SJ’s First Week

This first week of parenthood has been awesome. It’s hard to believe that a week ago Samuel still lived inside Rebecca. Here are just a few of the highlights and things for which we are very grateful:

• We had a wonderful experience with natural birth. If you’re wondering what does “natural birth” mean practically, for us it means swimming against the usual current a hospital puts you on that often involves various forms of often unnecessary intervention. We followed the Bradley Method, or husband-coached child birth, which is a 12-week class. Our instructor, Cherri White, was also our doula. Bec’s prenatal care was with the Duke midwives. The combination of all of that, and being well-informed about all the possibilities, really made our whole birth experience amazing. They say this never happens, but everything we listed on the “birth wishes” list we gave the doctors and nurses when we arrived came to pass. In fact, most of the time Bec was laboring, we were left to ourselves in the room, jammin’ to the mix of Radiohead, U2, Coldplay and other bands Bec loves. When it came to Stage 2, or pushing time, we switched to the Saint-Saëns, Organ Symphony, which was awesome! We are so grateful for the medical team at Duke that allowed us a peaceful birth without intervention.  We got to see Bec’s body do what it was designed to do!
• Courtney Potter, a good friend and fellow multimedia storyteller and UNC alum, was with us the whole labor and documented it. We’re going to work together to produce a short video on our birth experience. We are extremely grateful for Courtney using her gifts and talents to serve us in this way and for the sincere excitement and sensitivity she brought with her.
• Our good friends Bobby and Lois Suruki, whose due date was just a few days apart from ours, gave birth to their son, Marcus Benjamin Suruki, just a few hours after Samuel was born! While technically on two different days, we were so excited to share the experience at the same time. We are grateful that their birth was without complication and that Marcus is healthy. We look forward to Samuel and Marcus growing up together and becoming friends, and to sharing the joys and challenges of parenthood with such good friends.
• As Rebecca and I took a walk around our neighborhood a few days after being back home, we reflected on how blessed we are to know four pediatricians as friends. All of them have offered to be on call for us for questions any time, day or night. After living a year in South Africa, we realize what a privilege it is to have access to folks with such high levels of expertise.
• Jenny Jones, our housemate, not only cooks up a plethora of good eats (and shares them on her blog), but is also a huge help around the house and watches SJ as needed so Rebecca and I can grab a moment alone together. I have a feeling the help she’s given so far is the small tip of a ginormous iceburg.

You may notice in one of the photos below a neon glow coming from SJ’s back. This is called a “Bili Blanket” and helps his body break down bilirubin, which at high levels causes jaundice in lots of newborn babies. I won’t get into the medical details, as I barely understand it myself, but we’re happy that SJ’s levels are now in a low-risk zone and he’s doing great! The Bili Blanket made SJ look like he was hooked up to the Matrix and also would have made some sweet nighttime photos, if I hadn’t been way too tired to grab the camera.

For those wondering, Pippy and Champ, our two cats, have been adjusting well. I’ve got a gallery I’m building of photos of them interacting.

That’s all for now. It’s time to catch some ZZZs before SJ wakes up for another feeding!