GIDDY!

Oh my goodness! What a night!

My poor hubby had to work what turned out to be all day. I spent most of the day trying to finish up hospital business. Had a consultation with the lactation consultants, got things arranged for paperwork, had my staples removed, watched my going home video etc.

David got back to the hospital in the late afternoon while I was napping.

I got up and we headed down to visit Robbie. When we got there, the nurse was gowned up and working putting his PIC line in. Radiology came down to X ray it to make sure it was in the right place and things were a little bit chaotic so we decided to go get some dinner and come back when they were done. I'm sure having 2 nervous parents staring at them wasn't helping.

After we ate, we headed back to the NICU. The nurse was finished- the PIC line was a success!
She was cleaning him and his isolette up. She asked if I'd changed a diaper yet.

Holy wow- no! But I have now!

Never was I more thrilled to change a diaper in my life. I was extremely disappointed that we didn't have the camera with us, but just trust me that it was awesome. I even got the warning about controlling his little penis because he could, indeed, spray me. I would wear that urine with love if he did.

Anyway, after changing his diaper, she worked on cleaning up his eye crusties and general clean stuff. At one point he started to cry. My husband froze. I froze. We caught each other's eyes, both of us in a sort of half smile.. We were thinking the same thing- "Have you heard that before?" Finally, my husband spoke- "That's the first time I've heard him cry." I giggled like a school girl, "Me, too!" We were both giggling, then. Then *I* started to cry- happy tears, of course. It was so clearly "a moment." Then I started to laugh again because it struck me as funny that I was bawling over hearing my baby cry. The nurse laughed with us.

She showed us how to take his temperature, then asked me to help change out his little pad. She lifted, I pulled the towels & his little burrito shell out from under him. Together, we replaced it.

She let me keep the removed one. I carried it in my arms as though it were Robbie himself.

As she got him situated in, she needed to put a new pad under him. She asked me to lift him so she could arrange it.

I lifted my son.

I LIFTED MY SON!

Yeah, so much for my blood pressure going down. I was close to hyperventilation. In a completely awesome way.

Anyway, she got him situated and told me that once he was settled down I could hold him.

She ultimately decided that it might be better to do at midnight. That would give him time to get settled down and rest up a bit.

Now I was more desperate to be kept again tonight.

So we headed back to our room- both of us high on the joy of our son. We talked about how in love we are.. how comletely whipped. Just the sound of his little voice melting not just sappy ol' me, but also tough-guy, redneck David into puddles of goo.

We got here and the nurse took my BP again. 147/92. I prayed it was enough to keep me here overnight. The nurse went to call my doctor. I made sure to mention that I'd REALLY like to stay.

I just checked with the nurse and I get my wish. I'm staying.

I feel bad for David because he HAS to work tomorrow. And I guilted him into bringing me some clean clothes. I told him he could bring me something in the morning, but he's decided he'll bring me something. But I might call in a few minutes and just insist he stay home. He's absolutely exhausted and I worry about him driving that much while this tired. It's 45 minutes home, 45 minutes back and then another 45 minutes back home again for him.

And at this point, it doesn't much matter between morning and night because I'M GOING TO HOLD MY SON!

I called to tell his nurse that I was staying and would be down at midnight to hold him. She recommended that I get a hospital gown to bring down because we can go skin to skin. So that's totally fine.

I can just sleep in the same hospital gown tonight and as long as David drops clean clothes off before work, I don't see a big deal.

So.. I'M GOING TO HOLD MY SON!

If I die tonight at 1am, I'll be a happy woman. I'll take the camera with me. I'm sure the nurse will take some pictures for me. I'll try to post ASAP. After I get my head back out of the clouds.

--Trish