Lousy day!

Ugh, so far we've been making things work with new baby Elena.  She is sweet and cute and cuddly and snuggly and cries and screams like a banshee when she's hungry.  Usually, this happens in the middle of the night, and goes on for literally hours.  As in, she starts around Karina's bedtime and goes until roughly 4am.  This girl can EAT.  She sleeps a lot during the day, which is normal for babies to have their days and nights flipped.  She eats during the day some, but it's mainly at night.  For about 3 or 4 hours in the night she will eat literally every hour.  And not just eat a little, she's eating 2-3 ounces at a time. 

Today we had to get her bilirubin levels checked and go back to the pediatrician.  We were running late, because I lost track of time and Karina slept til 9am!  Bill of course also slept because he's staying up so late so I can get some rest.  So we were running late, we had to go to the lab at the hospital for the bilirubin check, and that took forever--a total runaround.  We were just there 2 days ago, and they wanted Bill to register again!  Seriously?  We didn't move in 2 days with a newborn people.   Anyway, we got to the doctor, and Elena was fussing and hungry and upset from being pricked again, but the diaper bag was in the car, so we scooted over to the doctor, where I was going to feed her.  Except I realized I had nothing to feed her.  NOTHING.  NOTHING, people!!!  I was in tears!  I couldn't believe I was such a horrible mom that I had left my little baby's food at home!  Bill went out and asked if they had any of those little nursette bottles--you know the little 2 ounce ones they give you in the hospital--and thankfully they did.  She inhaled it.  Our doctor came in--I think he is just the greatest--and we were telling him all about the lab fiasco and how she eats crazy at night and cries, etc.  He was so great, and when I told him I had left her food at home, first he thought I meant Karina and offered graham crackers, but I told him, no, my BABY'S food, and he said they had those little bottles, which we already had.  He is so nice.  I didn't feel worse for telling him, but it was so embarrassing.  So he checked her out, thought her jaundice looked better, and said she was perfectly healthy.  He told us that some babies do something called cluster feeding, where they'll basically wait and then gorge themselves.  Apparently that's what Elena is doing.  I'm so glad to know that nothing is wrong with her.  Dr. kept patting my shoulder and telling me it was okay. 

Oh, forgot to mention that I also left my phone at home, as did Bill.  And I was supposed to meet my friend at the doctor's so she could bring me registration paperwork for Karina's preschool next year, and also a Miche bag that my friend gave me (more on that later!), and so I had to try to remember her phone number and that was a mess working that all out.  It was just a terrible day.  So Kelly shows up after our appointment and gives me the stuff.  We were talking--she has two boys, and her youngest is Karina's age.  So she's been there not so long ago.  She was reassuring me, and there I'm crying again.  I was telling her about how nice Dr. was and I said something about how bad I looked.  I never go anywhere in sweats ever, ever, but I did today--track pants (the only comfy pants I own right now) and a tee shirt with a sweatshirt unzipped over it--and I didn't even put any makeup on.  I looked like royal crap, let me tell you.  Kelly said, "Yeah.  You look a little rough".  I think Dr. took pity on me!

What a day.  Ugh. 

But at least we know Elena is all right, she's not sick and other than still being a little jaundiced (we get to do this all over again on Monday, woo-hoo), she's all right.  Thank goodness. 

I am so grateful to have such a caring and compassionate pediatrician for my daughters.