Families

Last week was quite eventful and emotional.  Dennis was sick with a bad cold, so I tried to stay away from him as much as possible.  I slept on the couch and popped Zycam frequently, praying continuously!  I couldn't risk getting sick and not being able to go see Jesse!  Mandy's C-section was planned for Thursday at noon...the ONE day that I had plans that I couldn't change.  One of my CASA cases was coming up for the final hearing...where the parental rights were going to be terminated.  I felt like I really needed to be there.  I'm still on the case until the children are adopted.  I pray that a loving family will make these three beautiful children a permanent part of their lives...hopefully the foster home in which they are placed.  Such a day of contrast:  one family losing their rights as parents, while another became parents for the first time.

As soon as the trial was over, I rushed home to pick up Ricky and headed to Paris.  We made it to the hospital about 1 1/2 hours after Jesse's birth.  The other grandparents and great-grandparents were still waiting for the opportunity to get to hold him.  We were all able to look into the nursery and watch him, but Stephen was the only one who could actually touch him at that point.  Poor Mandy was still stuck back in recovery...waiting to be reunited with Jesse and Stephen!  FINALLY they got her situated in her room and started letting family go back to see them.  We took turns going back, a couple at a time.  It was wonderful to finally be able to hold my grandson in my arms!  He is perfect!  I couldn't get enough of him...studying his sweet face and memorizing every detail.  Sheila showed up that evening, right at the end of visiting hours.  She came on back, anyway, to have a little time of snuggle time with her nephew before getting kicked out.  (Actually the nurses were very tolerant of us all!)

We were back up at the hospital when visiting hours started the next morning.  Ricky, Sheila and I took turns with Jesse...each of us totally enchanted.  Ray, Kit and Chelsey showed up a little before lunchtime for a visit.  Ricky was supposed to be at work at 4:00, so our time was very limited.  We said our goodbyes (reluctantly), then went out to eat lunch with Kit's family.  We enjoyed our visit with them, although we had to rush through it!  Then that long drive home....

Dennis has a week's vacation next week, so we plan to go back to Paris for a couple of days.  (I hope our car is out of the body shop by then!)  I can't wait to see Dennis and Jesse together!  Dennis has always had a special love for little ones...and he is so good with them!  I remember when we became parents...I was pretty ignorant about babies, other than what I had read in books.  His quiet and calm manner with Stephen was such a help to me in those early days of getting used to being a mother (as well as all the years to come!).  I hope that Stephen can be as helpful with Mandy and Jesse as his dad was with me and him!

Carrying on with my 365 days of thanksgiving...today I am thankful for the good dad that my children had!

Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.