Yesterday was Adam's first well-baby checkup. Mike went in on Tuesday and ran all of the other errands so that we wouldn't have to drag a one-week-old around town on such a hot day. The well-baby checkup went splendidly. Adam is now up to 8 lb. 10 oz. and is thriving. As mandated for newborns, he peed all over the scale. :) The doctor says he looks healthy, which we pretty much already knew. He asked me how I was doing, and I told him everything was going along swimmingly. He said we don't really need to come back until Adam's two-month checkup (he'll be getting his first vaccinations then), and I can wait until then, too, for my post-natal physical. It'll be so strange to go from seeing the doc and nurses every week to not seeing them for almost two months.
After his checkup (and a bout of nursing), we went over to the hospital's lab to have his follow-up PKU done. It was miserable for the poor little angel. They had to stick him twice to get enough blood since he's "such a good clotter". I felt just terrible, like there should've been something I could do to make it better. As it was, I just nursed him again after it was all over.
He vomited for the first time last night. He had been sort of on-and-off fussy all night, and we couldn't figure out what was wrong. I nursed him a few times, and after the last time was taking him to the bedroom to try to introduce him to a toy, when he barfed all over me. Three times. God, it's amazing how much they can vomit!! I freaked out, so Mike got me calmed down (Adam was fine - gurgling and happy after it all came out) and I got us both cleaned up. I think the problem is that I wasn't burping him enough. He doesn't always have a burp to give after feeding, but I'm at least going to try to get one out of him each time.
Mike's parents left yesterday. They stayed for a few days after Adam's birth to coo at him, and to help us out until we had both healed a little. By the way, if you haven't already, you may want to read Adam's birth story. Anyway, yesterday was our first day as "just us" -- our own little brand new nuclear family. It was nice - I tried wearing the sling for the first time and managed to get some laundry and other light housecleaning done. Mike got out to the garden and got some weeding and harvesting in, including cucumbers, which he later made into bread and butter pickles. Adam's cord stump also fell off yesterday. It was a sad time for me, because it was the last little vestige of my physical connection to this sweet little angel. Sniff.
I'm learning you can do just about everything one-handed (including typing this journal entry). Anything that requires both hands, and/or is remotely dangerous, like dishes or cooking, just waits until the other of us is on Baby Detail. It's working out quite well, and I now have a healthy respect for single moms, and moms who stay home alone with infants. It ain't easy!!
Thursday was my birthday - I'm 26. My mom, sis, niece, and 3 nephews had driven here from Texas to spend a couple of days with me, and we had a big party - the first birthday party I've had in ten years. Mike made me a fudge cake with fudge frosting, and we had banana splits to go along with it. It was so strange to be sung "Happy Birthday" to at this point in my life, but it was nice, too. It was kind of a beaver-themed day (I collect beavers). Mike gave me beaver books, tapes, a sweatshirt, a framed photo, and other goodies, all with beavers on or in them. Mike's parents gave me a cloth fold-up wallet, a beaver hat and stuffed beaver, and several small "beavered" pieces - two pendants, a ceramic beaver, etc. My sis gave me some ribbons and a pincushion and some fabric and a rose candle inside a sewing basket. My mom gave me a book about making gifts - crocheted things, painted things, all kinds of gifts. It was a lot of fun.
There's still no baby, of course. We go back to the doctor on Monday, at which time he'll decide whether or not to induce. Quite frankly, I'm hoping he will. I'm handling the extra weight, blood pressure, low-salt diet, and general boredom, nausea, and other junk worse and worse every day. It's time.
My folks left yesterday morning for the drive back to Texas. Mike's folks (who had been staying at a hotel in Moscow while mine were here) are back staying with us, and waiting for Adam's arrival. Hopefully it won't be too much longer of a wait. <sigh>
Yesterday was doctor day again. Details on the Pregnancy Diary page. Of course, if you just want a brief update, the keyword is "NORMAL". After that, Mom and Dad and I went to have lunch at the pizza place in town and Mike went to run the errands. He joined us later (we were still waiting on our pizzas at that point, so he didn't miss much). Then we all went to the grocery store, where I had a few contractions but nothing serious. I was wiped out by the time we got to the end of our shopping, so I konked out for a long nap as soon as we got home. You know, this pregnancy stuff was a lot more fun in .. oh, say.. the sixth month than it is now.