Melania has a sister!

I definitely didn't know much about having a blog a couple of years ago when I adopted Melania. I still don't know much, but it seems like a good thing to do. I plan to use mine to remember Melania's milestones and report on Mishayla's happenings. So, my first posting finds me at the Days Inn hotel in Willoughby, OH, waiting to complete Mishayla's paperwork so we can return home. My sister, Carmen, is here from MT to help make sure everyone gets enough attention.

Birthmom Cortney called me on Tuesday, Nov. 20, to let me know that her Dr. was planning to induce labor at 8:00 pm. I immediately left work for home to make some travel arrangements, no easy task on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Lisa drove Melania and me to the airport for our 8:39 pm flight to Cleveland with a plane change in Las Vegas. Melania loved the lights and casino noise at the Las Vegas airport. We arrived in Cleveland about 7 am, rented a car and drove to the hospital, not sure if the baby had been born yet or not.

We met Nate ("Neat") and Rachel in the hospital parking lot, and they graciously spent the day with Melania so I could be with Cortney during the delivery. Mishayla was born at 3:13 pm. She was 20.5 in. long and weighed 8 lb. 4 oz. Quite the chubby baby cheeks. Carmen arrived Thursday evening. She agreed to forego the pumpkin pie and travel all day on Thanksgiving. Baby Mishayla was discharged from the hospital on Saturday afternoon. All along she has been just so sleepy, quiet and sweet during the day. The nurses told me that she was quite unhappy at night, but I didn't really believe them. Let's just say that now I do. We went to Sunday morning meeting earlier today, and spent the rest of the afternoon napping in preparation for tonight...