Real life

I guess you can only ignore the outside world for so long.  Real life is knocking at my door. Thus blogging moves way down on my list of priorities.  Because cuddling with this one is not.

Pajama Day

On Wednesday Mary asked me when her school was going to have Pajama Day.  David had Pajama Day last week.  I broke the news to Mary that her school did not have Pajama Day.  (But one of the many reasons I like her school.)  Her face turned ashen and her jaw dropped.  She was not going to have a Pajama Day!  And she was devastated.

What's a mom to say?  Well, I told her she should ask Anna if she could wear her pajamas to school.  If Anna said yes, then she could invite all the girls in her Extended Day class to wear pajamas too.  And then she had to ask everybody's mom if it was okay, and every single mom had to agree.  Mary said okay, and I put the whole thing out of my mind, assuming it would never happen.

On Thursday--one day later--I picked Mary up from school, and guess what.  She had organized the entire Pajama Day already!  She had talked to Anna, all the girls in her class, and their moms!  Pajama Day was to be the very next day.

On Friday Mary wore her pajamas to school.  As I've mentioned before, when this girl wants something to happen, she gets it done.



P.S.  In the above picture Mary is holding her baby Katie.  Lately Mary has requested that I teach her how to be a mom.  She watches me closely with Sara and wants to help so that she will know what to do when she has her babies.  The last few days, at Mary's request, we have been going through the baby care book we got from the hospital together, and Mary has been practicing on Katie--everything from swaddling, diaper changes, and nail trimming to bathing, nursing holds, and burping.  Mary pointed out that she will probably be a better mom than me.  I told her she definitely would.

Saturday afternoon

A hospital story, part 1: Something good

Now that I have clearly established that I am capable of blogging only about Sara, and now that she has been here for over a month (five weeks!), I am way overdue for ... The Birth Story!

It goes something like this:  Once upon a time, I scheduled an appointment.  Greg and I went to the hospital at the appointed time.  The doctor cut me open, pulled out Sara, and sewed me up.  The end.

Hmmm.  Not much of a story.

But, if you don't mind, I have to tell something!

I admit:  I love to hear women share their birth experiences.  (And don't you love to hear your own mom share about your birth?)  Okay, so maybe there is a tiny element of whatever it is that causes us humans to slow down to stare at a car wreck.  But mostly it is because birth is so beautiful/messy/frightening/painful/joyous/dramatic/mysterious/simple.  There is something about wanting to share in the joy and empathize with the pain.  And there is always, always drama, hence, a story.  A brand new human being comes into the world!  How could there not be drama?  Every birth is exciting and special.

In Sara's case, most of the drama (what there was of it) came after she was born.  So it seems like more of a "hospital story."  As cold and institutional as that sounds, that's what I'm going to call it--"a hospital story."  I have a million details I want to remember, but for now I will set aside 999,997 of them and focus on three things.  (I love the rule of three's.)  I will share something good, something bad, and something ugly.  (No worries--no pictures of the latter!)

First ...

Something Good.  Namely:  I Got to Be Awake.

When David, my first, was born, I had a spinal block with no problem.  When I was in labor with Mary two years later, I requested an epidural.  The anesthesiologist, however, was not able to get it in, meaning she couldn't find any spinal fluid in which to insert the catheter.  She just kept hitting bone.  The doctor tried the epidural three times, and then she attempted a spinal block (which I believe requires a smaller needle?) twice.  She was mystified (and clearly troubled) because she couldn't see any reason why it wouldn't work.  Needless to say, that story ends with my giving birth without pain medication.  But the point is that the next morning the hospital's head anesthesiologist came to see me, and she gave me strict instructions to inform future doctors of what had happened should I ever need another epidural or spinal block.

(By the way, feel free to use me as an example!  Be super annoying and say to your friend who is flippant about her upcoming birth because she plans to get an epidural, "Well, one of my friends totally planned to get an epidural and then it totally wouldn't work and then she had to push for like four hours without any pain relief and she was completely freaking out, so you might want to consider preparing yourself mentally at least a little bit."  Then be even more annoying and hand her the book Birthing from Within, which I truly recommend.  Incidentally, Mary's birth was the worst ... but it made me a believer in "natural" childbirth.  Says the woman who scheduled a C-section for her next birth.  Sigh.)

So when we went to the hospital that morning, all of the nurses, my doctor, and the anesthesiologist (and, most importantly, ME) were well aware that I may have to be put under general anesthesia for this birth.

Here is what happened.  (Oh, and remember this was the only drama involved in the birth, so savor it.)  The anesthesiologist, whom I will henceforth refer to as Dr. K because I will lose my mind if I type " the anesthesiologist" one more time, came marching into the OR in that self-important way doctors have.  (This guy was dripping ego out of his ears.)  He confirmed with me that the last time this had been tried, it had been unsuccessful.

