I was released from Central Michigan Community Hospital a day after giving birth to my first child, a 7 lb 7 0z, 20 1/4 inch long daughter. We went home first so I could take a nap in my own bed. Then we hastily packed for a stay in Lansing to be near that baby who was now at Sparrow Hospital.
Upon our arrival in town, we went up to see that little one of whom we’d been given a mere Polaroid photo 30 hours before. It was difficult to only touch her through the holes in the incubator and not be allowed to hold her. We stood and watched her breath for a long time. Then, finally, having been reassured she was getting top-notch care, we bid her goodnight and headed for Meijer to pick up the things we’d forgotten in our hasty packing. I also chose a little mint green teddy bear for her isolette and Tony added to her book collection with a Richard Scary story – his favorite when he was little. (I’d been reading to her incognito for months.)
On our way out of the store, I discovered a do-it-yourself machine that printed invitations and announcements. Tony indulged me and we printed off a few announcing “Our Little Bit of Heaven”. Then we headed to his aunt’s and uncle’s, who so graciously loaned us a room even though we rarely saw them that week (thanks, Barb and Wendell!)
Not exactly how I’d envisioned my first day home from the hospital. But instead of the 7-10 day stay that the doctors predicted, we were able to be home in 4 and by the following Monday everything was back to normal except we had a bassinet beside our bed.
That was then, this is now...
...and I am the mother of a teenager. Happy Birthday, Britnee!
(My excuse for the belated post is that we were gone most of the day and when we got home, I was busy baking birthday cobbler and playing ball with the birthday girl :)
