Friday, December 12, 2008

He Has Arrived!

Well, just less than four hours after my last post, I was awoken at about 4:20am on 12/2/08 to make yet another trip to the bathroom when the unexpected happened. . .my water broke!

After an early am drive to the hospital, followed by several hours of really painful contractions and more puking (whoo-hoo!), the blessed relief of an epidural (not soon enough!) and then a crazy medical emergency when my baby's shoulders got stuck and required the assistance of (and I am not exaggerating) 20 people who descended upon me out of nowhere for the last 2.5 minutes of pushing, the Crazelette was born 14 hours and 22 minutes later.

Almost three weeks early, he never the less weighed in at 9lbs and 4 oz and was almost 22 inches long. Clearly, it's no wonder he got stuck!

His entrance was quite dramatic and the poor guy got a broken left upper arm in the process of being unstuck. Then after being released with me, he was re-hospitalized with jaundice the following day for two nights.

After spending his first night in the NICU because of low blood glucose, the broken arm and the subsequent hospitalization for jaundice, I (who got about four hours of sleep in the first four days of his life) became a blubbering basket case. Thankfully, my in-laws came into town just as Craze and I were driving the babe to the ER as instructed by the doctor because of the jaundice. They were a HUGE help and stayed with us for six days.

Now that our little baby is eleven days old, we are all doing well. His arm is healing nicely and he is a calm, peaceful and robust little boy despite all his beginning of life traumas. I have also had some more sleep and am doing much better and am so pleased to be back home where it is quiet and peaceful and no one is sticking my baby with needles, IVs, etc.

Today is, in fact, the first day that I've been home alone with my baby ever, since the in-laws left late yesterday. It has been a nice day where we slept in 'til 10am (after a couple late night/early morning feedings and diaper changes), sat in the kitchen sunshine for a couple of hours (advised for his jaundice recovery) and snuggled up on the couch while Mommy caught up with a TIVO'd episode of Days of Our Lives. I had a big breakfast but at 5pm, no lunch as yet. That said, I have taken a shower and put on real clothes, so things are looking up.

So, while the babe is still asleep, I'm off to the kitchen for a pre-dinner, instead-of-lunch snack. But before I do, I will just say that in looking at my little boy with his head full of wavy light brown hair, rosebud lips and indented chin that look just like his dad and ten perfect, tiny fingers and toes, at 43 years and 10 months, I feel like I'm looking at a living miracle and I really do feel like the luckiest person in the world.

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Snowy Chicago and Some California Ducks

Still contracting, though nowhere near as much as Thursday, Friday or Saturday. At 37 weeks and 2 days, it's back to the doctor tomorrow who might have a better indication if we're looking at a baby delivery later this week or our long-expected early Christmas gift.

Chicago got hit with its first real snow last night. Only about an inch and a half, but it's sticking this time, covering the outside world in a blanket of lovely white. And even though it's really freezing outside, the doggies can't seem to get enough of it (while I stay holed up in the warm, condescending every couple of hours to let them out and then making them come back in so their paws don't freeze!).

I wish I could say that I did something interesting and/or ambitious today, but the reality is that finishing packing my hospital bag was about as much as I could muster (that and a little general tidying).

Tonight Craze and I put our feet up and watched the Detroit Red Wings beat a California hockey team with the lamest name ever. . .the Ducks. The Ducks?!?!?

I'm sorry Ducks fans, but that name does not inspire fear nor intimidation. Nor does it bring to mind skillful creatures well-versed in tricky ice maneuvers. I think of cute white duckies getting fed day-old bread in the park. . .or that swanky hotel in the South somewhere where well-mannered ducks take the elevator to the lobby fountain each day. Or Donald.

I certainly don't think of tough athletes with possibly one or more missing teeth, a penchant for cross-checking and a history of hard on-the-road living and more STDs than I could possibly ever imagine.

Ducks, indeed.