Finding Emma

He's Home

Jimi and Karen heard a noise by the door. They both turned around and saw a little foot in the door way. "Come in Em" Karen said quietly. Emma peeked her head in the doorway and smiled. She walked in and Jimi moved from behind Karen to the side of her. Emma walked in and stood between them. "How long were you standing there?" Karen asked. "Ummm, since Daddy walked in" Emma replied. "I heard what you guys were talking about" Emma said. "And I don't worry about you giving me back anymore. I used to because it had happened so much to me in the past. I would stay at a foster home for a few months and then I would do something that made them mad and they would send me away. I did worry about it when I came to live with you, but then you adopted me and it started to go away, but it still worried me. I have heard stories of parents that signed away their rights to the kids they adopted so I knew that it could happen. But then, when I went to that college party and you guys picked me up, I thought for sure you were going to do the same thing to me because I messed up big time, but then you didn't. Since then, it hasn't really crossed my mind that you would ever give me up" Emma said. "And I know that you love me" Emma added and looked up at her parents. They both smiled at her. Karen leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "We do love you" Karen said. There was a comfortable silence for a few minutes while the three of them watched Elijah sleep. "Why don't we give this little guy some space to sleep" Jimi said. "You're probably right" Karen said. Karen looked back down at her sleeping baby. "Goodnight my sweet angel" Karen whispered, then she followed Jimi and Emma out of the room.

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It was 1:00 in the morning and Karen heard Elijah in the baby monitor. She carefully climbed out of bed so she wouldn't wake Jimi. She walked down the hall and opened the door to the nursery. Elijah was letting out tiny cries. She walked over to his crib and picked him up and started bouncing him around. "Hi sweet baby" Karen said calmly. "Mama's here" she whispered. She walked him over to the changing table and carefully laid him down. She grabbed a new diaper. She unzipped his pajamas and changed his diaper. Then she carried him downstairs and warmed him up a bottle. While she was waiting she was rocking him and singing to him quietly.

Jimi rolled over in the bed and noticed that Karen wasn't there. He got up and walked down to Elijah's room. He peeked his head in and saw they were both not in there. He figured they were downstairs. On his way over to the stairs he opened Emma's door slightly and saw that she was still sound asleep. He made his way over to the stairs and walked down to the living room. He walked through the living room and into the kitchen and saw Karen feeding Elijah and talking to him. "Why didn't you wake me?" He asked. "I figured I would let you sleep" Karen replied. "You're the one who needs sleep" Jimi said and walked up to her and kissed Elijah's forehead. "I'll be fine" Karen said and smiled at Jimi.

Elijah finished his bottle and Karen set it on the counter. The she put a towel on her shoulder and burped Elijah. When she was done, she and Jimi walked up to the nursery. Karen sat down on the rocking chair and started rocking. "You can go back to bed, I got this" Karen said. "If you're not sleeping I'm not sleeping" Jimi said and smiled at her. Elijah finally fell back asleep and Karen laid him back in his crib. Then Karen and Jimi went back to bed.

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About two and a half hours later they heard Elijah in the baby monitor. It was 4:30 in the morning. Karen groaned and went to get out of bed. "I had just fallen back asleep too" She said as she sat up. "Let me get him. You should really get some sleep. It's your first night back home from the hospital and I know you haven't slept much in the last few days. Let me get him" Jimi insisted. "Are you sure?" Karen asked. "Yes, I'm sure" Jimi said smiling at her. Karen nodded and Jimi leaned over and kissed her. "Now go back to sleep" he said and Karen laid back down.

Jimi walked into the nursery and carefully picked Elijah up and rocked him. His diaper was still dry so he figured he was hungry again. He quietly walked down the hall and downstairs to the kitchen. He warmed up a bottle. "Alright little man, it's just me and you" Jimi said. "How about today we let your Mama sleep in and we'll make her a nice big breakfast for when she wakes up. How does that sound?" Jimi said to Elijah, obviously not expecting a response. The bottle was warmed up and Jimi started feeding him. Once the bottle was gone, Jimi burped him. Then he walked him back upstairs and laid him down in his crib. He closed the door so it was just barely open, then he walked back into his and Karen's room. Karen was sound asleep. Jimi wanted Karen to sleep longer so he grabbed the baby monitor and shut it off. He grabbed a pillow and a blanket out of the hall closet and walked back into the nursery. He closed the door behind him, to quiet any noises that might come from Elijah when he wakes up. He walked over to the reclining chair and sat down and put his pillow behind his head and covered himself up with the blanket and fell asleep.

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About two hours later it was 7:00 and Elijah started to fuss again. Jimi got up and picked him up and walked him over to the changing table. He changed his diaper and put on a different pair of clothes for the day. He quietly opened the door and walked downstairs. He warmed up another bottle for Elijah. When it was ready, he fed him then burped him when he was finished. Then he laid out a blanket and laid Elijah down on his back and grabbed some baby toys and started playing with him.

About a half hour later he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He turned around and saw Emma walking down. "Morning princess" Jimi said. "Morning Daddy" Emma responded. "Whatcha doing" Emma asked. "Playing with Elijah" He replied. "Mind if I join?" she asked. "Of course not" Jimi said and Emma joined them on the floor.

Jimi looked up at the clock and saw that it was 8:30. He decided to start making breakfast. "Do you mind hanging out with him while I make breakfast" Jimi asked Emma. "No, not at all" Emma said and scooted closer to Elijah. "Let me know if you need anything" Jimi said as he was walking to the kitchen. "Ok" Emma said.

Jimi decided to make pancakes, bacon and hash browns. He mixed up the batter then started cooking the bacon in a frying pan. He warmed up the griddle then started the pancakes as well. Once the bacon was done he put it in the warming oven then started the hash browns. He finished up the pancakes and put them with the bacon.

It was 9:30 and Karen was just waking up. She rolled over and looked at the time on her phone. She had wondered if Elijah had slept that long. She rolled over and saw that the other side of the bed was empty. She got out of bed and walked out of her room and saw that Emma's bedroom door was open as well as the door to the nursery. She decided to go downstairs and see what everyone was up to.

The hash browns were almost done. Karen walked down the stairs and saw Emma playing on the floor with Elijah. She smiled and continued to walk down the stairs. She walked over to Emma and she turned around "Morning Mama" Emma said. "Morning sweetie" Karen replied. "What smells so good?" Karen asked. "Daddy's making breakfast" Emma said. Karen walked into the kitchen. "Morning babe" Jimi said as he was setting the table. "Morning" Karen said. "What are you making?" She asked. "Pancakes, hash browns and bacon" he replied. "It smells amazing" she said. "Why didn't you wake me up when Elijah woke up?" She asked. "You needed to sleep longer than two hours at a time" Jimi replied. "I must have been out cold since I didn't hear Elijah wake up this morning" Karen said. "Well that, and I turned off the baby monitor" Jimi said and let out a chuckle. "I also slept on the recliner in the nursery after I got him to go back to bed" Jimi said. "Jimi, you didn't have to do that" Karen said. "It wasn't that bad actually. The chair is pretty comfortable" he said and they both laughed. "Breakfast is ready" Jimi said. "I'll go put Elijah in his swing and we can eat" Karen said. She walked in the living room. "Breakfast is ready" Karen told Emma as she picked Elijah up. "Ok" Emma said and headed towards the kitchen. Karen buckled him in and turned on the swing. Then she went and joined Emma and Jimi in the kitchen for breakfast. Elijah's first night at home was pretty successful, Karen thought to herself.