BC's first week

I have to say that BC's first week in this world (outside of me) was a blur. I remember something about "It's a . . . girl?" There was subsequent disbelief and joy. I recall the nurse at Medina Hospital coming in on BC's first night and looking at a very tired, bedraggled and guilt-ridden me saying "Please take her to the nursery." And yes, I'll admit to some weepiness at that moment. I was silly enough to think that if I couldn't care for her then, how would I care for her at home? Of course, when I took her home, I was getting out of bed a bit more easily and was a bit more rested because, well, I let them take her to the nursery in the hospital! I let them do it the second night too, only then I didn't call Matt in tears at one in the morning and confess that I'd let them take away my baby and I felt hideously guilty and and and . . .

The man is a candidate for sainthood.

Lots of folks got a joyfully tearful and hoarse phone call from and exhausted me on Tuesday morning to announce our news. Sue and Mom and others insist I was not screaming during labor. If that's the case, I wonder why I went hoarse.

Lots of wonderful people visited us at the hospital -- parents and assistant moms and dear friends and my brother and his family and my father-in-law. It was great to see all of them and to show them our little miracle. I still can't believe she's ours, and I certainly was having trouble wrapping my head around it then! But this is what they saw:





The day we took her home, I was terrified. I had confessed to my father before giving birth that I was not worried about the labor, but I was scared to death to take her home. He laughed. I was serious.

But this immeasurable cuteness came home with us on March 4, whether we were ready or not!



Her first weeks were filled with lots of screaming. I thought there was an inordinate amount of screaming. Turns out, according to my mother, that the screaming was neither inordinate nor undeserved. I was the child whom they boxed in with the big boxes of Tide detergent in the laundry room while I screamed my head off and the rest of the family sat in peace in the living room. Sooooo, apparently this is what I get.



As you can see, Matt thought the screaming was all quite humorous and found that the best way to combat it was to match it.

I remember calling Mom in a panic on the second day BC was home and begging her to come and help. She came, and we went to see a lactation consultant, which was hugely helpful. Ever since, BC has seemed not to have a particular problem eating. In fact, she rather likes it, to the tune of a 2 oz/week weight gain at one point. But this was what she enjoyed doing when she wasn't eating:





I must admit that, contrary to her doctor's wise recommendation, we did take her out the first Sunday she was home. We thought it was important that she go to church as soon as possible. She was born on a Tuesday. The preceding Friday, our beloved priest passed away. Though he had given BC a blessing in utero, he never had a chance to meet her and that made us incredibly sad. The loss was also a blow to the church, and we believed that our fellow parishioners might benefit from seeing her as soon as possible. So we loaded her into the Moby wrap and she slept through the entire service. But my adorable and very energetic niece was there to pick up the slack:






Is that not an adorable child???

So that about sums up BC's first week. Eating, screaming and sleeping, mostly. But, as my husband would so helpfully point out, "That's what babies *do*."