Hospital "Activities" With Your Newborn!

Last week, on 4/1/20, Kurt and I welcomed our sweet baby girl, Naomi, into the world.  As is nearly always the case, the hours leading up to her birth were a big adventure. The labor lasted seven hours, during which I *may* have lost my cool for a few (read: MANY!) minutes. Haha!! [With each birth, once the babe has safely arrived and my pain is under control, Kurt and I have enjoyed many shared laughs about my (LEGIT!!!!) dramatics during delivery.] To say I was ecstatic to finally meet Naomi and to have her on my chest is an understatement!

After each of our big girls, June and Rose, were born, we welcomed our families into the delivery room to meet the new babe. They (respectfully!) only stayed a few joyous moments and then returned home. Over the next 36-48 hours that we were at the hospital during each of those two prior stays, we would be visited again by our parents, siblings, and dear friends-- and treated by delicious meals and treats. It is so fun and exciting to introduce your loved ones to the tiniest new family treasure in those first few days. Obviously, those hospital visits are not allowed at this time.

This time around, because of the very real threat that is COVID-19, things were a little different in the hospital. Thankfully, Kurt was allowed to join me in the delivery room. Out of necessity, we broke our "Safer at Home" mandate and sent the girls to the super loving, capable hands of Kurt's brother and our sister-in-law, Kyle and Allison. Of note, for over two days, these two rockstars juggled working from home and caring for four strong-willed children between the ages of 10 months and 3.5 years!

When Kurt and I arrived to the hospital, we were greeted at the door by staff in full PPE and were screened to make sure we did not have fevers or other symptoms of the virus. Every staff person we encountered, then, was also wearing a mask. As we learned before we delivered that the hospital would be trying to limit people going in and out of the building, Kurt had packed a cooler full of food for us. We were all set with leftover frozen pizza, PB & Js, cheese and crackers, fruit, and La Croix: Kurt for the win!!  In an effort to reduce spreading germs, the water, ice, juice, and coffee stations in the hallway were shut down. That was a serious bummer, as I am oddly obsessed with chewing ice (Sorry, [dentist] Dr. Max!) while pregnant and just postpartum. Because of that, we were given bottled water after bottled water. Note: Don't do what I did. I'm afraid I became a bit dehydrated on Thursday night due to all-day nursing and trying to limit water bottle usage/waste. Stay hydrated and well-fed, yo!  The energy you'll gain from good nourishment over the first few weeks is so vital!

Floating babe!

After Naomi was born, a neonatologist from within the hospital checked her out, rather than our typical pediatrician, as outside pediatricians were not making visits due to the risk of the virus. Every little procedure/test (hearing, drawing blood, etc) was done in the nursery, rather than in our room, so as to minimize new providers entering our "safe" space. Our OB team gently encouraged us to try to leave the hospital just after the initial 24 hours of Naomi's life, so as to reduce our exposure to more people coming into the room. Because Naomi's bilirubin level was a bit high at the 24-hour assessment, we did end up staying an additional night for further testing in the morning. [All is well!]

Cheating Lizzie! This is actually baby June in the hospital!

During this time inside our luxurious (seriously!) Mom and Baby Suite, then, here is a little picture of how we spent our hours. There's nothing too novel here, but I am hoping this can be helpful for some new parents welcoming their new babe into the world!

• Skin-to-skin with Naomi. This is SO GOOD for the babe, and it's great for both Mama and Daddy to do. We would put Naomi in a diaper, put her bare chest up on our bare chest, recline back, and wrap a blanket over the two of us. Naomi just loved it! For the dads, especially, this is a great way to bond with new babe.
• Talking face-to-face with Naomi. Newborn babies are still working on their vision. They LOVE to look at faces, and they see best about 12 inches in front of their face. Babies are especially enthralled if you make big expressions with your face. These facial expressions, combined with soft, gentle speaking, are Naomi's favorite activities to date. :) 
• Soft, slow massage. Here is a nice Youtube video I found that shows a few common infant massage strokes. --> https://www.parents.com/baby/care/newborn/how-to-massage-baby/ . Doing the "I, L, U" ("I love you") has been my go-to with my baby girls. I quietly whisper "I love you" as I do these tummy strokes. 
• Tummy Time!  As a pediatric physical therapist, I am quite the Tummy Time fan. An expert in my field often shares that Tummy Time, in her opinion, is the "Academics of Infancy." Truly, it is THAT important for a baby to spend time on his/her tummy every day. Starting right away is key to the baby enjoying Tummy Time. [I have so much to share here that I am realizing I could write an entire blog post about Tummy Time... haha maybe I'll add that to my list!] For now, here are some good ways to start with Tummy Time on Day 1 of life:
• Tummy Time on your chest: recline back in a chair/couch/bed, and have baby prone ("prone" means laying on his/her tummy) on your chest. In all of these Tummy Time positions, bring baby's arms out to the side-- but still bent at the elbow-- a bit.



