Day #6 (Sat., Jan. 9, 2010) – The Pediatrician Part II
It’s 1:30am and Taxi Driver Daddy is working the night shift. My only customer doesn’t need a phone, she yells to place the call. With lungs like hers a phone would only be a waste of money…her voice is a much more effective transmitter.
Since we came back from the hospital we have been snuggled here in our bedroom. Daddy, mommy, and baby makes three. It’s very cozy and the space heater in the corner is providing us with some additional warmth. I’m sure that we will look back on these times with cherished memories. Rather than having me work in an office in one end of the house, and my wife in the living room in another end of the house, and the baby in the nursery at yet another end of the house, all three of us are snuggled here together, living, loving, and learning.
When I think of little Katie’s request for the taxi I’m reminded of my father’s comments regarding a young guy who used to live up the road. Dad said that his car had “one speed wide open”. It appears that Katie has a “one speed wide open” mentality when she decides it’s time to eat. We don’t see much of a workup. It doesn’t appear that she ponders the question: “Hmmm, perhaps I’m hungry, shall I wait and see”? No, it’s like the thought “I think I’m hungry” is generated in a nanosecond and transmitted to the vocal cords soon after. Taxi Driver Daddy is on the way…
2:08am – Time to stop updating this blog. My wife just told me that she thinks little Katie did a #1 in her diaper. Time to check…be right back.
2:11am – I’m back, false alarm… Baby is dry and finishing off her early morning snack right now…
2:20am – My wife tells me that having little Katie nurse while she rests on her side is an extremely comfortable position. I think this will be the “defacto nursing position” for night feedings from now on.
2:50am – The “pop” heard around the room. I was wondering if this was a false alarm, and little Katie let me know it was the real thing. Time to change a #2. My wife has this neat little velcro “burrito wrap”, but I had to get her to show me how it went on. Cerebral cortex is not working too well at 2:50am… After the cleanup little Katie got another “refill” and back to the crib to finish off those “baby dreams”…
It is 8:30am and my wife is getting a shower. Little Katie is gurgling in the crib next to me. We are off to see the pediatrician soon.
It’s 12:15pm and we are back from the pediatrician and shopping for groceries. Little Katie gained 5oz since Thursday, so the doctor is very pleased. I just made some mushroom turnovers and the “hot drink” that my wife likes. We are exhausted, so all three of us, even little Katie, are going to bed soon.
12:21pm – Before I go to bed I’m going to boil some water to sterilize the “Soothie” pacifier that we picked up this morning. Apparently some babies like these as opposed to the others, so we are going to give them a try. If it will help her sleep better (and thereby us sleep better) it’s worth a try.
1:50pm – Katie is up which means we are soon to follow. I heard her cry but I was actually so tired I could not move. I got up, cleaned her diaper (A #2 – Ra Ra Ra!), and passed her to mommy. It’s funny to see the look on her face after you change her diaper and zip her back up in her “onsie”. It’s “Oh My Christmas Is Coming, Christmas Is Coming”… She knows that there is a golden food dispenser at the end of the rainbow…
2:00pm – I just tried the trick that we learned from the lactation nurse. When you rub the child’s hands they will start to suck some more. We find that little Katie likes to snooze while in her mother’s arms, and there is nothing like a little squeeze on her hands to get her back to the business at hand.
2:45pm – Quick snack of Spaghetti-O’s… My wife is still hungry so I’m going to forage in the kitchen some more.
3:15pm – We just finished a couple of homemade burritos. Katie is resting and squeaking in her crib.
4:45pm – We just got off the phone with my mother. We are going to try to Skype tomorrow so that she can see her grandchild live for the first time. My wife just told me that her parents love the little video clip of Katie when she is crying out for her dinner.
5:15pm – Baby’s first bath and judging by the vocal demonstration I don’t think she likes it much…
5:25pm – My wife cleaned the umbilical cord with rubbing alcohol.
5:30pm – My wife just rubbed lotion on Katie’s hands and she sure seems to love that. Such a girl!
5:35pm – Katie is back at the dinner table.
6:15pm – Little Katie is done eating and resting in her mother’s arms. She’s staring into her mommy’s eyes right now. It seems that she is spending more time looking around now. It used to be after you fed her that you put her in her bed. She’s spending more time away from “dreamland” now…
7:15pm – My wife and Katie are sleeping now, and I’m watching some football. Wonder if there will ever come a time when Katie is interested in watching football with daddy?
8:00pm – One week ago today, at this hour, my wife was admitted to the hospital. Little Katie was on the way…
8:15pm – My wife is up now. She didn’t sleep much last night…she needed the rest. Little Katie has been giving our little chirps and cheeps for the past hour or so, but is still asleep. A few days ago if she gave any sort of noise it meant that the “hungry eating machine” was arising and “Taxi Driver Daddy” needed to get the engine started on the cab. It’s nice to see that she is sleeping longer…for her…and for mom and I.
8:45pm – Lava Cakes for a snack this evening…delish! Katie is having her dessert too!
WHAT I LEARNED TODAY
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1) How to give a child a sponge bath.
2) The different nipple types of pacifiers.
3) How to clean an umbilical cord.