She came home when she was 6 weeks old, at just 35 weeks gestational age, weighing over 4 pounds and required no monitors!
Shirley, her birthgrandmother on her birthfather’s side told us and then wrote to us “From the first day we knew she was expected we started praying for this precious baby. I personally prayed for protection and that He will make her a mighty woman of God and a bold witness and servant so don’t be surprised when she starts showing spiritual maturity at an early age!!”
Thank you, God, for this grandmother who prayed for Savannah
My prayer for Savannah in the hospital taken from Ps 139—
Lord, enclose Savannah behind and before.
You formed her inward parts;
You wove her in her mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for she is fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are your works!
Earlier in Ps 139 in verse 16 God’s word says “in your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” God knew Savannah was to be in our family even before she was conceived. All He asked of us was obedience and openness to His will. We said yes to Him along the way through our adoption process. Just like it says in I Cor 2:9 “Things which our eyes had not seen and our ears had not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” We had no idea that Savannah would enter our lives that summer. She successfully canceled 4 trips we had planned. Again, God reminded us that it is not about us. But about Him and He receives the glory. We see His glory, sit in awe, and say “Wow.”
I'm loving catching up a bit. Looking forward to hearing how God has worked in your life (so far!)
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