When we heard Tuesday around lunchtime that our interstate paperwork had been approved and we were free to go home, it was too late start the 11-hour trek. Dave's parents were already on their way to meet us. Well, let's be honest, to meet the baby. And we had planned to just get closer to the border to feel like we were doing something. So we drove to Dothan, AL and stayed the night.
Dave's parents arrived from Houston around 10 pm. His father exercised his new digital camera, and Dave's mother was so cuddly with the baby. As soon as we opened the hotel door, Dave's mom had her hands out: "Ooo, gimme, gimme! Where's the baby? I want to meet her!" There was a flowering pear tree right outside our door for pictures the next morning. Truly, spring is a season of new birth, and the best time to have a new baby. Everything seems new and fresh to me now. Dave and I noted we started our married lives in the year 2000, and 1 decade later in 2010, we started parenting. Ooo, I wonder what will happen by 2020?
Wednesday around lunch we said goodbye to Dave's parents and drove the 8 hours back to south Florida. We took turns in the back, and Jessica did pretty well, but it would've taken much longer with only me driving home. Smokey was only too happy to see us. He hid from the family who fed him and was hiding under the bed, as usual, but ran right out and sang songs to us to welcome us home. We tried to introduce the cat to the baby, but Smokey only leaned against her and wanted his head scratched. (I think he knows now he's getting less attention, but otherwise, I think they're oblivious to each other.) Smokey is very obedient and shy, so we have no worries about him in her crib, etc.
Jessica wouldn't be calmed, and I was grouchy after the long drive, so Dave sent me to bed. (She needed more food, even though she had just eaten her usual amount just an hour before--the first of many times she would teach us that nothing will deter her from drinking extra helpings in the evenings.)
Jessica spent her first night in her crib and woke up happy and alert. (Of course, we had to feed her twice during the night.) She seems to like looking at the ocean cartoons all over the room. She will not be sleeping with us, and we won't be using a baby monitor. I think it's good we don't hear all the humming and grunting she does, but the bedroom doors are open so we can hear her cry loudly for food. It's perfect. We three did a little jumping up and down chanting "Our family is ho-ome! Our family is ho-ome!" Best St. Patrick's Day ever.
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