After Kelz gave birth to Sasd, there was a lot to do. I called work and gave them the good news. I told them I would be in later to finish what I started earlier in the day and I would work the next morning, but I would need three days off after that. They didn't have a problem with it.
Then I called Mom. She was very excited. I told her about how the baby had a bowel movement in the womb. She said I did the same thing when I was born. She spoke to Kelz and told her that if she needed her to come out to let her know. I called Dad to let him know what happened, but we really didn't talk that much about the situation. He was glad that Kelz and Sasd were okay. He did say that if I needed help with money or something, to let him know.
I called all my friends. They were all aware of what was going on and were excited, but also very cautious in their optimism. I couldn't blame them.
I went to work and started setting up things so I could be gone for a few days. After I was done, I went back to the hospital. Kelz told me she called Mom and asked her to come out and assist. I was glad Mom was coming out. Also, Kelz had decided to use formula to feed the baby. I think she was afraid that her days of heroin addiction may have had an impact on her ability to breastfeed.
Kelz and I ate our dinners. We were also provided with a bottle of sparkling apple cider. We poured it into cups and raised them to toast. I enjoyed my steak dinner.
Later, we watched tapes of shows I had brought from work, including "Dark Shadows" and "Days of Our Lives." We then fell asleep. I went to bed on the couch in the room. The staff had told us ahead of time that they were going to take the baby out around midnight and administer medications and take her picture. I must have been really tired, because I don't remember anyone coming in or out.
I woke up at 4:30am and went to work. We had been told that Kelz and Sasd would likely be discharged by noon that day. I tried to rush through everything at work so I would be done in time. Around 10am, Kelz called and asked what time I was going to be there. I told her about noon, because that was the time the nurse had told us. Around 10:30am, Kelz called back and told me the staff REALLY wanted her out of there ASAP.
I was able to leave work, but I still had to get stuff ready at the house. We didn't have a place for Sasd to sleep. I pulled out a drawer from my dresser which had a bunch of old jeans in it. I put a blanket over the jeans and put the drawer next to the bed. This was going to be where Sasd would sleep. I also tried to install the car seat, but it was taking too long to figure out. I had to get to the hospital.
I arrived and went to the Kelz' room. She and Sasd were dressed and ready to go. The staff basically wanted us to leave right away. I felt bad, but I realized that there appeared to be no other women in the maternity ward, so I wondered what the rush was.
I apologized to Kelz and explained that I couldn't set up the car seat. I asked her to hold Sasd very closely while we drove home and I would get the seat properly installed later. I did not take the highway.
While we were driving home, I realized that we didn't get to enjoy the mad dash to the hospital like I'd seen on TV and the movies. This was because we didn't think she was going into labor. Really, that was a good thing because I wasn't putting anyone's life at risk.
We got home safely. A neighbor saw us and said, "Oh, you had the baby?" She got to see Sasd right before we went inside. Kelz laid down and went to sleep. I held Sasd for awhile. She started getting fussy. I tried to figure out what to do. First, I changed her diaper, but she was still fussy. I determined that maybe she needed formula, so I was able to heat some up in a pot of boiling water and give it to her. It seemed to be just what she needed. I continued to hold her as she fell asleep.
I wondered about the commitment I was making. I wondered how long we were going to be a family. Things had recently improved between me and Kelz, but I couldn't help but worry about what would happen in the future. All I really knew was that this was just going to be something that would constantly be on a day to day basis. I couldn't make any long-range plans. All I could do was go to work and help provide for Kelz and Sasd. Maybe this might work.
The three of us went to bed later that night. Sasd had some trouble falling asleep. I figured out that since she had been born, there had always been a light on in the hospital room. I happened to have a night light in the house. I plugged it into a socket near the drawer she was sleeping in. Shortly after, she fell asleep. Kelz and I conked out soon after.
In the middle of the night, I could hear a bit of a commotion outside. I could hear two men talking in the path behind the apartment, but outside the bedroom window. I couldn't really hear what they were saying. I got the idea that one of them was Brod. Suddenly, their silhouettes appeared on the blinds. They seemed to act like they were going to break into the apartment. There were bars on the outside, so I don't know what they thought they were going to accomplish. I mentally prepared for an invasion. However, they turned around an went away. If one of them was Brod, I think he was trying to see if he could peer into the window to catch a glimpse of his daughter. But it was still unsettling and I couldn't sleep for several hours.
The thought occurred to me: Maybe this might not work.
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