special feature:
Saturday, October 23, 2010
1 week
special feature:
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Nurses are nothing short of genius saints
I'll start this post by announcing his new name: Jacob "Jake" Dean Tibboel. Yay!
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Those who say the day their baby is born is the best day of their life, are of suspect credibility to me. It is no doubt a very happy day, and a very crazy day. But there is so much uncertainty. And pain and blood. Thank goodness for the great kindness, patience, understanding, skill, and experience of the nurses.
The first full day after was wonderful, again thanks to excellent nurses (residents, assistants, even students). They've been teaching us as much as we're ready learn, but also have a way with babies (at least, with our baby). When we've exhausted our ideas for calming him down, a nurse will step in and invariably, within 30 seconds he's quietly sleeping or bobbing away. They calm him, and calm us, and ease our anxieties, and provide good news about his health (he can hear!), and make Laurie comfortable, and remind us how beautiful he is. In case we forgot (we didn't).
Tonight we all go home. The first crying spell without a nurse nearby is going to be a little bit tough. We'll get through it, and all the ones after, but we'll miss those wonderful nurses!
___________________________________________
Those who say the day their baby is born is the best day of their life, are of suspect credibility to me. It is no doubt a very happy day, and a very crazy day. But there is so much uncertainty. And pain and blood. Thank goodness for the great kindness, patience, understanding, skill, and experience of the nurses.
The first full day after was wonderful, again thanks to excellent nurses (residents, assistants, even students). They've been teaching us as much as we're ready learn, but also have a way with babies (at least, with our baby). When we've exhausted our ideas for calming him down, a nurse will step in and invariably, within 30 seconds he's quietly sleeping or bobbing away. They calm him, and calm us, and ease our anxieties, and provide good news about his health (he can hear!), and make Laurie comfortable, and remind us how beautiful he is. In case we forgot (we didn't).
Tonight we all go home. The first crying spell without a nurse nearby is going to be a little bit tough. We'll get through it, and all the ones after, but we'll miss those wonderful nurses!
Monday, October 18, 2010
He's here!
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A star is born! At 6:28 on Sunday, 17 Oct, Name TBD "Buttsy" Tibboel was born at St. Elizabeth's hospital in Brighton MA. At 21 1/4 inches, and 8 lbs 2.4 oz, he wasn't as big as his Mom feared (or thought during the delivery), but he's a healthy size. He came out "like a rubber chicken," (I won't attribute this accurate quote) but quickly took shape and color to look like the healthy baby boy that he is. And Laurie has been recovering remarkably well, too.
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Just sitting around the hospital has been remarkably busy, but I'm finally managing to provide some photos. Enjoy! And if you want to see him live, feel free to Skype us (find "trail_junkie").
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Sunday, October 17, 2010
Waiting . . .
17 Oct 2010. What would have been Grampy Lyle "Buttsy" Butts' 98th birthday. Grampy "slipped the surly bonds" earlier this year, just before we announced Laurie's pregnancy. So he never knew about this, his 4th, great grandchild (there would likely have been some confusion on the matter, in any case), but we still find ourselves very lucky that this will - Inshallah - be our son's birthday. Far luckier than if he'd been born on the more sought after, but ultimately more arbitrary, 10/10/10. Though perhaps not as lucky as Dawn and Dean's 8/9/10 11:12 coup!
Really, we've been lucky all around. Laurie's been healthy and, aside from cancelling her 2d trimester trips, had a good pregnancy. I got home in time to spend QT with her and witness the amazing bouncing belly. And even though she's now 9 days past the due date, she's been feeling well and even sleeping decent. Her new job has on-site day care. And lots of good people have been very kind (minus a few jockamo's on her bus route to work).
Now, we're on the final stretch of Mom-appreciation day (oh, what our mother's went through back in the day). Hopefully in the next 3-6 hours we'll be holding a healthy baby boy. In the next hour, if you ask Laurie - the Pitocin is tough stuff, and the epidural only goes so far. Name TBD. Size large. Lineage Euro-mongrel. Temperament calm (don't we wish).
Really, we've been lucky all around. Laurie's been healthy and, aside from cancelling her 2d trimester trips, had a good pregnancy. I got home in time to spend QT with her and witness the amazing bouncing belly. And even though she's now 9 days past the due date, she's been feeling well and even sleeping decent. Her new job has on-site day care. And lots of good people have been very kind (minus a few jockamo's on her bus route to work).
Now, we're on the final stretch of Mom-appreciation day (oh, what our mother's went through back in the day). Hopefully in the next 3-6 hours we'll be holding a healthy baby boy. In the next hour, if you ask Laurie - the Pitocin is tough stuff, and the epidural only goes so far. Name TBD. Size large. Lineage Euro-mongrel. Temperament calm (don't we wish).
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