A Gutsy Girl®

Heal your gut. Heal your life.

….but by the Grace of God

Filed Under: Adoption Tagged With:

….but by the grace of God we picked her up on the second floor, in the NICU, from the hospital late yesterday afternoon.

Around 7 pm, she was discharged from the hospital to go home with Ryan and I.

I sat in a wheelchair, holding her as they wheeled us down to that car we bought this summer, just for her arrival.

I stared at her beautiful face and little fingers the whole stroll down.

faith. hope. love. a gutsy baby. via agutsygirl.com agutsybaby.com.png

….but by the Grace of God

I wondered how we got so lucky?

I remembered…. but by the grace of God.

The LORD said to him: “I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. – 1 Kings 9:2-4

It will be a long time before I share any pictures of her here (for legal reasons) or information about her, but this I share today….

We thought we were waiting for a 1-2 year old. She’s only 2 months.

She is a fighter, born at just 26 weeks.

We thought the process would be much different, but here we are, only about 36 hours after the call came to us.

I barely slept last night.

I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

She is nothing of what I was planning, expecting and had seen in visions.

But she is absolutely, 100% perfect.

I fell in love with her immediately, and each moment that passes since I first laid eyes on her, I fall more.

We feel more blessed today than I can ever explain.

Maybe because we held on to hope, or simply that we believed.

Color Conversation sarahkayhoffman.com Garth Brooks Grace and Mercy but by the Grace of God

Our First Night

Last night, during every single feeding (oh my gosh, no one told me it would be every 3 hours, on the hour!) she tooted and grunted and I just knew her little baby tummy was hurting her.

But I smiled; my heart melted….

Our baby has arrived!

p.s. I know NOTHING about “preemies.” Friends….help me! Great resources? Things I need to buy today? Things I should know? Nannies who want to move in with us?! Ha. Just kidding. Maybe.

Xox,
SKH

p.s.s. I know I promised the JIGGLER recipe today. I was pre-occupied:) But, it’s almost done so during naps I’ll finish it and get it up as soon as I can.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Clare @ fitting it all in

    I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU. You truly will be the best mother. And a little GUTSY premie baby, while an unfortunate situation, is perfect for you and she is so blessed to have you and ryan as parents.

    i’ll move in as a nanny next year:)

  3. Heather

    And I’m crying. Such a wonderful wonderful day for you. Happy Birthday Mom & Dad. Welcome to this amazing club. You will never ever be the same.

    You will do great.

    Sending you love, Blessings and prayers of gratitude for those that have been answered.

    My Love to you!

  5. RFC

    I don’t come by your blog every day, but every time I do read, I have been hoping to see this post. YOU ARE A MOMMY!!! Congratulations, I’m so happy for you! <3

  8. Stacy

    Congratulations!!! Breastmilk is so helpful for preemies (and all babies of course) and there is a human milk bank located in San Jose. hmbana.com

    Also, you may not know, but you can actually induce lactation and breastfeed if you want. It’s pretty amazing.

    So excited for you guys! And what a lucky little girl to have you as parents.

  9. Kami

    So very happy for you and Ryan, and the precious little one who will have a loving home. Praying for you all as you grow as a family.

    • Kami

      Oh, and some foster adoptive moms I know have posted pictures of just a hand, or a foot when they aren’t able to show the baby’s face. Just a thought if you wanted to share.

  12. Heather@YSP

    This made me cry. What an AWESOME post. I am so excited for you and your family.

    I don’t have much info in terms of premies, except to offer that I was born at 28 weeks, and I couldn’t process breast milk or cow’s milk and ended up on a goat’s milk formula. Which is to say that a lot of baby tummy issues result in trial and error. I also wonder if premies just have a harder time adjusting to ANY food intake because their little systems are just so NEW.

  18. Ally

    Congratulations Sarah!!! You guys are going to be the best parents to that little one!! I can’t wait to meet her!!!!

    Happy early Christmas!!!
    Xoxo,
    Ally

  21. Alaine

    Wow, Sarah, that is so wonderful! What an adventure you are on! All the very best to you and Ryan and CONGRATULATIONS!! XOXOXOX,
    Alaine

  26. Amy

    I LOVE reading your stories and am so excited for you two! Our little guy came early at 35 weeks. When we took him home from the hospital he was still hovering around 6 lbs. One thing that I thought really helped was Kangaroo Care. It seems a little weird, but they love nothing more than to be skin to skin with their Mommies. It helps them keep warm. Plus it’s wonderful bonding time:) Levi went through period of time when his little gut was growing and changing so much. It was apparent that he was a little uncomfortable in there. We got him an amber necklace which oddly enough seems to make a difference. A book that has helped tremendously is “Smart Medicine for a Healthier Baby.” We found it at our local Coop, but you can purchase it online as well…It has tons of alternative options for baby health!

    When all else fails…Mommy knows best! You’ll figure it out:)

  28. Jaime

    Wow!! What great news! I follow your posts and wasn’t sure how fast it was going to happen for you and now she’s here. So happy for you and your family. Welcome to the Mommyhood!

  29. jeanine froke

    Congrats!!!! I am soooooooo happy for you and Ryan. This is love at its finest. Let us know if you need anything at all. 🙂

  30. Angela

    What a beautiful gift and blessing to each of you…You have a heart of gold and will be such an incredible Mother as will Ryan as her Father. THRILLED!

  32. Debbie

    Tears of joy!!!! And ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
    Congratulations !!!!

  35. Steph

    I love you so much! I have been crying tears of joy all day! Praising God for his beautiful gifts! It has been an honor to pray for this day, it truly has! …you are a MOMMY and Ryan, a DADDY! So happy for you!

  36. Alejandra Jolodosky

    Congratulations, Sarah.
    I’m so excited for you to start your new journey of parenthood.
    You are more than ready and will thrive! Wish you all the best!

  40. Missy

    Congratulations to you and Ryan! What an amazing gift from God you have been given. The only advice you need is to follow your insticts! You will be a great mom! Make sure you take some time and just watch her sleep. Soak in the facial expressions, the innocense, the preciousness, and the pure joy of unconditional love. They don’t stay little for long!

  42. Julie Andrade

    Blessings upon blessings to you, your hubby and daughter… FYI: An alternate if breast milk is not available is goats milk and carrot juice- 50/50… I have been blessed with 3 amazing healthy brilliant children… I would love to help and share with you as you embrace motherhood in any way I can…

  43. Charlene Ross

    Oh Sarah, I’m so happy for you! Yes, you life has been flipped upside down indeed. And in the best possible way!

    You and Ryan will be such wonderful parents. You are truly blessed. And so is your gutsy baby girl!

  45. Angie Chavez

    Congratulations! I’m not a NICU Nurse, but I work on NICU kids. If you have any questions, I may be able to help you out! Call me anytime!