Home at Last

What a whirlwind of a week!! If anyone had told me Monday that the week would end with a new baby being brought home, I would have laughed and said, "I wish!" I guess I should be careful what I wish for!! So after spending Monday night at the hospital, giving birth on Tuesday morning, and recovering the rest of the week, we were able to come home on Friday. From a practical point of view -- Friday wasn't a moment too soon as there was all of a sudden a baby-boom Thursday night and the post-partum floor was full. So we were eager to be on our way and start life with our new family back at home where it was a little quieter and quite a bit less crowded. This first picture is Norah getting all strapped into her car seat for the long journey home. She put up at fight at first, but found it quite comfy as she slept all the way back to Fayette.

Upon arriving home, Miss Norah Joy had to get checked out by the one remaining family member who had yet to meet her -- Lucy the cat. A good once-over sniff-test proved Norah to be an acceptable addition to Lucy's world.
Big Sister Josie spent the week in Springfield with her Nana and Papa Mike while Norah, Dad, and I spent the week getting to know one another and recovering at the hospital. On Friday, Josie hitched a ride back to Fayette with Mema and Papa who had yet to meet Norah. Josie has taken on the job of "big sister" quite well and has been full of excitement, love, and kisses all directed at her baby sister. Josie has held Norah, helped to feed Norah, and has sung her a myriad of beautiful songs. Norah seems pretty taken with Josie as well -- making sure to open her eyes each time she hears Josie's voice nearby.

Norah is still playing "preemie" by taking LOTS of naps and eating only when she is forced to. The preemie thing is quite a departure for us; Josie was full-term, weighed nearly ten pounds and was literally born hungry -- and still hasn't stopped eating. Monday is Norah's first doc appt and we will also be scheduling a hip ultra-sound for later next week or the week following. For those of you who may not have known, Josie was born with hip dysplasia which increased Norah's risk of having it as well. At first glance, Norah seems to have fully developed hips, but we will be playing it safe and double-checking them with an ultra-sound.

I am still taking it slow (or at least trying to) ... enjoying the help of family and friends as I recover from the c-section. Eric has been a trooper through it all -- answering to the many needs of all the ladies of the house. Poor guy deserves a nap! Until a nap surfaces, perhaps I can offer him some Frangos or some Girl Scout cookies -- the good stuff that gets us through!

We will post more soon. For now, I hope these pictures continue to give you some insight to our new family life. We feel blessed to have two girls... couldn't imagine anything better.