"That didn't happen here at St. Mary's, did it?" he asked.

No, I explained, it had been at a military hospital in Ohio.

"Hmph," he snorted.  "Figures. Well, don't worry. We're better than they are."

(I guess it's nice to know your current anesthesiologist feels competitive with your previous one?)

Precariously balanced on the edge of the cold metal operating table, I curled into an uncomfortable ball, and Dr. K got right to work.

Within half a second, he said, "Ooooh...I see..." with new found understanding.  He could see that those fools in Ohio weren't completely incompetent. There really was something wrong with my spine.  Great.

By this time I was completely resigned to being unconscious during the birth of this baby.  Months earlier I had been terrified of this.  I was scared of being unconscious, and my heart broke when I thought of not meeting my Sara right away.   But slowly, over time, I had adjusted to the possibility.  I reminded myself that gazillions of people survive general anesthesia.  It would be okay if I didn't see Sara the instant she was born.  Greg and I had talked about it, and I knew he would hold her tight and keep her safe.  So by that morning I was completely at peace with not being awake for Sara's birth.

Dr. K, however, was not at peace with that.  Not at all.

He tried and tried and tried again.  I lost count how often he tried.  Maybe six or seven times?  Let's remember that for each attempt there are two needle pokes--one for the local anesthesia and one for the actual spinal block.  So that's a dozen needles in your back.  It is FREAKY.  And this time I didn't have labor pains to distract me from the freaky-ness.

It was tense in the OR as everyone anxiously waited and I strained to stay calm and hunched over.

Eventually, I squeaked out, "Um, how many more times are we trying?"

"Oh, he's just getting started," my doctor assured me.  My heart sank.  Remember, I saw general anesthesia as the inevitable outcome, and, by then, I just wanted to get the show on the road.  But everyone was very committed to this spinal block.

Then Dr. K announced, "I have one more trick up my sleeve."  I wasn't sure how I felt about someone performing tricks on my spinal column ...

And then it worked!

Everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief.  I was laid down, Greg was rushed into the room, the curtain put up, and Dr. K--now my superhero complete with ego, confidence, experience, and sleeve full of tricks--marched out of the room.  I was in shock.  I was going to be awake for Sara's birth.

I was going to be AWAKE for Sara's birth!!

And I was!

Is there a unicorn in my closet?

We have in our home a creature I once believed to be but a myth:

A Baby Who Sleeps

I wonder what other mythical creatures I might find in my house.

Blessing day

Sara was blessed in church at the ripe age of three weeks.  Greg's mom was already here, and his dad joined us here for the weekend.  My dad also flew up for the occasion.  Here are the "official" pictures we took that morning to mark the low-key but special event.

Grandpa Mike, Baby Sara, Greg the Proud Father, Alisa, Grammy and Grandpa.
Mary and David in front.

Our family of five!

Sweet siblings.

Those are some good looking kids, if I do say so myself.

Mama loves Baby.

Sister loves Baby too.  Can you spot Mary's hand?

The little lady herself.  My great-grandmother made the blessing gown for my Aunt Janell's baby blessing.  My dad  was also blessed in the gown.  Then I was many years later.  And then both David and Mary were blessed in the dress.

Grammy made the bonnet from an antique handkerchief for Mary's blessing.  Mary sweetly let us use it for Sara's blessing too.  And the pretty blanket?  I bought that from a very kind woman at the Adana ladies' market in Turkey--and the best part is the little evil eye bead sown into one corner.

Did I mention Sister loves Baby?

A lot!  Sister loves Baby a lot.  (Oh, Sara, thank you for your patience.)

 Sara was blessed by her father in church on January 27.  Both of her grandfathers participated, along with Bishop D. and family friends Todd N. and Chris R.  We are especially grateful for the presence of her grandfathers, that they both traveled from afar to participate in Sara's naming and blessing--to welcome her and a bestow a blessing upon her as she begins her life here on earth.

It was a beautiful blessing.  (Both David and Mary were touched, and David, my little spiritual radar, whispered that he knew Sara was happy.)  Afterwards, Greg held his baby girl tight in his arms for the rest of the service.  Blessing a child must be a special experience for a father. David was blessed in my parents' home, and Mary was blessed in the home of Greg's parents.  This was the first time we have blessed a child at church.  So this was the first time Greg didn't have to immediately give up the baby to a crowd of adoring grandparents and aunts and uncles.  Instead, he was able to sit quietly in church, gaze at the child in his arms, and reflect on the heaven-sent words he had spoken.

Grammy was here

After my mom left, Greg's mom came to take care of us.  Hooray!  I was certainly in better shape by then than I had been when I first came home from the hospital, two weeks earlier.  But I never heal especially fast.  And this time recovering was particularly uncomfortable. (I'll spare you the details.  You're welcome.)  While Greg's schedule is flexible, he still needed to start putting in the hours again on his dissertation.  So, and here comes my point, it was such a blessing to have Grammy here for over a week!

