8:11pm

Eric and I drove to the hospital this afternoon and had a nice (but short) meeting with T, the agency, some nurses, and the most beautiful little girl I have ever seen. Dont get me wrong...I have seen pretty babies. But this one is special in a different way. She is just so perfect and beautiful...and perfect....and gorgeous. She has the loooongest fingers and toes and the softest, most perfect skin and hair. Oh, the HAIR! It is soooo perfect! She has that perfectly round c-section-baby head and super sweet little squeaks and noises come out of her perfect little rosebud lips.

We walked in the room and T handed her right to me. I gave T a hug and thanked her, and she thanked us. I couldnt believe I was about to hold this little girl, and I tried sooo hard not to cry. A lost cause. I didnt weap openly or sob or lose it entirely. But the tears were streaming and my nose was sniffly over and over.

T asked "so, youre still stickin' with Whitney, huh?" with a cute smile. We smiled, told her that it has a special meaning to us, and that we really do have our hearts set on Whitney Faith. She smiled and even laughed a little and said "i know, i'm kidding. I understand. And Faith is definitely the middle name, right?" and of course we said yes.

She showed me how to clean the belly button and let me change a poopy diaper. :) T was so gracious and willing to let us just hold the princess as long as our hearts desired.

L couldnt make it there this afternoon, but we should see him tomorrow morning at the hospital.

T's doctor will release her tomorrow morning. Consents may not be signed until T is no longer a registered patient at the hospital. Discharge will happen, and then T will be allowed to sign papers for the first time. T has a picture in her head of how she wants it all to happen, and the hospital is doing whatever they can to make that vision come to life. Some things though, are just not allowed according to the law and/or hospital policy. Eric and I would be willing to bend the rules if it makes T feel better, but there are just some things that cant be bent according to the hospital administrator we spoke with, in order to protect the hospital, the agency, and all parties involved.

I asked T if it was okay if we took pictures and she immediately said "of course!" It felt like I was taking too many, so I tried to hold back. Turns out I only took about 6 in all. :) We plan to share at some point in the next weekend, when things settle down and that little girl is ours to "share". But while you wait, just know that this little girl IS gorgeous and already has us both wrapped around her long fingers. :) She is just PERFECT.

While T is signing paperwork tomorrow, Eric and I are supposed to be in the nursery with the baby so the nurses can give us the "new parent" rundown...how to care for her umbilical cord, how often she's eating, when to call the doc, etc. We cant WAIT!! Then, the hospital will release the baby to us, check our carseat, and we'll be on our way home.

We plan to go home, just the three of us, to show her where she's going to grow up and let her meet Big Brother Bailey. Then, we'll have family over to meet our newest member. :) The rest of the visitors will have to play it by ear, as we have never done this before. :) But know that we cant wait for everyone to meet her and are so blessed to have THE BEST friends and family we could ever ask for.

Please continue to keep T and L in your prayers. I am not sure L was giving T the support she was looking for and she deserves and needs help, support, hugs, and understanding right now. It seems as though they may just be handling this all in different ways, but I hope they can somehow work together to support one another.

I hope my previous post was not harsh-sounding. I DO NOT agree with the hospital's policy to boot T out. I hate that policy and I told the administrator that today...in a not-so-sweet-kinda-way. This is a time when T needs HELP and SUPPORT...not a ticket out to the front door on her arse. As it turns out, the policy is obsolete in our situation since T's doctor wont release her until tomorrow anyway. But it is a DUMB policy to have...whether it applies to our situation or not. (So, no "Thanksgiving"..i didnt take it the wrong way...i was trying to say the same thing you were...you just have a clearer head than I did.)

So that is the latest. I am off to flip through the beautiful pictures we now have. over and over and over. THat meeting was not how we pictured things (we were worried about meeting the baby before consents were signed, since technically T can still change her mind and my heart now belongs to that little girl...) but now...we wouldnt have it any other way. (Well, we wish L could have been there...but that just wasnt possible.)

I will update as often as possible. But you know the plan of attack for tomorrow, so understand if I am not on the computer too often. :) We leave for the hospital around 10:45am...and hope to be home around 2pm. Family visits...pictures taken and looked at over and over and over....Eric and I need/want/crave more alone time with her...and then my Internets will have my attention....briefly..........before I head back to the princess. :)