Naomi is actually doing Tummy Time here
 on the bed with me...
while I get a little crocheting in! :)

• Tummy Time across your lap: I like to fold one ankle over the other, and in "long sit" (knees straight) position, place your baby prone across your thighs. Have the baby's head on the "higher" side to make it a bit more enjoyable/tolerable. 
• Tummy Time in your arms: Practice this in seated first, so that you feel more comfortable. This is a great way to do Tummy Time, though, and baby often likes it more because you will be able to rock, sway, and walk with her like this.
• A big note about Tummy Time in the newborn days: Your baby will very likely not be able to lift her head at all yet. At best, from a flat surface, she can maybe lift her head enough to turn her head to the other side. Tummy Time at this stage is not so much about the exercise for the babe as it is for getting the baby accustomed to the position. In fact, as babies are often very comfortable in this position, she may even fall asleep. If you are closely supervising your snoozing babe, this can be a lovely way for her to rest. [As you very likely know, though, when unsupervised (ie while you are also asleep), the current guideline is that baby should sleep alone, on her back, and in a crib or bassinet.] 
• Changing the babe's diaper. After each birth, my hospital gives me a tracking sheet that also explains approximately how many feeding sessions, poopy diapers, and wet diapers I should expect each day; that is super helpful for me!  In the first 24 hours of life, for example, you are hoping babe has a minimum of only 4 feeds, 1 wet diaper, and 1 poopy diaper.  Over the next 24 hours, then, you are expecting babe to have at least 8 feeding sessions, 2 wets, and 2 poopy diapers.

• For first time parents, it may be helpful for you to know that the baby's poop will be dark, thick, and tarry for the first 2 days or so. This poop, called meconium, is totally normal. It is a mean joke, though, as I feel these poopy diapers are the most challenging to change, and it is a tricky way for new parents to get acclimated to changing diapers. It will get easier!!  Also, at this age, baby tends to bend his/her knees a lot when you go to change the diaper, so beware of little heels jumping toward that tarry poop!
• Feeding. You will certainly also start a lot of practicing with feeding through either breastfeeding or using a bottle and formula while in the hospital. As I have returned to nursing a tiny baby again this week, I have had to recall many tips and tricks for those early days. I hope to share a post about nursing tips soon, as I have been meaning to do so for my many girlfriends who are expecting their first babes any day!  Hooray for new life!!
• One little tip is that the babe's tummy is SO SMALL in these early days, so she needs surprisingly little amounts of milk at each feed. This is why, though, she may also feed often in the first few weeks! [Naomi is our first babe to really have her days and nights mixed up. She is feeding every 90-120 minutes overnight, so my overnight sleep is taking a big hit!]
• Other things Kurt and I did in the hospital include: 



I simply can't get over
this little butt and these tiny feet!

• SLEEP (obviously!! Lots of napping was accomplished!)
• Rest/daydream
• Take long, hot, peaceful (read: uninterrupted by toddlers!) showers
• Crochet (me!)
• Color (Kurt!)
• Read
• Stare at Naomi :)
• Take all the photos of our newest little bundle!
• Eat!

Most of all, just soak up all the newborn snuggles, smells, and noises! Love that baby!! 

YOU DID IT!!!!

Naomi Lee!

Our third precious daughter, Naomi Lee, made her appearance last Wednesday night. She is no April Fool, and we are all absolutely smitten with her.

24 minutes young!!

Naomi is named after a combination of Nana Nancy Lee, Grandma Debby Lee, great-grandmother Elisabeth "Omi" ("grandmother" in German), and the biblical Naomi. After hearing a particularly touching homily about the story of Naomi and Ruth at our wonderful friends' Beth and Dan's San Francisco wedding in 2018, Kurt leaned over to me and said, "I would name our next girl "Naomi." [I had sleeping 5-week-old Rose on my chest throughout that mass!]

So, here she is. She is ready to rock the name that speaks to the intergenerational friendship and support amongst women.

Who rule the world?

GIRLS.

And here's a smattering of photos-- our family loving on our littlest member and embracing this unprecedented time of physical distancing. I pray that sweet Naomi-- and other babes born at this time-- bring HOPE and JOY to you during this period of fear, isolation, and despair.

