Before I forget

A few snippets from our first days with Noah...
*Abby meets Noah: I could hear her voice coming down the "recovery" hall in the birthing center. Abby was giddy and a little nervous about meeting Noah. He was smaller than she expected, but that didn't matter to her. Abby immediately asked to hold him. She put her hands on his tiny head and brushed his downy-soft cheeks with her five-year old, pink nail-polished fingers. She looked so grown up to me all of a sudden. Her hair was a mess and her cheeks were pink from playing at school. She wore her uniform and climbed into the hospital bed with us, with her shoes on. There wasn't a hint of hesitation in her once she had Noah in her arms; she kissed him over and over and giggled at every sniff and wiggle that he made. She looked amazed when he yawned. The next day at school, Abby proudly showed off her hospital bracelet. Apparently her report to the class included two salient details: " I am a big sister, and poor daddy has to sleep on a tiny bed--his feet hang off the edge." No mention of poor mommy--I must have seemed fine to her. :)

*Abby leaves a rock on Noah's bassinet: A gift of sorts, Abby brought a rock to the hospital. (Grammar folks--the dangling modifier is purposeful; both Abby and the rock were gifts). I don't know if she got it from school or where, but she put it under Noah's hospital bassinet on a little stainless-steel shelf next to his diapers. The nurses comment on it--they guessed Noah must have a sibling who brought the rock to him. I offered to move the rock, but they said "No, leave it; it's his little talisman." Well, I suppose stones do mark great moments even in scripture. We have a bowl of rocks that we write important events on (a wedding gift to us, nearly 7 years ago now, from the Parks family). Abby's little stone gift looks different from the dark-gray rocks in the bowl, but perhaps it will be Noah's rock anyway.

* On April 12th in the morning, my mom called me in the hospital: "You're late for jury duty!" I laughed and thought, :"That's right, I'm supposed to be sitting in the courtroom about now! Oh well, let them come and get me."

*G changes Noah's diaper for the first time, gets hosed: I had heard that boys are tricky to change; they have a habit of spraying everything around them. It is TRUE. My first diaper change and the kid goes off like a (well-timed) fire-hose. Only ten days later and he has now gotten me, Matthew, our bed (a few times), the floor, the couch, himself. Want to come over for tea? I warn you, there are no safe places to sit!

*G and N's first night together alone--Matty went home to be with Abby after two nights away from her. I was lonely and afraid to be the only one there with such a tiny little baby. I think pregnancy hormones played a part in this, but I cried and blubbered on the phone to Matthew for a while; he listened patiently and lovingly and then suggested that I take advantage of the nursery and the excellent staff at the hospital so that I could get a few hours of sleep. Noah slept in the nursery for a few hours then spent the rest of the night asleep on my chest. The nurse did offer to take him back, but I wanted to keep him with me for the second half of the night. I was weary but proud of myself for keeping him. I felt brave. I felt like he and I were going to make it after all. This little boy brought me big comfort, and he and I really bonded in those hours together, alone.