Of Bracelets & Feeding & Home

At 11:30am this morning, we were finishing up with the lactation consultant and our pediatrician came in to do Clara's pre-discharge exam. Everything looks good, as you would expect from the offspring of a specimen as fine as me. Clara has a little jaundice in her face that is clearing up. The doctor told us to have a good night and that she or one of the other doctors would see us at the practice tomorrow.

Once the room cleared out, we pulled all our stuff from the various corners of the room and packed. We were only in that room for two days, yet it became so comfortable and 'ours'. It was a little sad to take apart my bed, but the thought of my California king at home helped me through. I took a load of non-essentials down to the car to make it easier when we checked out. As I was walking through the lobby someone asked me if they could take my parking space. I had a killer parking space. I told them I was just pack-muling and apologized. As I was walking to the car a car started stalking me for my space. I smiled and mouthed, "Not leaving" and they drove away. As I was loading up the car a third car stopped to attempt to get the space. Parking at this hospital is insane.

Once I arrived back at the room, Kristin and I dressed Clara in her going-home outfit. She looked adorable. She looks so different in normal clothes, versus the generic hospital garb they stick your baby in. She fussed a little when we pulled her out of the burrito (aka swaddling) but liked her new outfit enough. Odd I haven't mentioned it by now, but I am the Swaddling King. Clara loves to keep her legs straight (mentioned in a previous post) and you have to swaddle her just right or she will kick out of the blankets. I can get her to stay. I rule. (Thank you Kevin Spacey.)

Kristin still needed to be checked out by her doctor before they would discharge us, so we settled down for what we expected to be a 30-60 minute wait. I joined Kristin on her hospital bed, we put Clara between us, and just marveled in the wonder of the last few days. I was sort of glad we had the chance to just sit there, relax, and interact with Clara and each other. Clara and I napped for a little bit. Finally, after four hours, the nurse came in and said that she talked to the doctor and they said we could leave. The last thing she did was remove the Baby LoJack from Clara's ankle. We bid our nurses farewell, plopped Clara in her car seat, and headed home. It was a little surreal to hit traffic. We both remarked that the fact that is was a Thursday afternoon during rush hour had never crossed our minds.

At home Kristin gave Clara a tour of her new house while I played pack mule. We went up to our room, fed Clara dinner, and took off everyone's wristbands. The wristbands were crucial during our hospital stay - we couldn't pick Clara up from the nursery and they wouldn't leave Clara with us without checking that the serial numbers on our wristbands matched every time. But now we don't need them, because we are home and she is home, too.

Our new adventure has begun.