Home Sweet Home

It was a year ago today that I came home from the hospital after 81 days of complete bed rest. Nobody thought I would leave the hospital while still pregnant, but our prayers were answered and I had made it to 34 weeks! How great is our God! Well, quite a bit had changed since I went into the hospital in early July...the weather was cooler, my belly was BIGGER, I was a year older, and I had a new house to come home to! Alex and I found our "perfect" home and immediately signed a contract on it a mere 3 days before I wound up in the hospital. Talk about the Lord's perfect timing! While I worked on gestating our little one, Alex and our family worked on settling us into our new home. When I came home from the hospital that day, I walked into a fully furnished, fully decorated, completely unpacked, completely organized, beautiful home!!!!! I can recall the feelings of that day so strongly still. I remember riding home with the window down and asking Alex, "Is this what it normally smells like outside?" He didn't quite know how to respond. I tried again, "It smells so different out here; it's kind of a strange smell." He didn't get it. Alex couldn't smell anything because being outside was nothing new to him. I hadn't experienced the scents of outdoors in such a long time that it was ALL new to me! I remember how good it felt to eat dinner in my new home that night. I remember how sweet is was to sleep in a big cozy bed with my husband next to me. I remember how strange it felt to be alone...no nurses coming in, no sounds of doors slamming, no people talking in the hallway. I was comfortable, excited, appreciative, optimistic, encouraged, and happy. I was HOME!