From the Waiting Room 1

I'm sitting in the waiting room. The sun is coming up. It's still pretty quiet around here. We've had our first update from the surgical nurse - all good. Cinnamon Oatmeal and bagel from the "pantry" in the CARES (surgical) unit. Now I have time to think. This is all kind of surreal...and weird.....

All day yesterday I just wanted to stare at Judah. See every face he makes, or made, hold his hands. I was trying to prepare myself to let go, and yet I couldn't imagine actually doing it. As the day wore on I felt slowly but increasingly more desperate to remember every tiny feature, every face he could possibly make. It was only by the grace of God that I got a good night's sleep. I also praise the Lord that Judah woke up at the perfect time to eat his "last meal" before surgery. Another evidence to me that God truly is into details.

This morning I hated to wake him up. He was sleeping so peacefully. Oh, that little face. I had to give him a bath, making sure that his hands were especially clean. Then cuddles and kisses, and a time of prayer with Daddy, too, before it was time to buckle him in his car seat. As silly as this might sound, I've had this "this is the last time..." mentality for the last 12 hours. The last time I'll see that face, or that smile, or kiss those fingers.

We got here and all checked in. Judah slept through the first half of our wait in the CARES unit, and then woke up smiling, charming his nurse. I'm so thankful for the time we had with him awake. We took some video, some pictures; just enjoyed his smiles and sweet face to the fullest. A little after 6 he started getting hungry and fussy. I put him in the sling, and after several minutes he was sleeping again. I'm thankful for those last several minutes with him in the sling. Holding him close, kissing him, smelling him, whispering to him. Finally, they came to take him. Thank You, Jesus, for giving Judah that deep sleep. I put him on the bed asleep, covered him with a warm blanket, and kissed him one last time. Then they wheeled him away, still sleeping. Oblivion is a beautiful thing sometimes.

Now we wait to see that new beautiful face.....