one week old today....

so....little miss georgia was born one week ago today. it's crazy to think of all the "life" we've lived in that one week and that will serve as my explanation for why i've fallen a little behind on the blog. she's an amazing little girl and we love her like crazy. it's funny how quickly your "normal" changes and it feels like you've had her in your house forever when it's only been one week. just a quick (maybe not so quick) little run-down on our week's past events......

--last weekend--

we went to the hospital on saturday to see georgia for the first time. it was such a strange thing to go visit our daughter in someone else's hospital room....but she was so loved by everyone in that room that it felt good to know that she was so well-taken care of. the nurses were incredible and supported our birth parents and us so well. one of them even came back on her day off to spend the afternoon with our birth mom; talking about about her decision and why it was such an amazing one. the two of them had really made a connection during the delivery and our birth mom felt very comfortable with her. we got to feed georgia and change her....listen to her scream in anger when we took her clothes off and spend some time with our birth parents and their parents.

i know that a lot of people feel like this journey with our birth parents has been strange.....we've been asked a lot about boundaries and confusion and what if they change their minds and so many other things that we asked ourselves before we got to know them. our adoption agency believes that is best for everyone involved for an adoption to be open. it doesn't feel as manipulative to the birth mom.....like a huge part of her life is just going to get swept under the carpet and forgotten about. it doesn't feel as cruel to the adoptive parents....i know....it sounds strange for me to say that i would ever feel cruel doing this....and at the end of the day....i don't. but when you get to know someone like our birth mom and birth dad and hear how they've come to this decision and what they want for this little girl and know how well they've taken care of her for the past nine months and how they are prepared to have their hearts broken because they know they can never provide for her the life they want her to have.....it hurts so much to see them hurt and it feels cruel to sweep in and take georgia and never let them get to understand how truly great this decision was.

so.....the above is what made sunday so hard. when we went to pick georgia up i told chris that walking into that hospital room was the best and worst thing i've ever done in my life. i can't write a lot about it right now....it's really fresh and makes me cry and i'm a little too tired right now to cry a lot.....but i hugged our birth mom for a while and we cried together and i asked her if she was ready....she said as ready as she'd ever be....i had her put georgia in her car-seat....they both kissed her goodbye and then just turned away from us so we could leave. i've never met two stronger and braver teenagers in my life.......just incredible individuals. i give so much credit to their parents as well who have counseled them so well and so bravely....constantly looking out for what was best for their "babies" and what kind of life they wanted their kids to have.

our social worker told us that we had to give ourselves permission to feel joy in the day....that we had to let go and feel happy for what we were doing. she hoped for us that as soon as we got home that we'd let go. early on in the adoption process our social workers really encouraged us to have a lot of people at the house when we brought our baby home so that it naturally took on a celebratory feeling amidst so much heartache for the birth parents. so we did....it was so much fun to have so many visitors on sunday.....just this incredible parade of people who all had prayed for and already loved georiga.....it felt like a party and we're so thankful to everyone who came by! we love you all......and so does gigi (i don't think i can fight this nickname.....it's her aunt ellen's favorite)

--the nights--

georgia has been a good little sleeper....getting up about two or three times....every three to four hours.....she eats and usually goes right back to sleep. i think she looks the cutest at night when i peek at her in her crib....she's all swaddled up like a burrito and only her cute little face is showing. and she's always so sweet and cuddly at three in the morning once i put that bottle in her mouth. chris has been amazing.....we've really become such a better team than i could ever have imagined. my mom and sister have been incredible too.....so helpful and so in love with georgia and i think they'd let her sleep on their chests all night if chris and i would let them.

--the days--

georgia has been so happy during the day and just lets all the visitors who come by everyday pass her around from arm to arm....sleeping the whole time. she loves baths....she actually feel asleep during one like she was having a spa treatment. she has hiccups all the time and i think she thinks they're funny. she had them almost every day for the past four months too so they've really just become a part of her life. she went to the dr.'s for the first time yesterday and has put back on all of her birth weight and then some....she has a little bit of thrush on her tongue which is very common in babies so she has her first antibiotic....it's so strange to see her name printed on a medicine bottle because she's finally a real little person.

our birth mom came over on tuesday with her mom and then with our birth dad on wednesday....they loved seeing her room and seeing what her house looked like. it made them feel good to see her environment and us with her in it. it makes me happy to get to see them and see them looking happier and more content. i'm excited to see how this relationship progresses.....

for now....i need to wrap up....this is getting long....i just felt like there was so much to report within this week.....a few pictures below of georgia's first week!