Grammy took care of us and spent time connecting with David and Mary.  She sat at the computer for ages watching David build this and that in Minecraft.  She and David discussed rocks, gems, and arrowheads at length.  They even printed out pictures of favorite gems that David then brought to school to share with his class.  Meanwhile, Grammy secured her role as Mary's mentor in the domestic arts.  They baked and cooked and sewed and crafted.  Mary was in heaven.  It was wonderful!

Best of all, Grammy put in some quality time doing this ...

I'm not a grandma:  But it seems like a nice way to spend a few hours, holding your tiny new grand baby and reading a good book (or watching Downton Abbey).  I think when grandmas come to help after a birth, that's their most important job--holding that baby, snuggling her close, and loving her lots.



P.S.  This isn't the first time Grammy has saved us this year!  It can be especially complicated for her to be gone so long during the school year, since she teaches piano and seminary.  We're grateful for the sacrifices she made to come take care of us!

Twins?

Mary says yes!  They are twins.  Well, says Mary, once Sara grows long hair and her eyes turn brown.  Besides wanting to dress alike, Mary already has plans for the bunk beds they will share.  

In keeping with her role as Helpful Older Twin, Mary made a chart called "Words and Letters Sara Knows" where she diligently keeps track of the words Sara says.  (So far she has said "a," "hi,""oh," and "Mary.")  Whenever Mary is not around, she leaves the clipboard with me so I can keep track  for her.  It is so very Mary.  (And so cute I almost can't stand it!)

Meanwhile, David has been relieved to learn that Sara is certainly NOT Mary's twin.  Mary is kind of a bossy and annoying little sister.  (Think Arthur's little sister D.W.)  David was expecting another little Mary to come home from the hospital.  He is happy to realize that Sara is neither bossy nor annoying!

Maybe Sara is in fact David's twin!  For a week or so she looked exactly like Baby David.  Every time we looked at her, Greg and I thought we were seeing Baby David in pink.  We told David, and he took to calling Sara "Mini Me."

David continues to dote on "Mini Me."  He insists on his Sara Time each evening, holding her and singing her songs.  He is also determined to teach her to talk--and, according to Mary's chart, he has had some success.

Dear Sara

You will know at an early age who you are and what your mission here on earth is.

  You will have compassion for others.  You will be a champion of those in need of love.  

Angels will strengthen you and be with you as you do your work.  

Stats

First Name:  Sara

Middle Name:  Harper

Due Date:  January 10

Birth Date:  January 4, 2013  (According to schedule.)

Born at:  St. Mary's Hospital

Delivered by:  Dr. Bathke

Greg's Birth Weight Guess:  9 lbs 2 oz

Doctor's Birth Weight Guess:  9 lbs 4 oz

Alisa's Birth Weight Guess:  9 lbs 10 oz

Actual Birth Weight:  8 lbs 10 oz  (A lightweight!!)

Birth Length:  20 inches (A shrimp!  In this family, anyway.)

Glucose Levels:  Perfect!

Feet:  "Her feet are huge!"  (Official quote from, well, practically everyone.)

Fingers:  Long, tapered, and elegant  (Piano player?)

Birth Weight at 2 Week Check:  8 lbs 10 oz  (See Actual Birth Weight and cheer!)

Looks Like:  Herself  (And Mary.)  (And David.)

First Smile:  Early!  (We were pretty sure she was really smiling as early as the hospital ... but that can't be possible, right?  But you just know, you know ... and we knew.  Right? Then she surprised the doctor with a smile at her 2 week check!  The doctor confirmed that was a real smile--the doc was pretty excited about it.  And of course it melted her heart.  Sara is already quite the charmer.)

First Laugh:  Yesterday!

Hours Spent Naked Under the Lights in the Hospital (Better Termed:  Hours NOT Being Held and Cuddled and Kissed by Alisa or Greg):  92

Time Spent Fussing or Crying Under the Lights:  None.  (A miracle.  Seriously.)

Hours Spent Under the Lights at Home:  0  (Hooray!!)

Diapers Changed by Alisa During Week One:  0  (Thank you to the nurses, my mom, Shawna, and Greg.  Mostly Greg.  Did I marry a good man, or what?)

Number of Days She Held onto Her Umbilical Cord:  24!  (Thus breaking David and Mary's previous records of 3 weeks.  We're just relieved it fell off before her college graduation.)

Nursing Skills:  Needs Some Improvement

Sleeping Skills:  Excellent (Cue "Hallelujah!" chorus.)

Cuteness Skills:  Through the Roof!

Adored by:  Everybody