Chapter 16: Finally a family

Three months of ups and downs in the NICU, the hours spent pacing, worrying, wondering were now coming to an end. Eryn was strong now and weighted in at a whopping 8 pounds, now Carter and Abby both knew that for an infant of Eryn's age she was small, at 4 months old she should have been more than that, but for someone who had gone through as much as she had hitting the 8 pound mark was a joyous occasion.

Carter had brought the car seat up to the NICU and they were all gathered around as Abby was very carefully putting her baby girl into the clothes that she would leave the hospital for the very first time in. She smiled now as she got the dress on her, it was pink. Abby never thought that she would be the kind of mother who dressed her daughter in nothing but pink but right now that was what she was doing.

"About ready." Carter said as he now stood beside Abby taking one of Eryn's hands into his, "daddy's girl ready to go home?"

Abby had this frustrated smile on her face now as she was losing the battle of the tights. "Oh my god who invented these things." She said one of Eryn's feet now in her hand the other one protesting what her mother was attempting to do.

"I didn't do it," Carter said with a small laugh as he looked between Abby and Eryn. "Let mommy put those on you baby girl so we can go home."

Even her father's words didn't seem to phase the little girl who refused to hold her legs still and didn't appreciate the fact that her mother had a hold of one of her feet which were finally free from under the blankets.

Abby fought with Eryn trying every way that she could think of to get those little feet into those little tights, my god everything was so small and it just seemed that with how small they were it wasn't going to work.

"Are these really going to fit onto her, they look like they are too small." Abby said about ready to give up.

Rebecca had come up behind her. "Here," she said with a smile, "and yes they will fit you just have to know how to do it. And you will have plenty of time to practice."

Abby watched in amazement as Rebecca slipped the tights with a fraction of the trouble that Abby had been having the baby smiling up at her as if she knew she had just been handed over to someone whom she could not outsmart. Abby just had to shake her head.

"I'm going to miss you little one." Rebecca said, "but at the same time I am happy to see you getting to go home. You belong with your mommy and daddy in your own bed so that mommy actually sees the inside of her house again."

Abby knew that was a small jab at her but right now wasn't going to complain. She pulled out the camera and motioned for Carter to go stand with Rebecca. "One for Eryn was she's bigger, so that we can tell her about the nurse who could always out smart her antics." Abby smiled.

One of the other NICU nurses came up behind her, "no you get in it too Abby." She said with a smile as she took the camera from Abby and looked at the four of them. Abby, Carter, Eryn and Rebecca all had smiles upon their faces. Abby handed Eryn to Carter to put into the car seat before she hugged Rebecca.

"You have been my best friend these past few months. Thank you for everything you have done for us Rebecca." She said.

"Taking care of the babies is only half of our jobs." She said with a smile, "when a baby is in the NICU you need to take care of the whole family."

Abby smiled from behind wet eyes, "you are wonderful at your job."

Rebecca now hugged Carter. "Yeah and I am going to miss those late night sneaking up here bribing me with latte's to keep me quiet as if Abby didn't know." Rebecca said softly, "you two are going to be missed so don't be afraid to drop in every now and then and say hi and we expect pictures of our baby princess there." Rebecca tickled one of Eryn's feet now. "Oh she needs one more thing."

"What's that?" Abby asked as she watched.

"This." Rebecca smiled as she put a small pink bow onto Eryn's head, once again held into place with a thin layer of Vaseline. "That and this." She held out a small little teddy bear. "We wanted her to have it, all of her nurses that is."

"You shouldn't have." Abby said with a smile giving Rebecca another hug.

"You take care of yourself," Rebecca looked at them all now, "and you little missy." She reached down for little Eryn's hand now, "you behave for you momma and your daddy."

Abby had to smile as she watched Carter pick up the car seat; they were going home finally they would all be together under one roof. For the last time they waited while the code was entered into the NICU door and then the three of them headed for home.

When they reached the car, Carter ever so diligently made sure that the baby was firmly secured in the car. He looked over at Abby who had gotten into the front seat and was looking back at them. She had those tears still in her eyes. "I never thought we'd be doing this." He said softly as he moved around to get into the car himself.

"Neither did I." She answered back just as soft as his voice had been. She waited now until they had started the drive home, "I'm happy, really, really happy." She had to wipe the tears from underneath her eyes.

Carter didn't want to take his eyes of the road, right now but with one had reached over and touched Abby's leg. "I know." He said, "I am too."

It didn't take them long to make the trip to the house. Taking Eryn inside for the first time, everything felt so weird and off for a moment. There were no nurses around, no one constantly monitoring the baby. She was making soft gurgling noises from the car seat. Once Carter had set her down, Abby moved over and gently undid the restraints and carefully took her from there holding onto her as she moved over towards the couch.

The three of them sat there, Carter and Abby just smiling at Eryn, both a little unsure of what to do, after several months in the NICU this was foreign territory for them. They were on there own now when it came to taking care of Eryn. It seemed a little overwhelming there for a minute, while they might have not have come home with a newborn infant, to them this was almost the same thing. New parents embarking on what would be a long journey filled with happiness, heartache, the good and the bad, long nights, and constant worry but they were both looking forward to the journey.