Benjamin's Birth: Pt. 4

Benjamin arrived at the new hospital at about 9:45 that morning.

Thomas and I were finally able to leave our hospital at about 1:00, and got to North Memorial at about 1:30.

The nurses could tell I was itching to get to my son, so they just took me to my room and brought me down to the NICU right away - they waited to assess me and do my vitals until after I got to visit my baby boy.

Remember this picture: 

My sweet little Benjamin back at the Maple Grove Hospital, hooked up to all sorts of monitors, machines, and wires. 

But when we got to the NICU at North Memorial Hospital, we got to see our little peanut just like this:

Many less wires, machines, and monitors.

What a sight to see!!

The nurses explained to us that after Benjamin had been at this hospital for only ten minutes, they took him off the breathing machine to see how he would do on his own - and he did perfectly! Our little peanut no longer needed to be on breathing assistance.

The nurses explained he would still need to be a here a few days: he needed to be monitored, he was still on antibiotics, he was feeding through an IV so we had to introduce milk and get him to feed consistently, and a couple other things on the agenda.

We prayed fervently, and implored others to pray with us. 

Thomas and his dad gave Benjamin a priesthood blessing before he was transported to the second hospital.

The power of prayer is amazing.

The Lord heard our pleas.
Benjamin improved by leaps and bounds.

The nurses were so impressed. 

Originally, we were told he would need to stay in the NICU for about a week.

By day three, he was well enough to be out of the NICU and stay in our room with us.

On day four, he came home with us. 

And our life will never be the same...

It's incredible, this love I have for my son.

It's still weird to say that: my son.

I hold him in my arms, and my heart just swells.

It's such a different emotion than anything I've ever felt before. 

It's a different kind of love than I have for Thomas, or my parents, or anyone else.

I feel fiercely devoted to Benjamin.

I yearn to give him the world, to be his everything. 

His little hand wraps around my finger, and I cry tears of joy at this little miracle in my arms.

He looks at me with those beautiful eyes, and I feel he's looking at my heart - I feel so connected to him, and my heart swells with the desire to give him anything, to never let him feel any pain. 

He sleeps in my arms, and I promise myself I will never let him doubt my love for him.

I feel like the luckiest woman in the world. 

I have the man of my dreams at my side, and a sweet baby boy in my arms.

I feel captivated in this life, like I'm drifting in a dream.

Benjamin's birth did not go according to plan, and we had a lot of roadblocks.

There was heart ache, tears shed, and prayers whispered.

But the end outcome was the greatest blessing we could have asked for.

Thomas and I have a healthy, beautiful baby boy.

Our little family is together, happy, and overflowing with love. 

Life is beautiful.

Sure, we're exhausted.

Sure, we feel like we don't know what we're doing half the time.

But, we thank the Lord every night for this wonderful life, this wonderful blessing, our wonderful, beautiful little peanut...