Another day of waiting.

Another day of family camping out at the house.

And then, just when I could feel the weight of waiting was going to do me in I went and laid on my bed.

During those hours of waiting, there were many times when I would pray but the words just wouldn’t come. I didn’t know what to say. I knew family and friends were praying and I knew I just needed to rest in the Lord and let Him do His work.

But in those final moments of waiting, I was so incredibly weary. I did not know how I was going to wait anymore. The burden of everything was bringing me down.

So I went to my bed to pray. I was just pouring my heart out to the God I knew loved me and had a marvelous plan for my life because of His promise in Jeremiah 29:11.

And then I heard it.

My cell phone was ringing.

I catapulted myself off the bed and raced into the kitchen where my phone was sitting on the counter.

I quickly announced, “It’s Kim!” and then eagerly answered, “Hello!?!?”

And then I heard the words I had been longing to hear for 81 hours: “SHE IS YOURS!”

I screamed, “SHE IS OURS!” and like busy bees all the family members in the house swarmed to the living room from where they had been in the house.

And that started a celebration that to this very day is going on yet.

A celebration of the miracle God performed in placing Little Bug in our family.

Two years ago, after that phone call came in at 5:49pm, Dave and I jumped in the car and raced (safely) to the hospital NICU to hold our baby girl.

I had it in my mind that I was going to stay with Little Bug 24 hours around the clock until she was released from the NICU, but once I was able to think clearly, I realized that I needed to come home to sleep because it would do neither of us any good for me to become sleep deprived before bringing a newborn home!

That night Dave and I stayed until close to 11pm with Little Bug in the NICU.

Our families finally were able to meet Little Bug! So that everyone could meet her together, one of the sweet nurses said she would unhook Little Bug from her monitors and bring her to the NICU front door so everyone could meet her. My parents, Dave’s parents and our siblings all gathered at the front door and got their first glimpse of Little Bug that night!

This began our 4-day stay in the NICU (Little Bug had been moved there the day before to go through her withdrawals). These four days are some of the most precious days as a new mother for me. At the time my mom was working, but after a day of trying to work knowing Little Bug and I were sitting in the NICU, she decided she was taking off to come be with us. Dave worked while Little Bug was in the NICU so he could take time off once she came home.

During the day my mom and I kept vigil at Little Bug’s issolette. We did not want to leave her alone, so we would take turns leaving to go use the restroom or to eat lunch! Only parents were allowed to hold baby in the NICU, so my mom wasn’t allowed to hold her, but on the day that Little Bug was to come home from the hospital, a nurse let my mom hold Little Bug. That thrilled her heart!

A hospital volunteer told my mom to feed Little Bug (even though she had just eaten!). My mom mentioned that she wasn’t hungry, but the volunteer was insistent that my mom feed her, so she did. And then Little Bug threw up everywhere! Grandma already knew what Little Bug needed!

Those NICU days hold some very special memories for me of sitting there with my mom and Little Bug for hours on end taking care of Little Bug (which consisted mainly of diaper changes, feedings every 3-4 hours and swaddling her up to let her sleep in the issolete so she could get rid of the drugs in her tiny body). I know that our NICU stay could have been a lot longer, but Little Bug was only there 5 days.

June 3rd, Little Bug was released from the hospital and we brought her home!

And the fun hasn’t stopped since!

- Elaine