Back to Work

I went back to work on 11/29. It was Heath's first day with a babysitter. It was my birthday. As I hauled him and his stuff into the sitter's I "twinged" my back. I've pretty much been out of commission ever since. I missed the next two days of work due to not being able to move or stand without assistance. Then I worked 2 half days with a day off in between. I made 4 trips to the chiro (thank goodness for the HSA).

Mr H had to do all baby duty for about 1.5 weeks. I felt bad for him he was exhausted. WIth my back it was impossible to lift the baby without pain. I felt like such a rotten mother.

I'm mostly recovered now. The 17 year old is riding with me to and from daycare so he can haul the baby in and out. I hope that ends this week.

We got hit with the snow/ice/arctic temps over the weekend. We didn't leave the house at all. I had the baby so bundled up this morning I'm shocked he could breathe. It's predicted for -30 tonight!

Heath is growing like crazy. He will fit in something one day and the next day it's too small! With it being so cold I'm pretty much keeping him in sleepers constantly.

I finally got our Christmas cards done. Now I just have to wait for them to arrive.

I've been thinking about MC a lot. I sent her a 2 mo update and some more photos. We're done paying her expenses now. From her FB posts she seems to be doing well. She did have a "down" post one day. I emailed and let her know how much she means to us, how much we love the baby, and how often we think of her. She said it helped. I wish we had more back and forth contact with her than we do. She mainly texts and posts to FB with her phone. She's not a letter writer or an emailer.

I've been torn as to what to do about Christmas with her and the birthfather. Gifts. No Gifts. Ugh. I just don't know!

2 Months Old

Somebody is growing way too fast for his Mommy!

He's 12.9 lbs now and 23.75" long! He's awake a lot more but is still a sweet, mellow, chilled out baby! People marvel at him!

I went back to work on Monday. I threw my back out that same day. I spent the rest of the week at home inert. Mr H had to do all the baby duties all the time (along with taking care of me duties)! I was in so much pain physically, plus I couldn't pick the little bugger up or hold him for very long without aggravating it. I hope I'll be better by Monday.

A girl at work's mom is watching him the few hours a week I work. It's really ideal. I love my job but I'm not sure how long I'll last. I really miss my punkin when I'm gone!

Part 4

The rest of the birth story -



It's kind of a sleepless blur. At no time we were worried that MC would change her mind. I was surprised by that. At 11 am we fed the baby for the first time. 24 hours after that he would have a test (PKU i think)(I'm still not sure what that is) after which he and we would be released.



Mr H and I took turns having a shower. We fed and changed him. The nurses said to feed him every 3 hours. We took and made phone calls, we stared at him in wonder, and we tried to catch some Z's. We took him over to see MC and left him there for half an hour or so. C brought him back. Mr H took C home to get a change of clothes and to run some errands. We must have had some supper. I don't remember.



Around 9 pm MC and C came over to kiss the baby good night. MC kept telling him how much she loved him and giving him little kisses. We said "Good night Mama" and she went back to her room to bed. After more feedings and diapers I finally got some good sleep going when I woke up with a start. It was a nurse looming over me at 3 am telling me it was time to feed the baby.



The three of us made it through our first night just fine.



We had to switch rooms because so many babies were being born and the hospital needed our 2 bedded room. We ended up in a triage type room for few hours.



The lawyer emailed telling us what the procedure for the day would be. She'd visit MC and have her sign some papers (appointing the adoption agency as guardian - I think). Then she'd some and see us and have us sign a bunch of paper. A social worker came and spoke to MC about the adoption.



Just after 11 the nurse came to take Baby H for his 24 hour test and for the pictures the hospital takes. MC had asked that we help her get those pictures so we made sure to have him looking his best! He passed the test, they managed to sort of get him to open his eyes for the pictures, and they told us we could stay as long as we needed.



Around 1 the lawyer arrived. We signed lots of paperwork. Then MC, C and the Auntie came over to tell the baby good-bye. It was sweet and tearful. I even got C to hug me. Auntie was shocked! We told them we'd come back to visit after court and before we headed home - which would probably be in a week.



The lawyer made plans to run errands with MC and to give them all rides home. We strapped Baby Love into the car seat and THEY LET US WALK OUT OF THE HOSPITAL WITH HIM!!



That may have been the most unbelievable part of this entire thing!



We headed a couple of hours down the road to wait for our court date. We camped out in a Residenc.e Inn. We had 2 bedrooms and a kitchen. It was perfect for our little family!

