Well, some of you have gathered from a few random Facebook posts that our "Elizabeth" plans have changed a bit, but many others still might think we're leaving for California in two days. I guess it's time for a little update :) We have to wait one more looooooong week now before we get to leave. At first I was really disappointed... now (two days before the date we originally wanted to leave) I'm a little relieved because I know we would have been SO far from ready to go on Sunday.
Our little sweetie pie is now 6 1/2 months old. I get a little wistful and occasionally bum out because we're missing so much from day to day, but have such joy knowing we will be with her before she turns 7 months on June 3. Tim and I fly out to LA on Sunday night, May 27, on a flight I bought so cheaply, I still do a happy dance when I think about it three days later. We'll get into LA about 11 pm and probably not sleep at all because we'll be so excited. First thing in the morning, we'll pick up a rental car and head about three hours north to meet little Libby on Memorial Day. The birthmother's social worker, Theresa, will be coming from about 4 hours in a different direction to meet us and go through our paperwork. She might even make it down to us right away on Memorial Day, depending on what her family has planned for the holiday; otherwise she will come on Tuesday or as soon as she can. But regardless of when Theresa is able to make it to meet us, we're "allowed" to go and visit Elizabeth and the family she has been staying with, and start getting to know her. So Monday is the day!
Elizabeth has been staying with these wonderful people named Dede and Gene. They love her so much and have taken fantastic care of her since she was two days old. After a little stint in the NICU, Elizabeth came home with them at about a week old. She had been born a little early, but I think she was full-term at least. She was 6 lb 13 oz, but dropped more than she should have in the first week due to some issues that I am anxious to hear more about. When she first got home, she was a fussy eater and slow to grow, so Dede and Gene bought a home scale for her and they weighed her every two days. Even now that she's "out of the woods" and doing much better, they still continue to weigh her regularly; it's a fun little ritual for them. Last I heard, the little peanut was closing in on 16 pounds!
The live in a beautiful town right on the ocean, and take her there often for walks. Tim and I are really looking forward to spending some time on the coast! We'll be staying with Dede and Gene for 4-5 days to help ease Elizabeth's transition from their care to ours. We'll stay in their home for at least 2 nights, and spend our days learning her daily routine so that we can do our best to replicate it for Libby's comfort and familiarity. For the third and fourth nights, we'll stay in a hotel to see how she does overnight in a different environment, but we'll bring her back to the house during the day. I'm pretty nervous about those first couple days after we actually leave for good; I think she's going to have a rough time at first. Since she relies so much on her senses other than sight, we have to think very differently about how to make her feel secure and comfortable with us.
Depending on when Theresa arrives to go through paperwork with us, and then gets it submitted to the state, we will probably be in California for 5-10 days. One of the first forms we will sign will be "placement" papers, allowing us to leave Dede and Gene's with her and travel freely as a family, but we will need the state's approval of some of our other paperwork before we are allowed to leave the state and come home. The earliest they foresee this happening would be Friday, June 1. I'm not really counting on things happening that quickly. We're mentally preparing that we'd have to be out there until Tuesday the 5th or Wednesday the 6th, and will just be pleasantly surprised if we're allowed to come home earlier.
Libby has not yet been baptized, so we want to do that before we travel home with her. I got a box of beautiful clothes from my mom this week, and my baptismal gown was inside for us to take to California and use for Elizabeth. If we come home before Sunday, we'll do a little private ceremony somewhere before flying out. If we are there over the weekend, we'll be staying with some dear friends after we leave Dede and Gene's and hope to the baptism in a WELS church on Sunday.
We have slowly been feeling more and more "ready" for her from day to day, as these weeks have passed since we first found out that she is ours. The first week, neither of us slept well and at times felt physically ill from the stress. The second week, we had started to get more of our ducks in a row as to medical appointments, special resources, and baby gear. We have a pretty good idea of what Dede will be sending us home with, have bought a few things that we know we will need right away, and are humbled by God's grace daily as the generosity of family and friends fills our mailbox with gift cards and adorable outfits and wonderful little girl goodies.
I will be getting a six-week maternity leave from work, which starts when we bring her home and does not include the California trip. So that puts us out to the middle of July. During the six weeks, we'll be evaluating if I should try to return to work or stay home permanently. Our "life plan" always included me going back to work, because I have a wonderful part-time schedule that would only require us to utilize daycare two days per week, with "Daddy Day" on my other two half-days per week. But Little Miss Libby's needs have us seriously considering me staying home. We'll see. I absolutely love my job... BUT we kinda love Elizabeth a little bit, too :) We'll need some time at home with her to figure out what day-to-day life will be like, and what will be best for her.
SO! That's what we know for now. I am absolutely dying to share pictures of this beautiful little girl with you all, but we have been asked by the social workers not to do so until we get her home. However, I am allowed to share privately, so if you would like to see some pictures, please e-mail me at megan.redfield.MR@gmail.com, and I'll send some to you. Maybe not right away... but eventually. I may get another update posted before we leave next Sunday, if we have anything new to report. Otherwise I'll post something while we're out there about how absolutely wonderful she is :)
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