I just turned 40.

I think I was washing dishes when it happened. With all that’s been going on, I almost didn’t notice.

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Attached below are pics from yesterday’s visit. I’m new to the whole blogging thing, and I’m afraid I have to figure it out all over again whenever I want to upload a picture.

These are low-detail images, because I wanted them to be easy to upload. If anyone out there wants high-res files, let me know.

1. Rachel feeding Sarah. The NICU is timid about breastfeeding because Sarah has been having trouble eating and breathing at the same time (so much to keep track of!), so Rachel is giving her expressed breast milk in a bottle.

2. Rachel feeds Sarah while Andrew and Grandma Susan watch on

3. Me holding Sarah while my mother pretends she’s not plotting to steal my child and take her home to Michigan.

Anyway, Andrew woke up as I was putting these online, so I’ve got to go now.

Update:  Rachel called as I was putting up this post to let me know that they let her breastfeed Sarah.  Unfortunately, the breathing and eating thing is still a problem, so she had to pull the breast away and pump, and Sarah will need to take the rest from a bottle.  Sarah’s got a good suck reflex, though, so Rachel should be able to breastfeed her as soon as her nose gets a little unstuffed.

Well, today we got to hold Sarah for the first time.  Rachel first, then me, then my mother, who is going back to Michigan tomorrow morning.  Sarah’s pulse oxygen went down every time the nurses tried to bottle feed her, but fortunately the nurse on duty tonight had the sense to let Rachel try.  So Rachel gave her all of the expressed breast milk we brought in (about half of her current feeding) and some of the Similac they provide at the hospital, before Rachel’s butt fell asleep and we switched off.  By the time Sarah was comfortably situated in my arms, she’d fallen asleep, so the last 20 mL of the feeding were finished by tube. 

But I got to hold her for a long time before my shoulder got tired and I passed her off to my mother.  It’s a wonderful thing to hold your baby for the first time. 

The bad news from tonight is that there was another baby being admitted shortly after we arrived, so we had to spend about 45 minutes in the waiting room while they did that and then did rounds (because the times coincided that way).  And while we were waiting, Rachel was thirsty and got an iced tea from the vending machine.  But Andrew was there (they let siblings visit on Sundays, regardless of age) and got too much of Rachel’s iced tea.  Which made a terrible mess of bedtime, because the excitement and the caffeine had him jumping on the bed for way too long.

Will post another picture soon. Got a lot of good pics tonight but haven’t had time to go through them all.

Brought the first of Rachel’s expressed milk to the hospital. She’s been pumping vigilantly all along, but the milk didn’t come in right away (apparently a common problem, especially with cesarean delivery). Most of a day’s pumping, and it amounted to one feeding. But they fed it to Sarah right away. Then said they’d let me hold her, except that she just ate. But that means we should get to hold her tomorrow as well. Also, the ear, nose, & throat specialist looked at Sarah today and said she seemed fine (the stuff with her nose seemed to be routine swelling) and could start feeding properly as soon as the attending physician gave the green light.

So today was a big day. Tomorrow should be bigger. Will be the last day my parents are here, the first day Rachel’s father comes to visit, and the day when siblings are allowed to visit.  So we’re gonna bring everyone and hope they bend the rules on the number of visitors per day.

Hope to have a pic of Sarah up soon, once I’ve figured out how to upload them to the blog, and once Rachel and I have conferred on which one to use.

Thanks to everyone who wrote with good wishes.  I will try to get to writing individual responses in the days to come.

Rachel is home from the hospital tonight but still in a lot of pain.  Sarah is still in the NICU.  She’s breathing normal air and eating through a feeding tube, so things are looking mostly positive, but there are a few other issues that will keep her there through the weekend. 

Hopefully we’ll know soon if she’s getting out by Monday or staying a little later.

Sarah Melissa Young Sklar was born by cesarean delivery at 9:35 pm on Monday, December 29, 2008, weighing 7 pounds 5 ounces.  She has my curly hair and long eyelashes, Rachel’s long narrow feet and big round face, her maternal grandfather’s mouth and chin, eyes that are intelligent and alert, and her brother’s choice of initial accommodations.  However, by all accounts she should be home from the NICU much more quickly than Andrew was.  Her skin is already quite pink, and she howls and squirms to get the tubes out of her face (a good sign but painful to watch).

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Rachel’s water broke around 11:00 tonight (12/28).  No contractions yet.  We’ve spoken with the midwife and the doula.  Midwife instructed us to go to the hospital in the morning, or when R’s contractions are about 5 minutes apart.  My parents arrived in NJ on Friday and will take care of Andrew at least until Rachel’s parents get here, if we need to run to the hospital.

 I don’t know if any updates are likely to happen until a day or two after the baby is born.

Where is the border between namedropping and giving a shout-out?  Read more

Well, last night I went to my second-ever Drollerie Press Web chat.  It was a lively and frenetic discussion, with everyone talking at once, kind of like a crowded bar or a Thanksgiving dinner, except that if you missed something someone said, there’s a running record you can read.  For me, some of the most memorable moments were: Read more