Day Four

I got a full nights sleep last night, clear through to 5am, and woke up feeling perky. With plenty of energy, I helped mind the baby while Gail and Grandma got some sleep. Poor Gail can only sleep for brief intervals because Ava needs to eat every hour or two. It is really exhausting for mothers in the beginning, I can't imagine how single moms manage. Actually the whole bit is harder for me than I expected. I figured I'd get off pretty easy, just being nearby, cracking wise, and changing a diaper or two. But since Gail's doing around the clock baby support, she has needed a lot of help. We're very lucky to have Grandma here. We set up an appointment to see the pediatrician today, and carried Ava in around 1:30pm. She now weighs 7lbs 4ozs (typical to lose weight during first week), and is now certified as the cutest baby in Athens. Ava was scheduled to get a Hepatitis B vaccine, and Gail was anxious about having to watch her cry from the needle. I promised her if she (Gail) didn't cry that I would take her to DQ for some ice cream. The nurse did a quick and tidy job of it, and I immediately swaddled Ava after which she stopped crying and chilled out almost immediately. It wasn't nearly as bad as we'd feared, and we stopped on the way home and got a Georgia Mud Slide, which descriptively is akin to what Ava has been manufacturing lately. The afternoon was another fine spring day, and we all enjoyed the weather while doing some chores around the house and letting Gail get a little shut eye.