Patience from the beginning

We have all been blessed with a little more patience since Aubrey was born. Though it seems odd that she wasn't patient enough to wait around for her scheduled arrival...

I went into labor ( a first for me:) a week before she was to come. There was no plan for that, and I am a big planner. There were no bags packed for anyone, grandma was supposed to be here. There was no where for the big girls to go and it was 10 at night! So we threw some stuff in a bag, stuck the kids in the car and off we went to drop them off at someone's house and then off to the hospital.

They couldn't stop labor, so it was gonna happen. I had to be patient though, while we waited for my doctor to arrive and for all of the specialist to get lined up and ready for Aubrey. There was some nervousness, not knowing what it would be like when she arrived, but the NICU was ready for her and so after a few prayers, we went to deliver. It was a quiet room this time, but at 4:15am when she arrived, it was wonderful. She was quite blue and didn't cry right away, but she was ok. One small kiss for Mommy and then off to the NICU with Daddy in tow.

My other girls got to ride in my bed with me back to my room and were never far from my side. After my c-section, I went back to my room by myself and sat and waited patiently for someone to come tell me about my girl. It was lonely this time and I was anxious.

At 6:30 Woody finally came back and said that she was holding her own, but tiny. She was 4lbs 13oz and 17inches long. She was unstable, but ok. The NICU nurses came to my room at 8:00 and said that I could come see her when I was ready. Right now? Yes please. So we went. We had to be patient, she wasn't ready to be held until almost noon! I got to hold her first. Usually Woody gets to have that honor, but it got to be me this time, he had to be patient.

She was in the NICU for most of the week and so her sisters had to be patient and could only peek in the NICU window to see her once a day. That was really hard for them, but they painted pictures for her isolette. We had to be patient in not getting to cuddle her as much as we wanted. She had jaundice pretty bad and had to stay in her bed under the lights with her cool purple sunglasses!

After almost a week there, we were let go to begin our busy life at home with her. Every three hours trying to get a sleepy baby to eat even just 1/2 and ounce and pumping my milk and fortifying it with formula to make it high calorie so that she would put on weight. All day...everyday...for months...waiting for surgery and to grow.

Her sisters have had to be so patient with us. And we have been blessed that they don't resent Aubrey for all the waiting that they had to do. We are all better at being patient in all circumstances and have learned that Aubrey will do things in her own time and way when we least expect it...we just need to be patient with her:)