Hi, I'm New Here

Allow me to introduce…

Mr DeMille, I am ready for my close-up.

Mary Thérèse Caruthers, was born Tuesday May 12… yes, on Katherine Hepburn’s birthday… at around 3pm after a long, induced labor. She weighed 6 pounds, 7.7 ounces and is 20 inches long, and she is beautiful. Though, I’ll leave a couple pictures here since I admit we are biased… so, so biased. We met Mary later that evening and we have been falling in love ever since.

Tim and I decided that I would get a plane ticket and he would drive, so that if little lady came early I could hop on Southwest and we would have the car ready for him to start driving so that we would have the car with us and we wouldn’t have to take the little one on a plane so early in her life (by the way, if you plan to get a one-way ticket, whose date might change, go Southwest. Trust me.) For the past several weeks we’ve been driving around with an empty baby car seat and a trunk full of a stroller, pack and play and miscellaneous baby things.

As it turned out, we found out that we wouldn’t need to change our flight after all since the doctors decided to induce her to make her appearance on her due date (Mother’s Day). So, Tim started driving after work on Friday and I flew out on Saturday morning, got checked in and stocked the fridge and pantry with some fun Trader Joe’s snacks and easy meals. (I <3 Trader Joes)

We decided to rent an Air BnB, which we absolutely love.   We tried it out on our last trip out here and worked out a couple of kinks and decided it was the way to go in order to find our own space with accommodations for a baby (especially some sort of kitchen). When I contacted our hosts in April, they were super flexible about our dates possibly changing and were excited for our adoption, and they have an 8 month old baby. Sold!

When I checked in on Saturday, they left us a bottle of champagne, a nice card congratulating us and a baby book. When Tim arrived with all the baby things in tow on Sunday, they additionally offered us their bassinet and baby swing, which we naturally took them up on.

Already read the book to Mary and she loves it

 Then, we waited. The plan was that we would get occasional updates and that after the birthmother had a few hours with the little one she would have someone bring her to us. We called in a few times to get updates, but we didn’t want to be in the way at the hospital… Monday night they told us “probably by morning” and that they would call if it was close. At 2am we couldn’t wait anymore in our nice comfortable bed, in which we could not sleep anyway, and went to the hospital to not sleep in a waiting room. When we checked in with the nurses they offered us a room to stay in.  The hospital staff were all so kind and generous; they fed us and made sure we were updated and comfortable while we waited. And so we did, all day Tuesday, reading, knitting and watching Katherine Hepburn movies on Turner Classic Movies.

Prayer and bagels.

If you are adopting a baby and you would like to have your fingernails at the end of it, I recommend taking up knitting. 

Then, a nurse came in to tell us she was born. And we waited.

And then we met her. Late Tuesday night, this perfect little girl, all curled up and sleepy.

Happy Mama. Bad lighting

She stayed with us all that night and has been with us ever since. We took her to her first home on Wednesday evening… they made me leave the hospital in a wheelchair and I overheard a group of people on the way into the elevator comment on how adorable the baby is and how skinny I am. Not going to let that go to my head. We met with the lawyers to sign the adoption contract on Thursday and we are hoping that by the end of this week we can start heading back to Texas.

Since her going home outfit was too large she wore this "home"

Until then we are soaking up the love. We spend our days feeding Mary Therese, changing her diaper, and cuddling with her curled up on our chests.

This is pretty much our life. And it is lovely.

Tim is going semi-pro at swaddling, though Mary is an expert wriggler and the little Houdini escapes within a few minutes. Our occasional outings usually include a quick stop in front of the tabernacle of the nearest chapel to give thanks to God especially for this little darling, for her birthmother and for everyone who has made this possible.

In Him,

Jessi +Tim+ Mary Thérèse