Day 5, 6, 7, and 8: Keeping Busy!

Well, what do you know?  I have gotten behind. Can you believe these kids?!?!  They want three square meals and clean clothes.  Golly!  J

Monday, October 2^nd – Thursday, October 5^th

The next few days were a whirlwind.  Lots of hours at the hospital.   Theodore was eating more and more on his own but the finish line kept being moved as his feeding amount increased.  It was so frustrating because we arrived thinking He is better off than the twins were and they were in for a week, so surely, he will be out in no time.  Then, he would get tired and only get 3mL.  He dropped just below 4 pounds.  Theo was being a rascal and kept pulling his feeding tube out at least once a day.  Breastfeeding was also more difficult for him than a bottle, which was expected.  However, it really hurt my heart that I couldn’t have that bonding time with him.  I hadn’t used a bottle since a short stint with Jonah (7 years ago!).  It felt so foreign. 

He was still in quarantine, so that meant he was closed off from most of the nurses, sounds, and not getting the cuddles he needed most.  It really made us want to be with him 24/7.  Finally, on the Oct. 3^rd they lifted the quarantine!  We were so thankful that we could go without a mask and his siblings could visit with him. 

Throughout these days we found different ways to keep the kids from climbing the walls.  I had the joy of spending more time with the big(ger) kiddos.  I had been missing them so much.  We took lots of trips to the duck pond by the hospital.  Once, the boys even saw a crocodile!  (Wink wink.)  We found a playground down a little walking path from the hospital that we frequented.  My favorite moment from the playground was when Eli came out of the women’s bathroom.  I asked him why and he answered, “Because boy bathrooms are gross!”  True. . .

Danny took them on a trip to Goodwill.  Benaiah found a pirate costume, Jonah picked out a new Lego shirt, Huck got a matching game, Eli chose a bag of Halloween decorations (which quickly beautified the van and Ronald McDonald House), and Juliet was thrilled to find a purple pony.

One evening our neighbors came out to play soccer with the boys.  Since the neighbors were teenagers the boys thought they were big stuff!  They gave the boys soccer balls to carry to the park and taught Jonah how to juggle with his feet. That kept him busy for a good bit J

One day between feedings to we went to an Art Museum.  Honestly, I was scared to death that we would break something with all the energy the kids had, but they were so well behaved.  They each enjoyed creating their own art in the kid zone.  The interactive piece made of candy was a favorite too!

One God-orchestrated moment was meeting a worker at the RMH who was adopted. She was kind enough to open up about her story.  I was able to ask many questions that I wanted answered by someone who was adopted.  How can I best protect Theo from heartache while also embracing what God has done?  Which phrases and questions are hurtful?  What emotions should I be prepared to help him handle?  She was able to recommend books that she thought were spot on and give me Biblical truths that helped her.  I was so thankful for the encounter! 

A big change was hearing from the attorney that we would need to file new papers and change from finalizing in Arkansas to Tennessee.  It would take time to process the papers before we could take him across state lines but we figured as long as Theo was in the NICU we had the days to spare.

I turned 4 months old!

At the end of these days, I came up from the NICU to find Juliet asleep on the couch instead of eating dinner.  I realized then, as I held my eyelids open, that we needed a change of pace.  We were treating this season like a sprint.  We needed to take a deep breath and accept that we might be here for a marathon. 

That night one of Ms. Connie’s friends who originally connected us with her came to visit and meet our family.  She surprised us with tickets to the local children’s museum.  Wow!  Just what we needed.  A day out of the hospital (at least for part of the day) to enjoy being together as a family.  So, we went to sleep that night with a new plan of action and a fun-filled day ahead!