Today was simply amazing.

Just when I think God can’t possibly bless me more, He does.

Before Sweet Pea’s birth, I started planning and thinking how I was going to balance Little Bug being at home and Sweet Pea being in the NICU for who knows how long.

I had a tentative plan in place when the drama all started around week 36 of pregnancy.

Without going into too many details, I will just say this… We are not in our home town. We are about 1.5 hours away.

And this was certainly NOT in my plans!

After we learned Sweet Pea would not be born in the city we live in, my plan was totally thrown out the window and there was another opportunity for me to surrender to God and HIS plan.

I surrendered to the fact that God is in control and, for some reason, God wanted Sweet Pea at this hospital and not the one that is a 20 minute drive from our house.

A friend in our connection group at church called up one of her friends and asked if we could stay with them while we are here this weekend! Talk about taking care of your brothers and sisters in Christ and true hospitality as our hostest has opened her home to complete strangers!

And then, today, God orchestrated something else that only He could have done.

My parents called us and asked if they could drive to see us today.

They drove the 1.5 hours with Little Bug in tow this morning.

As we arrived at the hospital we found out that Sweet Pea had been moved to the level 2 NICU unit. I explained to the charge nurse that my parents and daughter had just arrived. I asked if it would be possible for us all to go back for them to meet Sweet Pea together (the rule is only two visitors at the bedside).

The head nurse told me no.

I said “okay” and we left to go find the level 2 unit.

As soon as we got there, I asked again if there was any way my parents could be allowed to come back together to meet their second granddaughter.

That nurse said she would allow it!

We also learned that the NICU here allows siblings of any age to come in!

Little Bug was going to get to meet her little sister in the hospital instead of having to wait until she is discharged!

When I told my mom what was about to happen said said, “Oh I wish Wesley could be here for this, too!” (Wesley is my brother.)

Not long after that I received a text from my brother saying he was five minutes away from the hospital!

I knew he had planned to come visit today and the timing of his arrival was perfect!

I devised a little plan to stall time a bit so that Dave could bring Wesley up to the NICU.

And then, in pure perfection, Wesley, Little Bug, Dave and I walked into Sweet Pea’s area of the NICU unit where my parents were waiting.

This was my mother’s reaction:

Priceless!

Little Bug’s first peek at her baby sister.

My parents meeting Sweet Pea and praying over her.

UhNote giving his new little peanut a first kiss.

The whole family!

Our Family of FOUR!

And then…Little Bug got to hold Sweet Pea!

I think it was love at first sight. Little Bug cried when we had to put Sweet Pea back in her bed.

Back to the lights Sweet Pea went.

Those moments of my family meeting our precious Sweet Pea for the first time were some of the most precious moments of my life.

I know for a fact that had we been in our hometown the NICU there has VERY strict rules and they most likely would not have allowed this.

Today is one more example to me that God is in control of ALL things.

I am forever grateful to Him for today.

- Elaine