Breaking Out

Just another blessing of being close to family - two of my sisters were able to visit at the hospital which is a first for me because I've always been too far away. Catina is known as the baby whisperer in this family - she LOVES babies and babies LOVE her! So...even though I didn't have a bunch of friends and church family visit - we were blessed with LOTS of family visitors :).

Kennedy has embraced her role as big sister (second time over) brilliantly! She talks to him in a gentle little voice and wants to hold him and know how he's doing. Watching her with him just melts my heart:

The girls came to visit us at the hospital the day before we were dismissed and spent quite a bit of time with us. They did really well to be crammed in a little hospital room for several hours. Thanks to Nana and Pawpaw - they ate some candy and walked the halls a couple of times and that seemed to keep them pretty content (or should I say silly - as picture below).

We even had our own little in-room pic-a-nic!

On our second day in the hospital, Greyson had his newborn pictures taken in his "going home" outfit from his Honey. I'm all about a tradition and the "going home" outfit is a long standing tradition for our family. My grandmother used to buy the grandbaby going home outfits but Kennedy was my only child who had an outfit purchased by my Grandmomma. After Grandmomma passed away, my Mom took over the role of going home outfit purchases. His little blue outfit was so delicate and so sweet and I LOVED the little matching hat. These are pictures of the pictures...I think they are so sweet:

Nana and Pawpaw were such a huge help while they were here - they kept the girls both the Monday and Tuesday following the delivery after Melissa went to work, while Tim and I were still "detained". Thankfully, they still got lots of Greyson snuggles when they visited the hospital:

 

Thanks to their Aunt Melissa's care at home and their Nana and Pawpaw being here, Kennedy and Avery never seemed to miss a beat - just rolled with the flow and seemed happy as little larks:

The much anticipated day came for us to break out of the hospital (whoopee!). Here is a picture the nurse took of us before we left. With Kennedy and Avery I was all dressed up to leave the hospital...it's true what they say about each child making you more and more laid back - I was all about comfort for my departure this time around ;).

~sweet little snuggly boy~



First car ride:

Our first night home was rough, truthfully. You just forget how all consuming a nursing newborn is. We were up A LOT & when we were up we were trying our hardest to keep Greyson quiet so he wouldn't wake up my girls downstairs or my sister and her family upstairs. Honestly - it was total survival. When I awoke the next morning I felt still half asleep, but despite my zombie state I was happy to be waking up at home with all my kiddos (unlike in the hospital). This was the scene after Avery woke up: 

and then after Kennedy woke up - I thought to myself: this is what all my future mornings will look like & I couldn't be happier about that!

The day after we got home, my in-laws were planning to leave to go back home themselves. They offered a while ago to take the girls home with them and give Tim and I time at home alone with Greyson. At first I didn't think I wanted to send them because I knew I'd miss them like crazy and I was feeling a little guilty about sending them "away". Well, the closer I got to delivery and the more exhausted I got - the more I realized what a blessing it would be to have that time just with Greyson to nurse and rest and recouperate. So...on Wednesday of last week my girls drove away with their Nana and Pawpaw to spend some time in West Virginia. Here is a picture of everyone right before they left:

We have skyped with them almost every night since they left and we've talked on the phone too. Thankfully, my Mother in Law is awesome about sending text pictures and updates each day so with all of those methods of communication I haven't felt completely disconnected but oh my heavens how I miss them. I venture to tell you I almost ache for them to be back home and they return tonight after 8 days away - yay, yay, yay! Chelsea was planning a visit from PA after Grey arrived and so it worked out that she could pick the girls up in WV on her way down to visit and meet baby Grey. They should be here around 9 tonight and I CANNOT WAIT!

 

Although it was so very hard to see them go and has been so very hard to not have them here, it was very much needed. I've had some issues healing since delivery and I've just been so incredibly exhausted and emotional and it just would have likely pushed me to the edge if they had been here on top of all of those things and I couldn't play with them or take them places like usual. They have been having a blast in WV too - they may be sad to be back (ha!) but I hope not. It's been so good for Tim and I to just focus on and get to know Greyson. He's sleeping MUCH better than he was initially and I feel like I've "figured him out" a bit more which will be helpful now that life is about to get crazier. Now, I'm sure he will change and we'll further adapt as the weeks roll by, but I'm just feeling much more relaxed and prepared than I likely would have if I'd jumped right into parenting three. So: thank you Nana and Pawpaw - we love you and are so thankful for your precious relationship with our girls! =) Chelsea is in for the next few days and then my Mom comes back followed by my Dad for some visiting time. So: I'm still not parenting three alone....yet. It will come in due time, right?! For now I'm going to soak up and accept all the help I can get!