December 2007 Archives

So the day my Mom was supposed to leave (Sunday:  2007-12-16) was the same day as when a major snowstorm was expected to hit the north-eastern seaboard.  I called to try and get her out on the 15th but the cheapest I could find was nearly $300.  Saturday night at 10:30PM the airline called to tell us that Mom's flight had been canceled and that she was on a new flight avoiding Boston.  Well, the next day we headed off to the airport (we only got rain here).  Once she got checked in, I got a pass to go down to the gate with her despite not having a ticket.  Shortly after sitting down, a broadcast came saying that her flight was delayed and to go to the counter for re-routing.  I talked to the representative and requested she get a flight on a new day - which they did at no charge.  After picking up her luggage from baggage claim and returning home, we tried again a couple of days later.  This time she made it to Boston before she ran into problems.  Her flight, yep - you guessed it, had been delayed but she could get in on an earlier flight.  This meant she had to sit in an airport waiting for several hours before being picked up.  My Mom rocks for going through all this hassle. 

My Mother, who abhors traveling, came for a visit to meet Alyssa.  She has only traveled one other time in the last decade or so and that was to meet Jasmine.  Every time she does travel, one or more things go wrong.  Today she got to the airport to find out her flight would be delayed and that she would potentially miss her connection.  The net result would only be a few extra hours tacked on to the trip but no one wants to know and the start of a trip things are going wrong.  I told her to call me if she missed her flight since I planned on taking Jasmine to the airport and didn't want her to have to wait around for a couple of hours.  Well, I checked online and her flight left even later than expected - in fact, it landed after her connection took off so I didn't even bother to wait for a phone call - I assumed she would be on the next flight.  When that time rolled around and she still hadn't call, I called the airline to find out what flight she was on.  It turns out that she got put on a different flight and had made her connection and was already at the airport waiting to picked up.  I left to go get her and I got a call just as I was in baggage claim asking where I was.  It turns out she hadn't been waiting too long but her luggage hadn't arrived with her.  Ugghhh!  We are all happy she is here.

I just want to take a minute to express how amazing my wife is, how much I appreciate her, and how proud I am of her.  She is an outstanding mother, wife, and friend.  I do very little in the way of changing diapers, making dinner, bathing Jasmine, getting up in the middle of the night, etc.  Don't get me wrong, from the time I get home from work until bedtime - I spend as much time with Jasmine as I can.  Jean some how finds the time to do all these things for Jasmine, take care of the house, call me at work to see how my day is going, spend time with me after Jasmine has gone to bed, and do it all with a smile and without complaint.  The last few days has been very tough for me and I know that I have barely got a taste for what she has been doing for the last 22 months and what she will be doing for the foreseeable future.  She is utterly amazing and is deserving of praise and gratitude.  I love her and am truly blessed to have her in my life.

This morning I woke to find Jasmine drenched.  I changed her diaper and put her into her 3rd set of pajamas.  We went downstairs and she at a bit of the left-over egg & cheese sandwich from the night before.  We arrived at the hospital and after a few trips back and forth to the car, Jean was able to take her first shower in several days.  We were discharged from the hospital and we headed home as a family.  Having had one child, we seemed to lulled into a false sense of security about preparations and let me tell you - we were not prepared.  This morning before leaving I was putting in the infant car seat which should have been done a month ago. The diapers that Jean had bought were newborns step - 2.  Fortunately I had enough forethought to appropriate a few from the hospital just in case the grocery store didn't have any.  I stopped to get milk (big surprise) and diapers.  I also picked up a rotisserie chicken so that there would be a decent supper with no cooking involved.  When we got home my first task was getting some place for Alyssa to sleep.  Yes, we knew the bed fairy might not show up and we had talked about using the travel crib which also could be used as a bassinet would be where she slept - but do you think we got it cleaned out and set up?  After getting that all set up and getting some food in our belly I told Jean to take a nap on the couch while I got Jasmine to sleep.  Once Jasmine was a sleep I moved the travel crib upstairs so Jean could get some real sleep in a bed and went off to take a nap myself.  I woke up to "I carry you" and crying.  This is how Jasmine indicates she wants you to carry her which Jean couldn't because she had Alyssa.  I went out and took Jasmine downstairs and the afternoon was spent with Jasmine getting to know Alyssa.  Trying to explain that she had to be gentle and that Alyssa didn't do much other than eat, sleep, poop, and cry.  I went into the playroom with Jasmine while Jean did the dishes and made soup from the left over chicken.  Yes, my wife who just gave birth two days ago is in the kitchen doing chores (more on that later).  At 8PM, Rudolph came on and I took Jasmine into the living room to watch.  Jean was fighting to stay awake so I took the crib upstairs and told her to get some sleep because I would be bringing Jasmine up at 9.  After taking Jasmine up and getting bottles, diapers, formula, etc prepared for Jean I went downstairs to work on updating the website.  It has been a very long few days and I haven't had much sleep but my family is home and I am happy.

