Mad’s Second Day: Bringing Our Baby Girl Home

Today was the most exciting yet—we got to take our baby girl, Madeline, home. I never imagined how emotional the experience would be. But before we could get to the best part, we had a few last things to take care of at the hospital.

The night before, around 9:30 p.m., they performed the PKU test on Madeline. It was tough to watch. They poked her tiny foot and squeezed enough blood to fill seven circles on a test card. She hated it, and so did we. It was heartbreaking, and we think it contributed to her restless night since her foot likely hurt when she was swaddled. We struggled to get her to settle down. I tried helping by calming her and handing her to Alison when she needed to feed, but Madeline wasn't feeding well—it turns out she had a preference for one side, which we hadn't realized yet. Finally, around 3 a.m., Alison managed to get Madeline a good feed, and she fell asleep.

At 5 a.m., an attendant came to take Madeline for her hearing test, but Alison asked them to come back later since Madeline was still sleeping. They kindly agreed. Two hours later, they returned, and though Alison asked for one more hour, they couldn’t delay any longer. So I went with Madeline for her test, which she passed with flying colors. The nurse, feeling sympathetic, offered to double swaddle Madeline to keep her warm, and she looked adorable in the little hooded swaddle—Alison loved it.

The rest of the morning was peaceful. Mads was content, and we soaked in the quiet moments before the inevitable bustle of nurses and hospital staff coming in and out. Our care at the University of Utah Hospital had been fantastic—everyone was so kind and supportive—but we were ready to go home.

We had a visit from our friends, Hisham and Kirsten, who stopped by on their way to see their baby boy, Ayoub, in the NICU. He arrived a few days before Madeline, and they shared how he was doing well. We loved introducing them to Mads and can’t wait to meet Ayoub when he comes home.

One of my favorite moments from today was holding Madeline against my chest in a quiet room, whispering, "I love you." I mentally took a snapshot of that moment. I knew I would love her, but I didn't realize just how deeply until that second.

Before heading home, Sara, our photographer, returned for a Fresh 48 photo shoot. It was the perfect opportunity to capture these early hours with our beautiful baby girl. Madeline was dressed in her coming home outfit, looking adorable. Sara commented on how comfortable I seemed with Mads, noting how many dads aren’t as at ease with newborns. I shared how much my nieces, Skylee and Anna, had changed that for me over the years. Skylee’s physical affection helped me embrace that part of parenting, and now I feel completely at ease being affectionate with Madeline.

After the photos, we began the long process of preparing to leave. There was a slight delay when I changed her diaper and noticed a bit of blood, which startled me. Thankfully, it was normal, but I was relieved we could consult with a nurse.

I went to pick up the car and encountered some parking challenges—no open spots in the designated newborn area, and after circling once more, I finally found one. Frustratingly, no one answered the doorbell when I tried to enter through a side entrance, so I had to walk back to the main entrance. Meanwhile, our nurse, Dott, reviewed the discharge paperwork with Alison. I had planned to grab Alison’s meds from the pharmacy but forgot in the rush, so I made a quick trip back before we could officially leave.

Finally, we loaded Madeline into her car seat—a surreal experience. She wasn’t a fan of the seat (which seems typical for newborns), but we got her settled. Alison sat in the back with her, and as we drove home, we listened to "Never Grow Up" by Taylor Swift. Tears filled our eyes as we brought our little girl home.

When we arrived, Alison went inside first to help our dog, Tex, calm down. Once I brought Madeline in, Tex greeted her but was mostly indifferent—just a few sniffs and licks. Inside, Alison sat on the couch, holding Madeline and crying tears of pure joy. I’ll never forget that moment—it was incredible to see her hold our baby girl at home for the first time.

We found a sweet surprise waiting for us—Blake and Debbie had stopped by earlier and left roses, a balloon, and a “Happy Birthday” balloon in Madeline’s nursery. It was such a thoughtful gesture.

They came over later with dinner, saving us from having to figure out how to feed ourselves in our exhausted state. They also brought Aleene, so Madeline got to meet one of her great-grandparents on her first night home. After they left, we had our first evening together as a family of three. It was a beautiful start to this next chapter.

Ready for bed for the first time!