A skeptical lady.

Sleeping cherub.

Loving this girl so much!

Fierce!!! Protesting her first bath.

Daddy is super smitten with his third little lady.

Pure JOY on Mama's face as Naomi virtually meets family! All of our parents and siblings joined us at the hospital when June and Rose were born, so this is a new experience. We so look forward to the day that Naomi can snuggle up to all of our beloved family members and friends!

A little bundle!  

Love at first sight!

We are so lucky to have this daddy!

June's tender little hand here melts my heart!

June requests to hold the "Little Fella" approximately every 42 minutes.

Big sister, Rose, has been planting her kisses all over Naomi's little face.

Even though Naomi is the new obsession, Junie's still got time for her Daddy.

This is my favorite!! Rosie doing "beep, beep" on Naomi's nose! And little Junie B-- happy as a clam!

Perched. Peppa Pig is helping June stay very still for this photo-op.

So ridiculous. Haha... June says it looks like a towel on her head. #truth

Biggy girls briefly joining little sis for a nap.

Mama's little helper!

Yes, that is a pile of baby powder on the ottoman. June dumped it and exclaimed, "Wow!! A lot of white!!"

The biggest ladies-- making Mama and Daddy so proud!

Froth and Bubble

“Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone.
Kindness in another's trouble,
Courage in your own.”

Adam Lindsay Gordon—19^th century Australian poet and politician

At the Old St. Pat’s (Chicago) livestream mass last weekend, Monsignour Kenneth Velo shared this above quote from 19^th century Australian poet, Adam Lindsay Gordon. 

I have thought about it nearly continuously since Sunday.

Two things in our lives are most important: kindness towards “the other” and courage in yourself. I just love it. 

And how perfectly applicable to these times.

Every single one of us is needing to be extra courageous these days. There are humans suffering and dying alone in hospital beds.  There are nurses, doctors, and other hospital staff importantly doing their work amidst all this chaos. There are parents at home with their infant child—not able to allow anyone else nearby for support. There are adults and children with disabilities, trying to access the services that they have always needed—and quite possibly with less assistance than usual and necessary. There are elderly men and women—isolated in their small nursing home rooms, craving much-needed interaction. There are deployed military personnel, unable to return home to their families due to flying restrictions. There are moms and dads juggling "home-schooling" their children while also trying to manage their professional lives. There are high school and college seniors, missing out on days, weeks, and months that they have dreamt about for years. There are families scraping to get by-- families who were already living in poverty and now have these additional challenges. There are parents and young persons losing their jobs. There is so much uncertainty. There is so much fear.

Yet, at this time, we are called—more than ever—to be kind to one another… to be light for one another… to be Christ for one another. St. Teresa of Avila shared this amazing prayer that has always touched my heart and fueled me to be better:

“Christ has no body now but yours.  No hands, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on the world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good; yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world.”

In this tragic, ever-changing time, we are being called to be kind to one another. I know we’ve all seen and heard of kind acts in our communities.  Baked goods and donated food items for hospital personnel working the front lines. Makers sewing masks around the clock to keep one another safe and protected. Grandparents walking miles to their children’s homes, just to look in the window at their new grandbaby. Young folks grabbing groceries for elderly neighbors. An Italian priest selflessly giving up his ventilator for a younger person. Children making cards to share with those who are lonely. Grandchildren, sons, and daughters hurriedly teaching their elderly loved ones to use Zoom, Facetime, and other means of virtual connection.  Strangers waving and making small-talk on the streets—from six feet away, of course!

With the “Shelter in Place” and “Safer at Home” mandates, we are being challenged to be super creative in how we are able to tangibly share love for our brothers and sisters. I have faith in us, though.  Faith in the world. Faith that we will band together and emerge stronger as a people.

While I feel disheartened and worried about many aspects of our current crisis, I also feel grateful to be so intimately connected to fellow humans across the globe at this time.

 Tell me: how will YOU and your family choose to spread kindness today? How will you demonstrate your courage and love for yourself and others?

[Sidenote: I am currently sitting in a hospital bed. I am not sick—I am merely bringing a life into the world!  This little piece of writing is helping me shift my focus off of my regular contractions. What a time to welcome a new child, right?!  While it is far from ideal, I am choosing to find the positives and am hopeful that this little cherub will make his or her way into a world that is kinder, more connected, and more compassionate than ever. Also, we are graciously accepting all prayers for a healthy babe and a safe and smooth delivery!]

Be well, my loves!  And please—take care of one another!