We'll start with the first one.
Lydia Marcela was born at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston, Texas on Tuesday, September 12, 2000 @ 6:00 pm on the nose. Her delivery was uneventful, save for the fact that she was like, the size of a kindergartner (9 lbs, 5 oz) and experienced a bit of shoulder dystocia on her way out the door. But once they were able to pry her from my loins & do a full exam on her, she was given a clean bill of health & lain against my chest, whereupon she commenced wailing for all she was worth. I digress: have you ever heard tell of some magical period almost immediately after birth where the newborn lays calmly in the parents' arms, and it looks like they are surveying all that surrounds them? You see it sometimes on TLC's "A Baby Story". Anyway, our particular baby came without that feature.
Shell & Grandma Dude & I were really the only ones in attendance at her birth. Shell's family tried to attend, but if I remember correctly, I had barred any and all of them from our room while I was in labor, so they didn't get in. And I also recall my very good friend Monica calling at about 4:30, wondering if it would be okay if she stopped by on her way home from work to see how things were going. She was on the phone with Grandma Dude, and when Grandma Dude relayed her request to me, I shot back with a resounding "NO! Tell her not to come here!" I still feel like I have to apologize to her for that everytime I see her.
We stayed in the hospital for two days, and on Thursday, after having all of the requisite screenings, exams, shots, and general proddings, we went home. It was a wonderful time, we had our first baby and Grandma Dude had stuck around to fix me all kinds of my favorite meals and wrangle the baby when I was tired. Shell would come home from work & be so enthralled with his new little girl. Then Grandma Dude left......but before she did, she gently advised me to continue to get up everyday, shower, get dressed and plan a little outing for myself & Lydia each day. "It'll keep you feeling human!" she warned. But, just like when she told me not to climb to the top of a 100-foot tree when I was 7, I didn't listen. "It'll be so nice to have a day of relaxation, just me and new Lydia" I foolishly thought. Needless to say, when Shell got home that afternoon, I was nothing more than an unbathed, pajama-wearing tub of goo in a recliner, with big old breast-fed Lydia hanging from my left one. I've had better moments.
But once I got the hang of the breast feeding, and took Grandma Dude's advice about the outings and the bathing, I think I was really able to turn things around for the rest of my maternity leave.
Lydia, on the other hand, had a case of full-on colic that I was in denial about the entire time. I was very nervous around her until she was about 4 months old. That's when SHE was able to really turn things around, and she became delightful.
To be continued.....
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2 comments:
it was awesome seein' ya'll at the party on saturday night. let me just add that you have two freakin' adorable girls. looking forward to spending more time with you memorial day weekend!
Colic??? Let me just say that when we were over (which was often), baby Lydia was nothing more than an angel who had just fallen from heaven. And, by the way, yes, you should apologize every time you see me for barring me from your hospital room. Lucky for you, you don't see me that much so feel free to make each one heartfelt, sappy and at least 30 minutes long.
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