Tuesday, December 9, 2008

firsts

Caroline is four days old now. 4 days. Yet it feels like so much more time has passed. I said something like this to my dad when she was only two days old and he quoted Augustine, something about being able to say what time is, but then... not really. And it is the moments like these when the wisdom there is so accessible. Most babies by now would have had a ride in the car... they would have known hospital space and home space, but not this baby. This morning, Kevin rocked her and said "Do you hear that? That's the wind. But you don't know what that is. You haven't even been outside yet."

On Saturday night, at our first postpartum visit from the midwife, Caroline was subjected to the not so fun heel prick and squeeze. In prepping her foot for this, Marecha, our midwife, swabbed her heel with alcohol. Kev said "That's the first time you have smelled that smell, Caroline." We looked at him a little funny, of course it was... she was only a day old. "But if she'd been in the hospital she would have smelled it lots already!" Oh, right...

Today we're having another lazy day in bed, sister's orders. And we don't need to use the white noise machine we've been using on and off because today we are blessed with the sounds of a rainstorm, even thunder on occasion. Caroline's first thunderstorm. It is easier to stay in bed when the rain is beating down its soothing sounds outside.

I ordered an adorable, fancy dress and ivory tights for Caroline's first Christmas Eve... we have a couple of baby's first Christmas things, but... I wanted to buy a pretty dress. And so I did. Twill be her first!

But as of yet... she's never been dressed. Diapered and swaddled in blankets, that's it. She'll be dressed soon enough... for now we're going for as much skin to skin time as possible to encourage her cord to continue to dry.

Her skin is so deliciously soft.

First clothes, first car ride, first trip outdoors... all yet to come.

4 comments:

Kelly said...

I love rediscovering the world through our children. One of my favorites is watching children when they see snow-the wonder, the magic! You have so many "firsts" to share with Caroline and I hope that they bring smiles and "warm fuzzies" for decades to come!

I am anticipating E's first college experiences(praying that they bring smiles instead of frowns) but he is off to a good start by receiving a $3,000 a year scholarship (for 4 years) from one of the colleges of his choice.

Magdalene6127 said...

Both these posts... in fact, the whole of your birth story... have felt so powerful to me, calling up deep and lovely memories of my own childbearing. It's wihtout question one of the most beautiful things that has happened to me in this life. It's such a privilege to have a close view of your journey.

Love you, missing you, wish we could meet somewhere for lunch with Caroline in tow!

Sandwitchedin said...

WOW!!! Beautiful! Lovely and lovingly!

Love to all of you. ((((hugs)))

Aunt Debbie

Mama V said...

This is so great. I love how noticing their firsts helps one see the world with new eyes. So refreshing.

D and I talk all the time about how spoiled we were by not giving birth to our children in a hospital. There's nothing better. It occurred to me that most OB's might not have given your uber-long labor a chance, and that you might have even had a C-section for not progressing quickly enough, even if Caroline's heart rate had been normal. How different this entire experience might have been!