Bringing Home Baby

Have you ever seen this show on TLC? It follows a couple for the first 24 or 48 hours after they bring home their baby from the hospital. I don't really watch it because I find it a little dull, but I have to think if TLC had been following our first 48 hours at home with Asher, we could have boosted ratings. :) So here are the highlights of our could-be episode of Bringing Home Baby.

We were able to leave the hospital late Thursday night. We had a great experience at the hospital, but of course, there's no place like home so we were thrilled to be going there. We had a lovely and relaxing time talking with Ben's parents (they were at our house with the kids during the hospital stay), they enjoyed holding Asher, and I got my fix of Honey Bunches of Oats cereal. All was right with the world.

... and then we went to bed...

Just getting to bed took a lot longer than expected because we were sorting out a variety of things like how to swaddle Asher and snap him into his little papasan chair, what lights to leave on so that I can see him but still sleep, clearing off our vanity so that we have a place to change his diaper... etc. (I told you we were not prepared!)

Finally, it was lights out and we slept okay until about 2am. But at that hour, I woke up in a lot of pain and was shivering uncontrollably. It occurred to me at that point that it was a really dumb idea to not pick up my prescription for pain medicine on our way home from the hospital. I had been optimistic that I could make it until the morning, so that then we could use (don't laugh) a coupon at our local CVS. But I was wrong. The rest of the night was pretty awful as I was counting down the hours until CVS opened. Ben didn't get much sleep either because he was doing all he could to take care of Asher and me. But hey, we made it and we did get to use the coupon!

Friday was a blur of successful and unsuccessful attempts at nursing, changing countless diapers, and thanking the Lord for Ben's parents still there to keep Evan and Elena occupied.

Saturday morning came, we said good-bye to Ben's parents, and then did our best to figure out what "normal" looks like for us now as a family of five.

And the pinnacle of the story...

I was burping Asher Saturday evening, he began spitting up stuff that was dark brown. "Woah-not normal!" I knew something was not right and immediately got up to dial the "Call-a-Nurse" number to get some answers. The nurse told me that if his spit-up is either dark brown or bright red it could be blood. As she told me this he spit up again, and this time it was bright red. I told the nurse what I saw, and she told me to get him to the ER immediately... and the tears started flowing!

I quickly went to tell Ben (in a blubbering sort of way) what the nurse had said. Now as I'm just getting out that we need to go the hospital, Evan walks up to our feet and starts hurling like never before. I'm really not sure if he's ever thrown up before that night, but he made up for it then.

Okay, I'm going to try and end this story in a timely manner.

My sweet friend and neighbor, Melissa came and picked up Asher and me (remember, I can't drive after a c-section). Ben stayed at our house putting the kids to bed. Then my mom arrived so Ben could leave the house and join me at the hospital. At the hospital we were quickly seen and quickly told by the doctor that it was probably just blood in the breast milk. They ran multiple tests to make sure it wasn't anything more serious and they all came back negative, so he was diagnosed as being perfectly healthy and home we went.

So, that's been us as of late, and since the hour is now late I will bid you adieu.