Baby Birthday Final Update

Well, today is finally almost over and Baby Mitch will officially be one day old. Brian and I are home and will check email, etc and finally get to our beds and we both hope to sleep all night long for the first time in ages! This has got to have been the longest past couple days, and today the longest, ever. We both felt like it should have been a different day when we woke, but it sure wasn't. By the time we did all the things we needed to do, and got to the hospital, it was after 6 p.m. We went to see Christine in her room. She is in a double room, and is on her second roommate already. This one has a baby in the nicu too. The rooms are pretty small and although there is a sink in the room, the mommies all have to go down the hall to the bathroom and shower. It seems to be okay though, and it is a good arrangement, I guess, since they encourage the new mommies to walk a lot. Christine is feeling pretty good and looks good.

We visited with Christine for a little bit and then went to see Mitch, as the nicu closes from 6.30-8 p.m. for shift change. We got there and the one nurse said they close at 6, but let us in for just a minute, then found that she was wrong and it was 6.30 they are open till. It was a quarter after six when we got there, we hadn't planned to stay long anyway. Mitch was asleep, so we just looked at her and Brian rubbed her forehead a little, then we went back to visit with Christine. She said there used to be a chair, but it is gone, so we perched on the bed with her. She brought jammies with her, so she isn't stuck in the dumb gown with her bottom hanging out!!---as she puts it! Brian and I were half starved, so Christine checked to make sure it was okay to go that far away, and went down to the food court in the hospital with us. It was nice to get around to eating! We took a spin through the little BX down there, and I found the cutest set of salt and pepper shakers---cute little cows, with a metal frame they sit in, with a painted cow bell at the top---really cute. I had to get a set to commemorate Mitch's birth!

By the time we got back to her room, it was almost 8 p.m. and nicu visiting hours were in effect again. We all went along, and Christine and Brian went in, I sat in a seating area in the hallway and caught up on my journal. Mitch nursed, which pleased Christine, as she had tried before and Mitch wasn't really interested at all---although the nurse in the nicu said they had trouble getting her to take a bottle, too. Brian came out and talked to me for a little bit, said Christine was really tired and starting to nod off. When she finished nursing, she came out and headed back to her room, and I was allowed to go in with Brian. He was holding her and they were having a grand time together. Mitch was awake and having a good look around. I got to hold her for a little while too! They had brought a blanket, that got put around Mitch earlier in the day to get her scent. We brought it home and Brian put it with Pudgy, so she can get used to Mitch's smell before she comes home. One of the things the recommend when there is a dog at home!

We are sure looking forward to sleeping tonight! We will be able to have a more normal day tomorrow--up at a decent hour, etc. They are supposed to bring Mitch to Christine at 5 a.m. and she can take over the baby minding chores. All is fine and her 24 hours of observation will be over!

Oh, one correction. Although Brian and I both say the guy who weighed Mitch said 7.5 pounds, all we can figure is that it was some kind of code or short way of saying it, as it seems it was actually 7 pounds 5 ounces. So, she officially is no longer bigger than Brian was, but instead is a little bit smaller. She really is still 20.25 inches long!!!! Everything else is still correct too!

Well, I think I am out of things to say. I will get back to the description of the lower floor of the house, etc, later on. Brian and Christine took more photos, and Brian and I took more too, so eventually there will be photos on my blog, and I imagine Brian will put some on the Baby Squiggles page. She sure is a cute little doll! More later!