Anyways. So when we last left you, I looked something like this:
This was at my last doctor's appointment on January 30, I believe. Oh, how carefree I was, with just one child to keep track of! Oh, how naive! How well-slept! (Okay, maybe not. Sophie's never been much of a sleeper.)
In the very early morning hours of February 1, we checked into the hospital.
Daddy donned his spacesuit.
And just like magic, a few hours later, we became a family of four.
(If, of course, by "magic," I mean "major abdominal surgery with corresponding pain management." But you know, it felt somewhat magical with all those narcotics in my IV line.)
I didn't have the shakes this time, like I did with Sophie's birth, but I do remember feeling incredibly "doped up." Steven was calling people on the phone, and he would hand his phone to me, and I remember saying things like "haha, yeah I feel really drugged we are all okay here thanks bye here's Steven." So, my apologies if we talked to you on the phone that morning and I was incoherent. :) We finally made it to our hospital room around noon, and got our first look at Baby Scarlett in the light of day. And no surprise, she was beautiful!
Nana and Pop (my parents) had come to town a few days earlier so they could watch Sophie for us while we went to the hospital. They came and brought Big Sis with them.
Big Sis was, understandably, a bit confused.
She spent some time with Mom, pointing at "Beebee" and checking out all my various bracelets and needles and what not. Nana and Pop took her home at about 3 PM so she could rest and we could rest. And thus began my five-day stay in this tiny space:
Everyone tells you to stay in the hospital as long as possible and enjoy the rest. I tried to take their advice, but after about 3 days, I had HAD IT with the hospital. Had it with the food, had it with the room, had it with the entire ordeal. Steven came during the day and went home at night to be with Sophie, and that was wonderful.
But the nights were still long. We had to stay in the hospital for that long because poor Scarlett had jaundice.
Seeing her there, under those lights, with her little blindfold on, was heartbreaking. And really, jaundice is SO not a big deal in the world of neonatal illnesses. A few hours under the sunshine lights and most babies are totally fine. (Scarlett included. I am pleased to report she is totally un-yellow and as pale as the rest of her family now.) I stood next to her "bilibed" in the hospital nursery and cried, not so much for worry for Scarlett, but more so for all of the things that COULD have been wrong with her. Cried because we are so blessed to have healthy children and a roof over our heads, good jobs and time off work to have two babies right in a row. Cried from incredible gratitude for how wonderful things have been and continue to be. (Also, probably cried from some serious hormone imbalances. Postpartum is rough, ya'll.)
Finally, on Saturday afternoon, they released us from the hospital, with instructions to follow up with our pediatrician first thing Monday morning for a bilirubin test. Unfortunately, Nana and Pop had to fly back home before we managed to get home with Scarlett, which was sad, because I had been looking forward to spending time at home with them and Baby Scarlett. But still, it felt great to have her home.
She was a little banged up from all the blood testing they had to do - she had little pricks all over her poor tiny baby feet.
But she was still perfect.
Ok, out of time - next up: Grammy and Grandpa visit, and Scarlett gets her first bath!
