First Real Post as a Dad

As I'm sure you can imagine, the last 6 days have been a bit hectic.  I will try my best to recap them, including the important bits and leaving out the more ... unpleasant.

On Wednesday, November 18, 2009, Sara and I went to the Indiana Regional Medical Center where they were scheduled to induce labor.  They started the induction with prostaglandin (sp?) gel at around 8:30am.  The contractions started almost right away and we began walking the halls.  Sara asked for an epidural around 2:00, after being given staydol (sp?) so she could relax between contraction, and she turned a bit loopy.  Through the entire process, she was remarkably calm and level-headed, even making jokes all the way through.  Harper Lynn was born at 6:50 pm on Wednesday.  As I wrote before, she weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces at birth and was 19 inches long.

We spent the next two days in the maternity ward, shuttling Harper back and forth from our room to the nursery so they could wash her, check her vitals and make sure she wasn't jaundiced, which she isn't.  The whole time we were at the hospital, I made Sara sleep as much as she could, while I slept almost not at all.

We had packed a bag for both Sara and Harper that included all sorts of important things, like books, clothes, toothbrush, etc.  For me, I packed a book, my toothbrush and one pair of underwear.  By Thursday night, I just walked into the shower with my underwear on, scrubbed them and me, changed into clean underwear and hung the wet ones to dry in the shower.  Harper spent a ton of time in our room, starting to nurse, crying and generally being a newborn.

She is so soft, that it is impossible to hold her and not be constantly kissing her cheeks, her nose, the top of her head.  She smells like a newborn, which is quite a shock, so we're constantly smelling her too, except of course when she needs a diaper change.  At those times, she smells like she's been possessed by the ghost of roadkill-passed.

We brought her home on Friday late morning.  We loaded her into the car seat and drove home.  Since we are moving this coming weekend (anyone want to help us move?  Please?  I'll buy you pizza and beer!) we didn't bother to set up her room.  She has been sleeping in the pack-and-play in our bedroom.  She slept very well on Friday night.

On Saturday morning, my mother-in-law and two aunts-in-law (?) came over to see Harper for a few hours.  Then my mom and her partner, Joan came out.  They stayed for the weekend and were amazingly helpful, even while trying to stay out of the way.  They helped us to pack up and helped talk to us about caring for a newborn.  I heard a rumor that my mom had one of those at one point, possibly two, but I don't believe it.

Harper did not sleep well last night, which means I am amazingly tired this morning.  I assume Sara is as well, but I can't speak to that because I was too busy grunting while I got dressed and made breakfast today.

My desire to be at work is rivaled only by my desire to be torn to shreds by a pack of rabid badgers.  That is to say, zero.  I have a little more to write here, but I have to go to class, so I may post again later today or tomorrow.  I have included a link to some pictures below.  We don't have many, only about 110.  For those of you who are mathematically inclined, that comes out to about 20 per day average.

My Daughter, and a few other people who are not nearly as important.



Another really quick note, I know I mentioned this before, but I want to again.  I love the comments that everyone has been posting and I've been reading all of them.  I may not respond on here, but thank you so much and I hope you continue to share this blog and make comments.