Ah, home. This is my first full day at home and its bittersweet. It’s great to no longer be checked on hourly for my temperature, blood pressure, etc. or awakened right at 8 a.m. by the nurses who want to check my stomach. However, being home and trying to take care of yourself at home, while also trying to get to the NICU to see Michael as often and as long as possible is heartbreaking. I finally left the hospital yesterday at about 4-ish and had hoped to go back that night to visit, but it just didn’t happen.

I have more pictures of Michael, but I have to give some props first. Maybe its just because I’m hormonal, but I’m bursting with gratitude right now. And you may think that these entities are supposed to do what they’ve done, but hey — I still want to say thanks anyway.

First off, Trinity has been a champ, a hero. He was already being great when I was put on bed rest, but he really became best husband EVAR when it came to my sudden labor inducement. Remember last week when I was finally blunt with the whole baby shower/gifts thing? Well, like I said, baby items hadn’t been bought yet and even the stuff that friends and family came through with didn’t arrive till Monday. So not only did Trinity have to drop the pages he was designing at work (sorry VC Star peeps!), he did a quick run at Target in Camarillo (near his work) for stuff I might need, went home to pick up stuff I needed at home (and of course my hospital bag was not prepared, lol) and also made a run to the Wal-Mart in West Hills to pick up more stuff I might need, like, oh, night gowns. Then, early Saturday, he made a massive Babies “R” Us run for  baby clothes, the car seat (yes, we hadn’t bought the car seat yet) and a bunch of other stuff, like diapers. Of course, at that point, we didn’t realize that Michael would be at 3 pounds, 7 ounces, which is more like preemie size, so he ended up having to go back for preemie diapers and clothes.

And, while I was in the hospital, he went home every day to feed Kip (plus had to just sit with Kip on my 4th day in the hospital because Kip was getting antsy all by himself), get the mail, drop off rent, shower and shave and get a little bit of cleaning done here and there. And now? He’s having to do all the cleaning, plus the baby prep (like boiling all the baby bottles we’ve now got), as I recuperate from the C-section. This was all in addition to being totally worried and concerned about Michael and I as we went through our respective dramas in the hospital. Is there a medal for father of the year? Husband of the year? I’d like to nominate Trinity, thanks.

(Also, big props to my little sister for cooking for me. They crack me up; my siblings came up from South Orange County twice to see me in the hospital and each time came toting food, including a dungeness crab, which I devoured tonight. I kept the food in the nurses’ fridge.)

Then, there’s the hospital. I don’t know how big or well-known Los Robles Hospital is, but I’m such a cheerleader now. The hospital itself is very nice; the labor and delivery rooms are each single occupancy and feel sort of like maternity suites, with wood floors, cushioned benches and huge windows. Did I mention I never had to share a room in any of the three departments I was in? Plus, all the nurses friggin rocked. They were all super attentive — I think my favorite was my dayside post-partum nurse, Paula, who was just really cool and knowledgeable and had a bit of a dry wit. I seriously mulled sending all these nurses cookies or some sort of sweets to show my appreciation, but I don’t know if I can really afford it, now that we’ve got Michael.

So, yeah. I’m seriously grateful right now.

So here are some pictures!

Trin actually snapped this photo yesterday of Michael with his iPhone. I’m pretty impressed with how well it turned out. Michael looks like he’s smiling or laughing, but in reality, I think it was gas. Either way, I’m printing this photo out to put in my frame.

Trin also took this photo yesterday as I held Michael, and tweaked it a little bit in Photoshop. I love the effect. I might frame this one, along with Trinity cheesing it with newborn Michael.

Another iPhone photo, from today — my son looks like he’s in deep thought, no?

Then there’s this photo. Heheh. Michael’s sensors had gotten loose, plus he’d broken out of his swaddling, so he’d started crying. Trinity so happened to be holding him, and also happened to be wearing red (one of the colors babies are said to be able to see right away), so Trinity apparently became the focus of Michael’s ire. Look at that glare!