On the wonderful, maravouls night you were born...

The night Colin was born was magical.  It was also a bit of a blur.  He was born late and after a few moments in my arms was rushed off to NICU.  I was rolled up later to hold the precious miracle I'd waited so long for.

The book "On the Night You Were Born" by Nancy Tillman almost always makes me cry.  When I picture that night, though, it's normally the night we came home from the hospital that I imagine...

After a frantic few days in the hospital, it was dark by the time we were discharged.  We were escorted out by a hospital volunteer.  Colin in a little red wagon, me carefully walking along beside him (I'd escaped the wheel chair by just waving to my discharge nurse as the elevator doors closed on the maternity ward to take me to NICU).  We carefully snapped his car seat into the car.  Gavin played his Rolling Stones lullabies as I gingerly climbed in next to Colin.  The volunteer closed the car door behind me and we were alone as a family for the first time.  I leaned over my son and silent tears slid down my face as we waited at the parking kiosk.  

The very short ride home was uncomfortable, but I was enraptured by Colin.  We pulled onto our street.  I'd never loved our family, my husband, our home or the entry to our house as much as I did on the night.  It had rained just enough to make everything clean and wet and the Christmas lights glistened off the damp pavement and the dewy night air.  It was just foggy enough to give everything a slight of awe and magic.  

As we pulled into our drive way, I noticed the stork and balloons joyful welcoming us home.  The silent tears came faster and a little less silently.  We were welcomed home with love by both sets of grandparents who had light our Christmas tree and dimmed the lights inside perfectly to maintain the magical aura of the evening.  The welcomed us, kissed us and somehow slipped silently out, leaving us a preciously private few moments together as a family.

I rarely post without pictures, and there are pictures of our home coming.  But not a single one can capture even a fraction of the magic of that night.  The moments are etched in my memory and it will always be a particularly cherished moment.

"On the night you were born the moon smiled with such wonder that the stars peaked in to see you and the night wind whispered, Life will never be the same, because there had never been anyone like you ever in the world..."