Posted on

Uncle Izak & Uncle Phil

I have two brothers and sometimes I feel so connected to them and sometimes I wonder how we came from the same gene pool.  We each entered the world in three different ways: Phil took his time and was forced out via C-Section, I came out naturally and Izak popped out at 28 weeks and was just over 2lbs. Thinking about how we each entered the world and who we are today – I think it is fitting that none of us can say we arrived in the same manner.

To this day we’re different from one another and I think my parents did a phenomenal job in raising three very different children. I recently got an e-mail from Christen that ended by saying “Isn’t it crazy that our parents loved us this much?”

On one hand it is crazy that my parents love me as much as I love Maggie, but on the other hand, I totally understand all the support and love they’ve given me over the years. What amazes me is that my parents, like so many other parents, had three kids to spread the love!!! They did this three times – they swooned over each of us and loved each of us just as we’re doing to Maggie.

Now that I’ve entered into parenthood, my brothers start their uncle-hood (is that even a word?) and I can not wait to see the relationships they develop with Maggie. Just the first introductions made me smile, both men pridefully looking at their niece swooning and vying for a little blue-eyed  eye contact from Mags.

I’ve got two brothers that are going to be fantastic uncles.

Posted on

48 Hours

A precaution.

I could take that.

Kurt, the nurse from the Special Care Nursery, came to our room and introduced himself to us and explained what would be happening over the next few hours – an IV and antibiotics started for Maggie.

Barry and I walked with Kurt and Maggie across the hall to the Special Care Nursery where they hooked our little girl up to a line of antibiotics to help fight something she may or may not have. After Maggie got settled into her little corner area of the nursery I had a long conversation with her about why she was in the nursery – making it clear that in 48 hours we were going home and that she most certainly did NOT have an infection.

hospital stay (Video: click to see HB + Maggie in our little corner of the nursery. I was blog posting from Barry’s phone, go figure!)

As the 48 hours crept by Barry and I took shifts staring at our little package and got to know the nursing staff – again, I have a new perspective of what it means to be a nurse – . The nursery closes for one hour every 12 hours for the nursing shift change and we spent this time either napping or showering since staring at Maggie was not an option during the shift change.

Our families came by and took turns coming into the nursery to hold Maggie since only one person could be in the nursery at a time with either Barry or myself present. Since I looked at this time as a precautionary measure, I was able to function fairly well. The nursing staff was on the bandwagon of “Maggie’s going home in ____ hours!”

Overall the stay in the nursery was a blur and I’m fine looking back on that time with cloudy vision – I didn’t want to get too comfortable there and certainly didn’t want Maggie to either. Having a machine beep every time she moved to a strange position was not a noise I wanted to become immune to.

Long story short – because this is already a long story – the blood culture  came back negative, our baby girl is hearty, healthy and just perfect.

After an additional 48 hours in the hospital we were able to break her from the joint and take her home!!!!!

Best feeling ever.