Bringing Mason Home, Part One

Wednesday afternoon, November 14, I was driving to my friend Sarah's house when I got the call. E, our son's birth mom, was in labor! Jeremy, the kids and I raced to the bank to get our money out, and I made it to Sarah's and commandeered her computer to look up flights (thanks, Sarah, for letting me!). On the way home, making calls to my mom (come watch the kids!), our social worker (please get our stuff ready!), our case manager in Utah (eek! She's pushing already!), and Jeremy (are you home yet?), I pulled over. In a sweet, holy moment, the kids and I prayed for their new baby brother who was being born even then. 

Wednesday evening, he was born! How can we be expected to make reservations and pack when we have pictures of our new son to look at? The rushing, packing, hurried evening was strangely reminiscent of when we left to get Laina. Butterflies and all. It was terribly hard leaving the kids, again. 

We sat everybody down to tell them their new brother's name. All three loved it! That was the first time everyone agreed. Hooray!

(first family photo--see Mason on the phone?)

We spent most of the night packing, making copies of every piece of paperwork we could think of, and trying to get everything together. Mason wasn't due for two more weeks, so we weren't nearly as prepared as I wanted us to be! Add to that the fact that Iain started throwing up at 11pm, and it was a rough night.

Thursday morning, we were up after, what, three hours of sleep? and headed to the airport, well before dawn. We made it just in time to check our luggage, just in time to board the plane, and just barely in time to make our connecting flight. Talk about a nerve-wracking trip!

(Jeremy said, "Is this going to be a regular thing?" when I took out my new phone for a picture. Yes, yes it is.)

Thursday morning, later, we made it to the airport! After meeting our case manager (who is wonderful, by the way), we grabbed some food and headed straight to the hospital where we met E, and our son!

It was a beautiful moment, surreal and simple, when E handed me Mason. Jeremy got to hold him next. We passed him back and forth for a while, and then left him with E and went to our room (we got a room at the hospital for the first night because E was discharged and Mason had to stay another 24 hours). Later, Mason was brought to us, so we could spend some time alone with him. It was wonderful to hold him, look at him, and snuggle with him.

After a while, we took him back to E. Soon, E invited us back in for photos. Then back to our room again. Eventually, E brought Mason in to us, and headed home. She would be back the next day.

I took lots of pictures.

 (the view from the hospital parking lot. Seriously!)

Thursday night, as we sat around a little table in our hospital room, with Mason sleeping nearby, we signed papers. E, in her apartment, also signed papers. And then Mason was our son.

Friday morning, we just hung around, loving on Mason, doing nothing much. Waiting.

Friday afternoon, E came by again. We talked, laughed, talked, took lots of pictures, and then she said goodbye to Mason. Yeah, that was... no words. 

Right after E left, we left. Mason was discharged (with directions to come back the next day to re-screen his hearing, which we did and he passed), and we left the hospital with our precious boy.

More to come!