Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Jacob woke up at 3:30am today. I went to bed later than usual catching up on ‘The Voice’. I thought, I really should go to bed earlier because I had a full day ahead of me but I couldn’t turn it off! It is SO good! So when I heard Jacob cry at 3:30am, I was hoping I’d be able to let him cry it out a little and he’d settle down. After a few minutes, I felt bad so I went into his room. Usually, I can tuck him back into the crib with a few gentle rubs/pats but this morning he had his arms reached out for me. As soon as I picked him up, he did the put his head on my shoulder and wrap his arms around my neck. That usually means he’ll fall asleep shortly!
I laid in the bed in his room and I think we fell asleep for a few minutes. Then he bolted upright, gave me a smile and then wanted to play. My phone was facing up and lit up! DOH! He went for it and wanted to play with it. He didn’t want to be rocked back to sleep so I gave in. I turned on Moana, kept one eye on him and laid next to him while he squealed and watched happily. I started to wonder why he was so awake. Could his kimchee dinner have given him reflux? Yes, that is all he ate yesterday for dinner. Kimchee, some anchovies banchan (Korean side dishes) and peaches for dessert. But he seemed happy as a clam.
Finally at 6:15, I had to get ready for work. I had a long day ahead of me. He cried and was clingy as I turned on the lights, changed his diaper and had to brush my teeth and wash my face. I’ve established a routine of showering at night to maximize sleep. As he saw the nanny, he clung to me tighter and cried louder knowing what it meant that I was going to leave for the day. That is always heart-wrenching because I’d much rather play with him!
I got through the day humming Maui’s ‘You’re welcome’ song. I had a few robotic cases and my day ended with a c-section. This young lady was a few years younger than me and having her 4th baby. She looked amazing, by the way! She was a lean gal with a big belly. Her pregnancy was complicated by gestational diabetes requiring insulin and macrosomia (big baby). While I was preparing for the c-section, I counted my blessings that I had had a normal pregnancy and normal size (8 lbs, 10 oz- but that’s a story for a different day) baby.
Ever since I had Jacob, seeing babies born is an entirely more emotional experience for me. I can relate to what the patients are experiencing- anticipation, worry, joy, relief, happiness… It is beautifully overwhelming when you can hear the baby cry and can hold him/her. I tear up each time and am so proud of and happy for my patients!
The baby was a beautiful 8 lbs, 5 oz. baby girl. Her smallest of the four. We all laughed and the energy in the operating room was joyful and relief that everything had gone smoothly.
I got home around 6pm to a happy little boy of my own. I was happy to spend a few hours with him and putting him to bed. His dinner was kimchee and fruit. He wasn’t interested in rice or bok choy. Is that a complete dinner, I wondered. He had eaten enough during the day so I wasn’t too worried. I just prayed he wouldn’t get reflux. He slept through the night that night. I slept like a log too with an early bedtime of 9:30pm.
Thank you for sharing my day with me. Please stay tuned for website updates and more fun adventures of work and motherhood.
Here are a few photos from my nanny during the day.
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