One month old

My Dear Little Squeaker -

You're One Month old now! I can't believe it! It's been the best month of my life hands down so far! Papa and I love love love you and can't remember life before you arrived!

We spent the first 10 days of your life in Arkansas where you were born and where your birthparents live. They love you very much, too!

While we were in Arkansas we visited The Clinton Library, the Central High School National Historic Site, the State Capitol, and the Art Museum. Papa and I ate lots of catfish and bar-b-Que while we were there.

You went to your first restaurant which was the Woodfire Grill. Uncle K, Aunt J and the boys took us out when they came to see us in Little Rock. You weren't impressed, sleeping the entire time.

Big Grandpa and Grandma G came to see us in Arkansas and went to the Finalization hearing with us.

On October 8, 2010 at 10:10 am you became ours forever!! You slept through that as well.

You sleep a lot. At first you slept almost constantly. You don't fuss much. When you're upset or getting hungry you make little squeaking noises. Now that you're a month old you're awake a couple of hours a day. You like to look around. The ceiling fan and lights are your favorite things to look at.

You're eating 4 oz of formula consistently. It takes about 45 minutes to feed and burp you. Papa and I usually do a diaper change in the middle to wake you up and get you to finish your bottle. Some days you are super hungry and we have to give you 2 more ounces.

You're not a puker and you don't spit up very often. Although, you did get Mama good today while we were at Grandma G's. You gulped down your bottle in 10 minutes, then burped and puked it all over my shoulder, my back, and Grandma's chair! I had to wear one of Grandma's sweatshirts home!

Loud noises and being cold are your least favorite things in life.

I call you "Squeaker", "Punkin" or "the Lump". Papa calls you "Little One". We both call you "Francis" sometimes which is the dog! That's just because he was our baby for so long before you arrived and it slips out when we aren't thinking about it.

Francis wasn't sure what to think about you at first. He's a little bit jealous and will want to sit on our laps or next to us when we are feeding you. He likes to lay on your playmat and make the things that hang down jingle and rattle. If I'm not paying attention he'll try to lick your head!

When you were born you weighed 6 lbs 13.1 oz and 20 inches long. At your one week check up you were still the same length but you were up to 7 lbs 4 oz! AT your 2 weeks check up you weighed 7 lbs 8 oz and were 20.5 inches long. You're just a little guy! You're in the 10-25% for weight; the 50th percentile for length; and with a head circumference of 13.25" you're in the 5th to 10th percentile.

Your hair is getting darker. You have a swirly, counter-clockwise cowlick on the back of your head. Your eyelashes and eyebrows are very, very faint and just starting to come in.

Your cheeks are starting to get chubby. I love to kiss them when I'm burping you. You love to sleep with your hands up by your face or with both arms thrown above you head. When you're in that position I say you must be French because you surrender to everyone!

Right now you are sleeping in the bassinet in Papa and Mama's room. During the day we'll put you on the couch or love seat with a pillow to keep you from rolling off. You can't roll over yet but you really, really want to do so! You've been trying to since you were 1 day old! You're never very far away from us.

It's not necessary to rock you, bounce you, or sing to you to get you to go to sleep. You're really the most mellow and easy going baby. You hardly ever fuss. If you are fussy people that don't know you don't notice because your fussy is most babies' "good" behavior!

Papa and I love you very much! MC and C love you very much! We're so very glad you are here!

Love,

Mama

Part 3

So. There sat Mr H and myself with a baby. our baby. a real, live baby. OMG. It was really weird. We wrapped the little guy up like a burrito and sat there. Mr H went down to the cafeteria to get some food. All through the pregnancy MC had been raving about the food at this hospital. How great it is. How happy she was to be giving birth there because of the great food.

IT was awful! LOL. I went down later and got something else. I ran into the anesthesiologist who delivered Little H. He had on a lightning McQueen scrub cap (the only reason I recognized him). He asked how the little guy was doing. Said he was beautiful and congratulated me again. "That was fun!" he said, "I don't often get to deliver babies!"

I got back upstairs. I showered. Mr H called some family. I felt sooo much more human after that shower. Mr H took a shower. I poked Little H to make sure he was still alive. I texted my best momma friend saying I just poked him! She laughed at me and said, "there's nothing like holding your heart in your hands is there Mama?"

