Headed home

We stayed in Eugene for almost a week.  This was partly because we live in Washington so paperwork had to happen so we could cross state lines.  But also, we wanted that extra time with Aven's amazing family.  

The drive home was a new experience.

Bottle break at the rest stop north of Corvallis

In the onesie that Hugo painted

Hair!

Home at last!

Amazing birth parents

We love Katt and James so much.  They obviously made a very difficult decision but showed how much they love Aven throughout our whole experience together.  We will stay part of each others lives forever now.  This child will be surrounded by so much love.

Visiting Katt's work

Katt worked up until 3 days before she gave birth.  wow.  We all went to her restaurant to show off baby.  It was a wonderful example of how open adoption can be a celebratory thing.  Everyone was congratulating her, as she deserved because she gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl.  Katt was showing Eric and I off proudly as well.  And we got to meet the people who think so highly of her.  

Visiting Jan

We took Aven to visit our amazing counselor Jan now that the stress level has gone down

Katt with Aven

Our whole family with counselor Jan

Jan was amazing throughout this whole process.  She kept all of us as sane as possible.  Everything from asking the right questions, to making the little phone calls or getting the nurse when we were all to chaotic to do it.  I am so grateful for everything she did.

First night out of the hospital

First night out of the hospital.  Drawer for a bed

Cuteness

Car ride

In Daddy's arms

Burping is not our favorite thing.  

I love this face!

Bonding time with Mommy and Daddy

Aven Beatrice Hayden Hale

We picked her name together. Beatrice was Katt's favorite name and we really liked it too.  Hayden is a family name so we decided it would be the second middle name.  Over the night I started calling her Aven but felt guilty because we hadn't decided together.  I told Aven Beatrice to Eric and he said he had the same thought... but we still had the conversation to have.  

I was being good and just put my favorite names on the board, nothing about my absolute favorite.  James put his, and we crossed out our least favorites.  Eric and Katt were about to do theirs so we could narrow the options down, but then Katt suggested Aven Beatrice and I started bawling.  So, 3/4 of us came up with it.  And James liked it.  So there you go. 

Aven Beatrice Hayden Hale

Getting ready for discharge.  wearing an outfit that Katt used to wear

Then a dress that both Katt, and her mom Jonna came home from the hospital in.  

cue the awwww

All Aven's Parents loving her on her discharge day

Moms

The dress

 Cutie patootie

Grandparents visit, name selection started

Grandpa Tim visiting and meeting baby girl for the first time

 Grandma Jonna

Uncle Jon

Grandma Cathie

Such a cute kid!

Oh so very tiny

Those feet!

Funny side note.  Poor James has been hurting all day.  He finally went down to the emergency room to get his arm checked out, and it turns out it was broken.  Yes, broken during a particularly intense labor contraction.  ha!

We are finally working on names.  All four of us are picking the name together.  Here is the list we came up with between all of us.  

Sleeping on it

She got to spend the nights with us.  Man oh man are we in love.

Daddy time

 Look how adorable she is!

Poppa James with baby girl

Adorably awkward daddy exchange

Daddy holding baby girl for the first time

Born August 19, 8:13 pm

Baby girl

7 pounds 1.5 ounces

19 inches long

Not the easiest entry into the world. She had the cord wrapped around her neck, and she and Momma Katt overreacted to some epidural meds, so it was an emergency C-section.  She didn't look so great at first so she spent her first hours in the neonatal intensive care (NICU).  

I do not thing she approved.

I was flying in the air above Eugene when she was born.  Best I can tell based on timing, I was literally in the air above the city on my flight from Oakland to Portland.  By the time I finally got to the Eugene airport, I was a blubbering mess.  What mom misses the birth of her child? ha.  After freaking out the taxi service (I had to explain it wasn't a bad, rather a happy reason I was crying and had to get to the hospital fast), I made it there about the time Katt could have visitors.  Baby was still in NICU and only Poppa James was allowed in.  

When we finally got to see Katt, they gave Katt and I the mommy bracelets so we could officially move around the hospital.

 Eric and I finally got to meet her around 1 am I think (I wasn't super aware of time at this point)

She was still on assisted breathing but doing better every minute.  She is a fighter for sure.

Here she is being adorable

 We finally left her at 2:30 to try to get a little sleep. But that didn't go as planned, with a middle of the night panic attack. I mistook the call for doctors as an emergency for us (I woke to a blinking red light and a intercom voice saying trauma trauma over and over again).  Turns out the light was the thermostat and the trauma call was for doctors scattered throughout the hospital to get to  emergency.  But I didn't realize that at the time and freaked out.  Woke Eric up and badgered him to move.  He couldn't go anywhere without me because I was the only one with the official arm band. I finally drug him down to the NICU where we tried to quickly (not possible) wash hands the thorough way necessary to enter NICU.  When we got there, She was fine.  Everything was relaxed and she was even off the assisted breathing.  I lost it at that point.  Damn that was scary.

The next morning, she was just waiting for paperwork to get out of NICU.  

Hiccups

Katt hadn't even seen her yet, so as soon as she could face a wheelchair, we all four came down to visit our baby girl.  

Meet Katt and James, the wonderful birthparents 

Finally, by mid morning, paperwork went through and baby got to come to the normal maternity side of the hospital.

Katt holding her for the first time

Then I finally got to hold her.  It was amazing and I cried, a lot.  Man was I such a blubbering mess. 

Man oh man am I in love with this little girl