The purpose of our life needs to be positive. We weren’t born with the purpose of causing trouble, harming others. For our life to be of value, I think we must develop basic good human qualities – warmth, kindness, compassion. Then our life becomes meaningful and more peaceful – happier.
Dalai Lama
Why have I started a blog with a Dalai Lama quote? Well its funny you should ask that question. The main reason is that it just so happens that my daughter shares the same birthday with the Dalai Lama and this quote felt right to start things off.
Marie arrived Monday July 5th around 3pm at Aiku Hospita(the hospital where the most recent Japanese prince was born-nothing but the best for both of my babies).
We got her set up in her room with all of the amenities needed to survive for a week(soap, shampoo, brush, toothbrush). Marie has been such a trooper - especially for the last few months having to lug a 10 kg bag attached to your body during a nasty time of the year. For those of you not familiar with Japan, it happens to be rainy season(tsuyu in Japanese) so it was muggy, wet and downright uncomfortable.
We met the Doctor(Doctor Noma/Noma Sensei) to discuss things. By the way, in a country that still allows the glass ceiling to exist, it was refreshing that our doctor that was going to perform the surgery was a woman. When she came in, I said "Great to meet you, where is the doctor?" Ok...I didn`t say that, but I did think it(I know Archie Bunker eat your heart out!!!!).
Marie was going to be giving birth via C-Section, which entails signing a lot of papers to limit the culpability of the hospital(normal standard practice). Anyway, lets skip to the good stuff.....
I went home and made dinner for Zach...(we had miso fish, rice, tomato and cucumber salad)- he enjoyed it. He also mentioned that he was impressed that I was working so hard making him dinner. Put him to bed around 8:15.
July 6th, 2010 THE BIG DAY!!!!
I woke up at 7 and got breakfast ready for Zach(eggs, yogurt and a peach). Then I had to make the dreaded bento....this is a labor of love for my sweetheart and something that I was dreading having to contend with. I made onigiri(riceball with some salmon inside), little hamburgers with cheese inside and cherry tomatoes.) I came to the realization at that moment that my wife is Sister Theresa and Marie Antoinette wrapped into one body-I don`t know how she does it!!!
Off to the hospital
Marie had already been off fluids and food from 9pm the nite before, so I expected her to be a little cranky( I would be). Alas, she still maintained that awesome positive demeanor that I fell in love with. We hung out in her room chatting away...I think I was more nervous than she was. Eventually around 11:15 or so, they came to take us to the operating room area where I was told to wait outside until they finished administering the spinal pain killer(this time around it was alot less painful than the epidural she endured thru back with Zach).
I came in and immediately went to hold her hand and stay focussed on her. You see, last time(when Zach was born) I kind of got caught up in the surgical moment - meaning I kept checking up top what they were doing to my wife. Little did I know that my wife was checking out my contorting face aghast at what they were doing to my darling...and that didn`t engender a very positive feeling in her. This time around I knew better and the whole procedure went off without a hitch. Our daughter came out screaming and mommy and daddy were both happy campers!!!!
I was escorted out so they could close Marie up and then eventually I got to see my daughter....
My first impression:
Ok...I know that all babies tend to have the same alien like features, but she was so damn cute with her little nose, toes, feetsies and hands. It was such an emotional moment- it didn`t really hit me in the operating room, since it such a sterile environment, but it did when I got to meet her afterwards.....
Marie finally got out of the operating room around 2pm(a total of 2 hrs and 45 minutes)....she was such a trooper, such a tough cookie....I was so proud of her. She was pretty lucid for somebody who had just gone thru a massive surgery.
I went to grab some food(Indian) and came back to check in with her before I went to pick up Zach. Picked up Zach to let him meet his sister for the very first time...I guess when you are a five-year old the fascination about wanting to wake her up or touch her toes outweighs the emotional significance of meeting your sister for the first time. He was a tad shy for somebody as extroverted as he is. He couldn`t see mommy since we were in the 4 person room(much cheaper option), so he was a little frustrated, but not to worry- once I mentioned Taco Rice, he forget about wanting to see mommy in an instant. Put him to sleep at around 8:30...
7/7 Marie managed to get a decent amount of sleep, since the policy is to keep the babies in the nursery the first nite to allow the mothers to recover from the surgery. Made Zach cereal, yogurt and some lychee fruit for breakfast and skedaddled to his Yochien(kindergarten) where everybody that knew Marie was going in was asking about how she and the baby were doing...
Marie did have some fever, which seemed to be a normal post-surgical reaction, nothing too worry about....
