3 hr days...

So F1 is asleep in his wee co-sleeper crib by my bed. We finally figured out that him going to bed at 8-9 is a good thing - even if he wakes for a feed later he gets into a routine of bed.

So much has happened in last two weeks I don't even know where to begin..

So night before c-section myself and himself sat in front room and had a wee panic. We looked at clock and thought - holy F. we're going to be parents in less than 10 hours. Most women are really happy to get baby out by the end. I was happily pregnant. Even with the walker and the pain of walking and getting out of bed or trying to sleep - still blissfully happy so I felt like I could do another month at least but time was up and c-section scheduled for Monday August 20th at 930am. We told our families it was Tuesday so they A- wouldn't worry all that far away in Florida and Ireland and B- Nice surprise. We still didn't know if Hobbit was a boy or girl but sure that's half the fun.

So Monday morning - after no sleep as we were too excited and scared we went to the hospital with himself documenting the occasion all the way. Turns out our doc was late as she tends to run on Irish time although shes from Burma. So I sat in the hospital bed with my gown on, my blue hat and my tiara on over my hat. Poor nurses tried to stick me to get blood and also blood work for cord blood. 8 sticks later and no joy. Finally another nurse came in and they listened to me re using a butterfly. (turns out though got a letter from cord blood and F1 blood work was fine and mine isn't and I have to go do again...)

So 1030 my doc shows up - which was grand as gave us a wee bit of a catnap as we were now tired and excited. They wheel me into the room and numb my spine - making himself sit in a wheelchair far away from me and needle. Then they put me on a table spread out like Jesus with my arms out and put a sheet up. Luckily for me I could see what they were doing in reflection on light above my tummy. A friend described a c-section to me as feeling like someone is rummaging through a handbag on your tummy and it does feel like that. They also had hot hair blowing over my top as room is kinda chilly. 10 minutes later and they announced a baby boy - I heard him cry and they took him from room. J followed and he was shocked in an awe inspiring way to see a mini him looking at him with dark intense eyes - that's one thing the doctor and nurses were blown away by, was how awake and alert he was from the very start. Fair enough they weren't sure which end they were pulling out of me as he was so fair he was bald looking and both ends were shiny....

They brought him over to me and placed his face to mine so we could kiss him and I could look at him. I had wanted to hold him but couldn't with 1- my hands laid out like Jesus on a cross 2- how friggin cold room was. J took him and held him and I seemingly was singing to him and the room. I remember them sewing me up but was too happy to care. 8 pounds 8 oz and apgar scale of 8 and then 9. Perfect wee boy who was ours...

We named him F1 M Gandalf . F1 (not real name but social media here :-) - like Fyun - is Irish for Fair one or english version Finn - Fionn mac Cumhaill (earlier Finn or Find mac Cumail or mac Umaill, later Anglicised to Finn McCool) was a mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology, occurring also in the mythologies of Scotland and the Isle of Man. The stories of Fionn and his followers, the Fianna, form the Fenian cycle or Fiannaidheacht, much of it supposedly narrated by Fionn's son, the poet Oisín. Fionn or Finn is actually a nickname meaning "fair" (in reference to hair colour), "white", or "bright".

Then off to recovery room where not only did my wee son breastfeed - but he climed up me to do so as he was on my stomach and climbed up my chest. His Pediatrian doctor T came in and checked him out - ordering bloodwork for his Hereditary Spherecytosis - a bilirubin count. Later we discovered that most annoying here in states is that even though I have HS and its known that it has 50% chance of being passed on - they wont check for it specifically till hes 6 months old. They check him for Jaundice but wont look at his blood to check for spherecyotes or do an osmotic fragility test. They have the attitude lets see if he goes yellow - then we can do more tests. My sister in Ireland knew within 5 days if her kids had it. Thankfully we have a Ped Doc who's trying to push system so she checked his bilirubin daily and thankfully was within range apart from first test. So cross fingers and say a wee prayer he doesn't have it. Theres other indicators but the bilirubin and reti level is the first indicators and both were normal.

Then they wheeled me to our room and the next day is a blur really. Looking back kind of glad we had a c-section. Not because I had surgery - but because it meant we were in the hospital for 5 days and we got a baby boot camp from the nurses and staff there. We got to see the lactation consultant every day and the nurses were fantastic - they advised us to give him formula day two as well as breast milk as he was going yellow and they said he was jerky and seemed needed more than my colostrum as milk wasn't in. He was much better after it and pinker very quickly. I continued to breast feed and three days in thought my milk came in. My Milk REALLY came in Thursday 4 days later when my boobs became hot, hard and so painful that I couldn't get cabbage or ice packs on them quick enough

Also my new cup size came in

I'm a friggin K

Yep

A K cup - and so heavy I swear I have squashed poor baby a few times with weight. Even I cant lift one of my boobs with one hand with milk comes in. Its scary folks but if you're going to be a walking milk shake for a while - best milk comes in quickly like that. Also I was drinking lots of mothers milk tea which seems to have helped. My cups doth runneth over and then some...

I ran to the breast feeding store as quickly as I could run with c-section - got some new bras, filled some hospital gloves with ice cubes - threw the cabbage leaves that were in freezer in my bra and back to the room asking for pain meds on the way. Nurse ran into me in hall and burst out laughing - inadvertently one of the gloves had two fingers sticking out of bra and other one had middle finger sticking up. So on left boob I was giving feck off sign in Ireland and Britain and on right boob the middle up yours sign of USA... Good to see I was international...

I think my boobs were so hot they actually cooked the cabbage as all you could smell in the room was cooked cabbage for a while.

That wasn't as funny though as the nurses thinking I had sickle cell anemia by mistake confusing my HS and trying to ask me indirectly who was black in my family.... Lots of questions about who tanned easily in my family.. Too funny. Also part of newborn tests here in California is test for 13 different strains of sickle cell among other diseases.. But of course not HS as that would be too bloody simple.

Have to say that Good Sam was an excellent hospital. Food was fantastic, staff brilliant and we ended up with a nurse whose bark was worse then her bite and once Jan brought in cakes to bribe them I mean thank them - we had fans all around. I figured out my nurses love of Irish tea and she would pop into me frequently and go make us both a cuppa with my microwave kettle we had brought in.

I no longer have a craving for Jello, I do crave chocolate and ice-cream so my hubbie is wondering who the hell am I as that's not normally me... I can also smell Indian food now and not gag but unfortunately after eating it Saturday night poor F1 bum from my breast milk was red and not happy. We got it cleared up but his poops looked like chicken korma so no more Indian for Mammy. Himself is happy though that he can bring into house without me gagging and throwing him and Indian food outside to patio. Hopefully theres not too many other foods that trigger his poor wee diaper rash. Himself has same reaction to Indian even though loves to eat it so I think combo of that and I had none during pregnancy for him to get used to it. Sticking with bland food just to make sure. Nice to sleep again on my back though. The SPD unfortunately has come back but not as bad. Turns out hormone relaxin loves to hang out while you breastfeed to expect that to be around for a while

OK - time for me to nap and to say thanks a million for all emails and comments. I'll be responding slowly. My day is made up of 3 hour intervals now. When Fionn eats, sleeps and gets his nappy or diaper as they say in US changed.

And I wouldn't change any of it for the world. He's so so cute, I could sit and smell him and hold him all day and he's already 9 pounds and 3 oz in 2 weeks. More on adventures of new Mummy... you all have a wonderful week folks.