I love her! Her comments and her congratulatory Voicemail is what finally made me cry. I mean I got teary and misty when Little H was born but it was just too much, too surreal. I couldn't fathom it. Yet, now, here i was...holding my child. Who was and is and will be totally dependant on me for a long long time.

Mr H and I tried to get some rest. They told us we'd need to feed him every 3 hours. Those beds are dang uncomfortable.

We wheeled him back over to see the birth parents. We got MC a necklace. It's a key and symbolizes Little H being the key to our hearts and hopefully the key to their future. She loved it. She wears it constantly. I see it in pics of her. The visit didn't last too long. She was still in pain and very tired.

Later she texted and said her sister wanted to see him. Her sister came to our room. We tried to make small talk. We agreed it was "weird".

She said "ya'll were always the ones. She looked at all those books. She looked at yours first and said it was you. She kept looking at other books but said 'nope it's the first ones'. It was always ya'll."

I thanked her for being supportive of MC. The baby started fussing. I said, "What'd you think Baby Love? Do you need changed? Do you want Aunt MC to do it?"

Tears instantly sprang to her eyes, "You'll let him call me Aunt MC?" she asked in disbelief.

Of course! Y0u're his Aunt MC after all! We're family now." I smiled at her.

Then the two of us gazed at Baby Love in wonder.

Birth Story Part Deux

So we got settled in our own room in the hospital across the floor from MC. Mr H and I were ina room with 2 beds. At 11 it was time to feed the little guy. We were using the Enfami.l ready to use premium infant formula. We figured that was a better choice since the simi.lac had been recalled. Also, the ready to go bottles appealed to us because of our away from home situation.

Heath took right to the bottle. He was (and continues to be) a hungry little guy. Several nurses came in a talked to us while we were feeding. They let us know that we'd be there for 24 hours. They'd do a test at his first feeding, then another 24 hours after his first feeding after which we'd be released. Our hospital was VERY adoption friendly. One of the nurses had adopted from the Ukraine (are you reading DEbra?) and another had adopted 2 children domestically. That was very cool for us!

During this time we were texting back and forth with MC. She was having some trouble getting cleaned up and doing all the post birth things that needed done. Once everything got settled we took Heath over to see her. It was very sweet. The birthfather had gotten her some roses and this thing for the door. It was blue with a big rosette with a bear in the middle and a rattle. The ribbons on the rosette had places to put all the baby's birth states. They intended to send it home with us.

MC held him. gave him kisses. checked out his little toes and feet. She kept saying how much she loved him and how he's "going to have the best life ever". No pressure there! We didn't stay too long as she was very tired and very hungry. We went back to our room. Told her to text when she was ready to see him again and to get some rest.

I'm in Love!

With my sweet little son :-)



Everything (well, most everything) is fantastic! Baby H...sleeps, eats, and poops...all in a very calm manner. He is so very mellow!



The un-fantastic part is that on Friday we got a call from the lawyer. Her husband was being rushed to the ER with chest pain so she wouldn't be able to get our affidavits filed and get our court date. We completely understand but it would be nice to know when court will be and when we get to go home!



So back to the birth story.



Baby H came shooting out of there like I mentioned. In fact, MC had just gotten her epidural which is why Mr H and the birthfather were out of the room. The staff didn't even have time to get the bed converted. She gave birth in the bed! There was blood and goosh everywhere. On the floor, on the walls, everywhere!



The doc grabbed Baby H got him in the warmer, started the APGAR (he got a 9) and prints. I cut the cut cord. It was so frantic in there. I wasn't sure what they were asking me! It was a ceremonial cutting to be sure (since we were on the other side of the room for MC) but I did it! It was like cutting through rubber tubing.



The old lady I'd gotten in the scuffle with had left with the bassinet so no one knew what to do with the baby. Dr anaesthesiologist got frustrated finally. He said "we aren't supposed to do this", wrapped him in a blanket, scooped him up and sprinted out into and down the hall across the birthing center to Mr H and my room.



We got in there and the lovely blonde nurse started further assessments on him. She was great. She started trying to scrub the gunk off him. She was scrubbing the hell out of him! No need to worry about hurting the baby apparently! He did great on all his assessments and got another 9.



Mr H was standing behind me with his hands on my shoulders. We just watched in amazement and wonder. Then we noticed Baby H's chest was heaving a little and he seemed to be gasping. She called for some other nurses. She said he was having a little trouble that she just wanted to get checked. It never amounted to anything and he was fine in a bit. It's just that it took our assessments a while longer than usual.