Pediatrician visit

We survived our first weekend at home. I started this blog a few days behind, so I am going to have to give up on what has happened a couple of days ago and get up to the present with a quick jump. I will just mention that Andrea has had a pretty rough recovery healing her tears (rhymes with fares not years), though she has made significant progress through the weekend. In fact, today was her first time outside the house since returning home from the hospital and the reason was a trip to the pediatrician.

Sadly, we were a little nervous as this would be our first time collecting all necessary Emmett paraphernalia (diapers, spare clothes, etc.) and we decided to give ourselves an early departure goal. There was a bit of a miscommunication on the goal and I thought that we were late for the appointment as we drove off, but Andrea informed me that we were just barely late on the goal and pretty early for the appointment. Actually, we were half-an-hour early to the appointment and as a result we learned how newborns are treated at the pediatrician. While we were sitting in the waiting room the receptionist asked a toddler and parent to please leave the waiting room and wait in the hall. I thought that the toddler might be ill and considered it thoughtful to do this. However, the next toddler came, checked in, and was promptly asked to wait in the hall. As toddlers were stacking in the hall, we realized that they were asking and other children to wait in the hall as little five-day-old Emmett was susceptible to anything the kids might be carrying so, as we were still 25 minutes early, our two adult bodies were taking up very few of the possible seats, and pretty soon the hall would be filled with uncomfortable toddlers, we left for a walk around the block so that those germ carriers could have the room.

Returning at the proper time, Emmett was checked and the doctor seemed happy with his progress. His last weighing was Saturday where he tipped the scales at 7lb 4oz. Today he was 7lb 9oz, and one ounce a day is what is expected. Him returning to his initial fighting weight (7lb 13oz for those who might have forgot) means we sleep as long as he does rather than waking him for feeding, so it could be any day now. His jaundice is on the out (an example of our effective treatment pictured below---he loves this and conks out immediately---I think he is related to malcolm) and he grew slightly (20" to 20.5"), though the pediatrician admitted that the height measuring is very inaccurate. He peed all over the scale, so that was good, too. We realized that in the packing we forgot plastic bags to bring the dirties home, but I believe that was our only oversight.


The other exciting event was Emmett and I made our first trip to the hardware store together. This was all the way to Haight Street to get dowels for a project that will probably get discussed here soon. We were cruising the stroller that our friends gave us (pictured below) and that thing is rock and roll. Emmett was out the whole trip and Andrea got a nap at home, too. It was pretty funny how I noticed every Haight-hanger's cough, lit cigarette, etc. along the way and steered Emmett far away, whereas I had walked Haight without paying any mind many dozen times previously. A different world for us now, indeed.