Sparrow Lorelei photo gallery

In hospital after birth, 9-12 May, 2009

Sparrow's first morning on earth, at least as a separate physical human -smile-. Neither of us are at our best - I am much less groggy by now and thanks to the midwife I've even had a sponge wash, but she won't have a wash for a couple of days, and we're still getting used to all this being here thing. But we don't exactly care. I'm still bedridden, and down to half the number of cables - the blood pressure cuff (they check it something like every hour for the first few hours after surgery), the fluids drip in my hand and the bladder catheter (which will stay in until I prove that night that I can get out of bed on my own and walk to the toilet).

Sparrow is a day and a half old, or so, and James is claiming skin time. I am so in love with them both.

Scott came to visit, which was great both for the company and for a chance to get a photo with him actually in it, which didn't happen during the labour or birth. He'd been at the labour, and had waited out the operation in the wardroom as only James was permitted in the theatre with me. So here's my two wonderful support people, with the end result of the whole process.

Scott holding Sparrow. They both look so cute. Sparrow just seems to charm people, though it's my firm belief that newborns are programmed to do this.

The hearing screen, on her third day. It's progressively getting into all the hospitals. They normally do it when the infant is sleeping, however this apparently wasn't something she cared to sleep through. I'm not there for this bit as I'd gone to a post-natal physio talk with another new mum and one of the hospital physios. The photo's out of focus as James didn't realise I'd left the camera on manual instead of automatic, but I had to include it because the look on her face is just priceless even when fuzzed out.

So when I came back from the physio class, this is what I found. James is holding Sparrow to keep her from fretting and wiggling so much the earphones come off, and it's mostly working. James' cuddles seem to have an incredibly calming effect, something she and I agree completely on. She passed the hearing screen just fine, though it took longer on one ear than the other because she kept wiggling the earphone out of contact.