Birth Story Part V....

Little Reese is in my arms....Kim is blitzed from pain meds and birthing trauma and is about one bad smell from throwing up. She was so incredibly nauseous.

Our family starts to come back in and whether Kim and I know what to do or not...we're parents now. Everyone checks on Kim, they awe at Reese and the photo session begins. As a new Dad, and for the first time in my married life....I'm torn.

My wife is lying beside me probably in as bad of condition as I have ever seen her. She is in pain, she is weak, and she is pale. In my arms is Reese....needing just as much attention as her mother. Who do I tend to first? Kim has been my life for 17 years...I've just met Reese but I love her as much as the 17 year head start that Kim has earned. My two girls needing more attention than I know how to give.

Prioritization kicks in and Reese needs to eat so I focus on Reese first.

Disclaimer time.....Kim and I have talked about the virtues of breast feeding and we know that Momma's milk is better than any other milk, formula, etc.... But we chose to bottle feed. We have reasons for the decision but ANYTIME this subject comes up, people chirp about the decision either way. So don't stress when I tell you that we went straight to formula. We know....we know.

The nurse hands me this little pre-made bottle of formula and tells me to feed Reese. So I shake it up VIOLENTLY!! It says to do so right on the bottle. Put on the nipple and put the bottle to Reese's lips. She latches on and starts killing this 2oz. bottle of formula. Around this time our new nurse Dolly tells me to feed her slowly....only give her half of the bottle at first. I look down and Reesie-Pie has already killed this bottle. Now....it's time to burp.

Flash back to me shaking the bottle violently....things that people don't tell you as a new parent is not to shake bottles. It introduces air into the formula. Read previous posts...air in the baby is bad. Flash forward to burping the baby, I throw her up on my shoulder to burp and Reese's neck isn't quite ready for that...I sort of freeze and then don't know what to do. Dolly then shows me the "choke your baby to burp her" hold. What do you know...It works! Reese belches like a trucker and so everything is ok right? Eh...you should probably burp new babies a little more. We'll pay for this later.

An hour or so passes and Dolly advises everyone that this long day needs to come to an end. Kim is going to be moved to a recovery room and we're going to spend our first night with Reese. The family shuffles out...hugs and kisses are handed out and everyone is so very excited that this day has come but everyone is equally tired and ready to get into some comfortable clothes and seating arrangements.....The delivery room was nice but it wasn't the most comfortable place in the world for any of us so whether anyone wants to admit it or not, we're all probably ready for a little R&R.

Dolly carts in this little rolling table for me to put all our bags on and pretty soon we're going to head up to the fourth floor. Just prior to this, Kim begins to get a little color back in her face and so it seemed like a fine time to inquire about what kind of pain Kim was feeling and what the nurses where going to do about it. Dolly offers some stout pain killer but Kim hadn't eaten a thing. So, Dolly treated her to a nice gourmet dinner of saltine crackers and graham crackers so the Percocet can take effect.

It was only now that Kim finally got to hold Reese and inspect this little creation. Kim was a little broken up because she hadn't been able to tend to Reese but it just wasn't possible any sooner that this. She just stared at our little girl.....tears rolled slowly and a smile covered her face. It has to be an odd moment to meet the little one that has been growing inside of you for so long. The one that kicked and jabbed from the inside, now sits outside all swaddled and sleeping. The one that you prayed would be ok is finally in your arms and she's fine. What a powerful moment in time...I'll never forget that.

"Less go mama." Dolly says. (she's hispanic) Kim eases into a wheel chair big enough to hold me three times. Kim must carry Reese and "papa" (as Dolly called me) carried everything else. We go up an down the hall to Room 430. The room is half the size of the delivery room but we don't care...it's time to sleep. It's almost 10pm and little did we know but Reese is experiencing the 24 recovery phase. See, Reese is just as tired as we are so she's sleepy and could care less about what the nurses are doing to her....but after that first 24 hours is over, she'll be wide awake and ready to fuss with us for about 7 hours straight....YEAH!!!

Part VI.....Sleeping at the hospital is a lie.