Details

I absolutely love this! Despite the spit up and exhaustion, there's no way I would trade this experience for anything in the world.
Yesterday I left out quite a few details of how everything happened... so I wanted to go back and explain a few things. We were supposed to be released from the hospital on Friday, after seven days of no episodes. However, because the last dose of her medicine was given on Thursday, we were told yesterday morning when we got to the hospital that she could be released that afternoon! It was a bit of a surprise to us, as we had been anticipating an extra day or two, not to go home early. But I guess she was ready to get out of there, because she passed all of her tests and was ready to go.
We were already scheduled to sign all of the adoption paperwork yesterday, so we went ahead with that. With the exception of our monthly visits from our agency to check on Keragan for the next six months, and the finalization court date, we're finished with the adoption process!  It's truly been a process... it was not easy, but so worth it.
After signing the papers, we went to meet with Keragan's birth mother. Troy and I were anxious to meet her, but nervous as well. She had already signed away her rights, so she had no way of blocking the adoption, however there was still this need in me to have her approval. I'm not sure that I got the approval, but I left the meeting feeling incredibly peaceful. I'm not sure what I was expecting from her, but she surprised me by wanting to talk about the baby, look at pictures, tell us about herself. I truly walked away from the meeting knowing that she was comfortable with the decision she made. We left the door open for her to contact us if she wants to see more pictures or keep in contact. We'll see if she makes the contact. While I'm not looking to be close friends with her and have her stopping in at our house, I would love to be able to have some type of relationship that I can share with Keragan some day. I'm sure she'll have lots of questions as she grows older, and I want to be able to be as open as possible with her.
Following the meeting with birth mom, we went back to the house where I've been staying to clean up and pack.  It was such a blessing to be able to stay close to the hospital for free for five weeks. There's no way we would have been able to stay so close if we had to stay in hotels, and I know I would've regretted the time spent away from her. So, thank you so much to the people who offered their guest house to us!
Lastly, we packed up all of Keragan's belongings in the hospital. And trust me, she had accumulated a decent amount of blankets, clothes and other little gifts from nine weeks in the hospital. The nurses at the hospital had become my family over the past five weeks, so it was a little bittersweet leaving. They all were so great with Keragan, and I know she felt so comfortable and at home there.  We owe them more than words can express.
Now that we're home, I plan to continue blogging. I originally set up the blog so that friends and family who we don't see frequently would be able to follow our progress in the adoption, and also remain updated on our family life as our daughter grows. I've been amazed at how many page views I get each day, and I repeatedly hear of people who are reading my blog. So, thank you for coming along with us this far on our journey! This is just the beginning. I'm not sure that I'll update every day, but I'll try to let you know what's going on a couple of times a week.
A quick overview of today... last night was a little rough, as she wouldn't sleep if we weren't holding her. She wouldn't cry, but she'd fuss and move around a lot. She wasn't like that at all in the hospital, so I was getting a little worried that something was wrong. Finally it hit me about 6:30 this morning that everything is completely new to her, and it was probably overwhelming her. So, I dug out her hospital blanket, wrapped her up, and she slept for four hours, barely making a sound. And she's been doing great ever since.
The house is slowly getting cleaned and back in shape, and the nursery is starting to come together. A huge thanks to our friend Sarah who brought over a "Taco Box" for our dinner in early celebration of Cinco de Mayo... it was wonderful, and was so nice to have a home cooked meal again! I think I've had enough hospital food and fast food for the rest of my life, and I'm ready to get back in the kitchen! Some people have asked about visiting and meeting Keragan, and that's fine! As long as you're not sick, just call or text and let us know when you're coming! We can't wait for Kera to meet all of the people who supported us in this adoption!