A Rocky Start

I became Joey's mom in my heart immediately. It was as if I had given birth to him myself but this didn't make the transition any easier for us. It had only been two weeks when Joe and I sat on our bed and cried. Had we made a huge mistake? It didn't matter because this was our new life. What made us think that Joey would adapt to our wonderful life without a hitch? This was supposed to be a time of great joy. Everyone was so happy for us, but us.

A New World For Joey

Joe and I were excited to bring Joey home to his new world. In our minds we had created a place that a child would love right off the bat. Our friends threw us a baby shower and Joe and I decorated Joey's new room with zoo animals in pastel colors. I just knew everything would be better once we were home. We touched down in Tampa with a sense of relief that the flight was over. At home things were more relaxed. Joey was feeling free and happy as he explored his room. He seemed a little wobbly for his age but I reminded myself that he was a preemie and that it was normal for him to be a bit behind. As day turned to night Joey started to scream as he wandered through the house looking for rooms he couldn't find, rooms that he remembered but no longer existed. We felt helpless...