Hospital Visitors

Hello. I have just been here at the hospital all day snuggling with this little person. 

The pediatrician that checked her out this morning recommended that I stay the night, cause I could technically leave after 8:30 pm (as the baby has to stay for 24 hours after birth...) but they have to do a few tests at 24 hours, so that'd push to not being discharged until probably 10pm, and she needs to be seen by the pediatrician again tomorrow anyway, so might as well just stick around rather than go home late and bring her to the doctor in the morning. That made sense to me. Plus if we did leave late tonight, that would mean kids would be excited and awake when I got home and they would all want to hold her and then we wouldn't get to bed until past midnight. So, yeah, we've just been here entertaining visitors. My little sister Jersh came by to see the baby before she went to work, Joseph came after that before he volunteered at a clinic.

Mel was nannying this morning, and then she biked down to see the baby.

She had to bike cause she didn't have a car - the van isn't working, Wes had the Feista at seminary signing yearbooks, and Corey took his car. I told Corey he could tell the kids to practice and do their summer chores and then the reward would be to come see the baby. But instead, he took them to Classic Skating. Life 360 showed that they arrived there around 11:30, and I was impressed when they were still there at 3:30. They came by the hospital on the way home to see the kid and pick up Mel and her bike. He confessed "I didn't go there from a position of strength..." He takes them out, cause he knows he won't get anything done if he stays home, so it's better to just not let himself be frustrated. If he's not going to get anything done, might as well give the kids an experience.

So they skated and had pizza for lunch and learned how to fight zombies with lazers and stuff like that. 

They washed and sanitized their hands when they came to see us, but I was slightly grossed out about how grimy they and their clothes must be after being there. I somewhat reluctantly let them hold the baby.

Setting a timer and taking turns. 

I'm sure we'll be doing lots of this at home. 

My sister Jerusha texted that she wanted to bring by dinner tonight, so they headed home, Mel went with them, and I asked M to give them all a bath. Wes and Abi came by next to love on the baby. Abi hogged her though, so Wes didn't hold her. 

My sister Beka and her husband Matt came by. It was really sweet seeing them hold her. The baby sneezed so many times, it was funny, we were laughing that she must be allergic to Matt!

Beka is my youngest sister. She got married in 2011 right after we got home from our adventure in Chile. They have struggled with infertility and haven't been able to have children yet. On my mission, I met a lady who struggled getting pregnant, and I just loved her and her family, and I remember when she was sharing her struggle with infertility with us, and I know that anyone could struggled with that and it's totally out of our control, so I told myself that if God chose to give me children, I would let him. Infertility isn't a trial we've had to face, but I am grateful for that experience that set us on this course for a large family. After Matt and Beka left, my parents came by - 

and then Corey came again with Abi and Lily for a short visit - 

And that's been our day!

I am ready for bed now and am looking forward to heading home tomorrow, but this has been a nice hospital stay and I'm feeling good and ready to get back to facing life, I think!