Jasmine and I got up around 07:15.  After changing her and heading downstairs, I saw the text message that Jean and Alyssa would have to stay another day in the hospital.  We immediately got dressed and headed out to the hospital.  I stopped and got egg & cheese sandwiches on a bagel from Dunkin Donuts for breakfast.  When we arrived at the hospital, I took Alyssa to the nursery so that Jean and Jasmine could have some time together.  I walked the halls talking to nurses, other Dads, and anyone who would be willing to talk to me so I wouldn't fall asleep.  My wonderful wife not only fed Jasmine lunch (chicken noodle soup), changed a poopy diaper so I wouldn't have to, took a nap with her so we didn't have to leave and come back - she also gave her a bath so we could just go straight to bed tonight.  We left just before 6PM since it was almost dinnertime.  I stopped at the faithful Dunkin Donuts as their wasn't a clean dish in the house.  This was a mistake.  Shortly after dinner, Jasmine had the messiest diaper.  I gave her a shower and changed her into her pajamas, we watched whatever she wanted to watch (Dora the Explorer probably), and we called Jean before bed.  After Jean and I sang, Jasmine talked with Jean for quite a while.  She was really happy to hear her.  Jean gives Jasmine warm milk before.  Fortunately for me, there was enough milk left for her.  The day before, we had to go back out to the store after getting home from the hospital to get milk and Weiss was completely out.  I am not exaggerating - there was NO milk.  I happened to find a quart of skim milk hiding amongst the buttermilk and snagged it.  Anyway, this will become clear in a moment.  After turning out the lights and handing her the milk she exclaims "Hot Hot Hot".  I reach for the sippy cup thinking I need to let it cool and find that I cross threaded the cover and half of the milk has spilled out onto the bed.  Without thinking (remember - no sleep here), I said "OH SHIT".  Without missing a beat, Jasmine said "OH SHOOT".  I am really glad that she was tired too.  I changed the sheets, changed Jasmine into her 2nd set of pajamas and went down to get the last few drops of milk.  We went to sleep (if you can call it that).  The ping pong sleeping position match raged all night

When Jean and I went to bed around midnight, she said she was starting to have pain that was different.  For the next four hours, I tossed and turned knowing that today was going to be the day.  Around 04:15, Jean came into the spare bedroom where I was sleeping.  I bolted out of bed and started getting things ready.  I called the doctor to let them know we would be coming, I called our wonderful neighbors to watch Jasmine, I did many more things that I don't remember because I was running on pure adrenaline.  In the car ride over to the hospital, I noticed Jean's contractions were 3 minutes apart - not the 15 minutes she told me when I was talking to the doctor.  I may have slightly exceeded the speed limit getting to the hospital.  Jean's labor had not progressed very far.  The nurse indicated that we may be sent home and we should walk for a an hour.  About 45 minutes later, Jean was more than ready for an epidural.  What we didn't realize was that she wasn't even admitted yet - we were only there for observation.  If she hadn't progressed, not only would Jean not get the epidural - we would be going home.  When they checked her, she had almost fully dilated and was at -1 station.  They gave her the epidural, Jean slept for an hour or so, and when she woke up it was time to push.  A few minutes later, Alyssa was born.  Dr. Turner immediately put her on Jean's belly and Jean exclaimed "She's slimy".  I couldn't help but laugh.  Like with Jasmine, I cut the umbilical cord.  For the next few hours while Jean recovered, I spent my time escorting Jasmine over to the maternity wing and trying to get Jean something to eat (she was starving).  When Jean finally arrived over in the maternity wing and Alyssa was settled in to the nursery, I headed out to get Jasmine and bring her back.  Jasmine had a hard time understanding why Jean could pick her up, or why she couldn't go for a walk with her, or why she was in bed at this strange place.  A little before 5PM I took Jasmine home - she fell asleep in the car so I know she was tired.  I made soup for supper which Jasmine turned her nose up to so then I considered making her a fried egg sandwich when I noticed left over Mac-N-Cheese.  After Jasmine's belly was full I changed her into her pajamas for bed.  I made the mistake of putting her diaper on too tight which came back to haunt me.  After calling Jean to sing, we went up to bed.  Jean has been letting Jasmine sleep with her for the last couple of months as a result of not wanting to get up (3rd trimester) to take care of her.  This meant Jasmine was going to want to sleep with me.  Ugghh.  I sleep best alone and a two year old is on the opposite end of the spectrum.  I would put a pile of pillows on one side of the bed and I would sleep on the opposite side.  All night long was spent waking up every 20 minutes to find Jasmine had rolled over to me like a magnet, me trying unsuccessfully to fall back asleep, getting up and switching the pillows and my side of the bed.