Time at the Hospital

Well, we are home from the hospital...we got home yesterday evening, and it is sure nice to be here and beginning our life as a family the way life is going to be like, not just life in the hospital with people coming in and out all the time.

Everyone at the hospital was absolutely great. The doctors, the nurses, and even the food wasn't half bad!

Here is a little glimpse of our time there.

First:

The bed, or as I call it "the Nest"

It is where I spent nearly all the time. I had to keep piling pillows to prop up the baby to nurse them, and the pillows kept losing their "spring" so much that I needed to keep getting more and more. The problem is that after a C-section, a simple task like organizing pillows and sitting up in the right position to feed the baby is a huge one!

I was so happy to leave my little nest. While it was nice to have a bed that adjusts and has railings, there is nothing quite like being able to leave the place where you are confined.

Second:

A snuggly baby who loves to be near people.

Much like his father, we predict baby Michael will be highly sociable and great with people. Michael does not like to be alone, and just wants to be near people. He wants to snuggle, he likes to cuddle, and he likes to be kissed and hugged. In fact, as endearing as these qualities are, it becomes a little bit of an obstacle when it comes time to getting the baby to sleep. He likes being around people so much, he doesn't like to be alone in his bassinet!

So in order to calm a crying little baby, Michael and I just keep him with us when all his other needs of changing and feeding are satisfied but he just won't sleep...we hold him as much as we can. Even it just means having him next to us, he is more content that way than to be alone in his crib.

Here is a picture of me and my buddy next to me in the bed.

Third:

His amazing Daddy.

Michael is one amazing man. From his constant care and coaching and prayer in labor, to his round the clock attention in recovery, Michael has shown us so much love and care. He really is the "priest" of the family...laying his life as a sacrifice for those under his care. He never complained, never slacked off, never made an excuse, was ever short-tempered..just steadfast and attentive.

In return for his care and love, Little Michael has bestowed on his daddy the coveted "Favorite Person" award. No one can calm the baby like Michael. No one can more quickly turn a cry into quiet. No one can capture his attention, no one get him to make cute faces like his daddy.

The only time I have anything close to him is when the baby is hungry: an unfair advantage I have as the materfamilias.

Having a baby has multiplied love in our home in unexpected ways: First, of course having a new person to love, and be loved by. But in addition to that, the love that has multiplied between me and Michael is so profound. From pregnancy to labor and delivery to recovery to home...our love and marriage has been so blessed in countless ways by God's grace of our baby.

So, these are just some reflections onour life for the past few days.