We are getting closer!

Well, Luka is getting very, very close to coming home and we are ecstatic!! The doctor called today after our morning visit to let us know that she thinks he will be headed home either this Friday or Saturday....wooohoooo!!!!! He has really turned a corner in his ability to eat on his own without falling asleep, so if he can continue to take the minimum amount of milk in the next 12 hours (overnight), he will be on his way to his crazy family and into all of our arms. And, the little guy had his feeding tube removed today, so now we can see his gorgeous little face (above) without any tubes or otherwise. A big day all around.

Both Zander and I are in the process of writing Luka's birth story and will share an abbreviated version here as soon as we are able to complete them, but in the meantime, I wanted to share a couple of photos of the past few weeks. My Mom, Alma, flew in the night before Luka's birth and was an absolute lifesaver. She cared for Miles and Anina extensively during those last few days of hospital bedrest, the birth, and the extended postpartum hospital stay and was truly the glue that kept our family together. Sadly, she won't be here for Luka's homecoming -- and it makes me teary-eyed just thinking about it, because right now I really want my own mother nearby -- but we hope to have her back in the coming weeks so that she can meet him again on his own turf.

The list of people who have been extraordinary just continues to grow, and we have again realized the power of a strong community. To be on the receiving end of so much love, care, and thoughtfulness is such a gift and has made Luka's welcome into this world so much easier. Every other night a meal is delivered to our doorstep by one of our closest friends, and not only is this nurturing nutritionally, but has nurtured us in so many other ways. I won't go into all of the magical things that have occurred in the past few weeks -- brought on by the amazing people in our lives -- but suffice it to say that, yet again, we are humbled by the outpouring of love and realize how lucky we are to live in this place surrounded by so much goodness. Here is a picture of our good friend, Erin, being accosted by Miles after she delivered an incredible meal last night. Erin holds a special place in our hearts for many reasons. (And she basically lived with me those last few days in the antepartum section of the hospital...oh, and snuck in some good coffee, too! Thank God.)

So there you go....the ruminations for the day. I'm still feeling like a weepy, sensitive woman in the postpartum period, but am trying to embrace it and know that it is the last time I will ever experience this sort of emotional intensity brought on by the hugeness of birth. Just typing that makes me teary....on, yeesh...more on that topic soon. Off to bed to dream about bringing home the sweetest little 5 pounder on earth!