Saturday, April 19, 2014

Gauri

She escaped the NICU on Monday (after spending 4 days in there), came to my hospital room on Monday, and we were discharged on Wednesday! We're home and are slowly settling in. The discharge day was especially rough...Hiranandani may be a nice hospital and the nursing staff is amazing and the doctors are pretty good, but they really don't pay any attention to infection control by keeping sick babies away from healthy babies: I was ordered to take her down from my nice clean hospital room to the OPD where we were surrounded by wailing children. I finally got to see the doctor, and when I was in the room with him, in came a baby with the viral flu! And all the doctor did down there was weigh her and pronounce her perfectly healthy.

The good news is that she is perfectly fine. The sucky bit is that I'm mildly ill, as is my father, but with different infections. I usually *never* fall ill, but given the stress of the first few days and the sleep deprivation (I also had horrible insomnia while being bone tired), I developed up a throat infection that has been slowly progressing. I was talking care of her while wearing a mask and suppressing my dry cough, but now that I'm bringing up phlegm every 15 mins, I've been barred from taking care of her.

She looks serene in the above shot (deleted), but this munchkin has a really mobile face...when she is awake she goes through a range of expressions that are amazingly comical. She smiles a lot in her sleep and while awake too...my favorite is the smile she gives just before she opens her mouth (like a shark) to attack that nipple.

I can't wait to get better, so I can be the one spending all day and night with her again, sans masks or worry.

33 comments:

  1. She is beautiful. Congratulations!

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  2. Such a beautiful baby and already so expressive!

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  3. She's precious!! Sorry you're sick. Hoping you get better soon.

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  4. Ahhh! She is gorgeous! And look at all that hair. :) So glad she has been discharged and is healthy! Get well soon Mama.

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  5. She is completely gorgeous!!! Congrats! I hope you feel better soon and can snuggle your sweet baby!!!

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  6. She is beautiful! And smiling so widely already - that's amazing. I'm so sorry to hear that you've been sick. I know you've waited a very, very long time to be able to hold her in your arms, to your heart's content. Germs begone. xo

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  7. She is a beauty! Congratulations!!!

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  8. Awwww, what a cutie! She is so alert!
    I hope you get over your illness soon so you can get back to taking care of her.

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  9. She is divine! congratulations - hope you feel better real soon!

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  10. Congratulations Jay ! Gauri looks perfect and so adorable. Such a cutie she is. May you both have a very beautiful and happy life ahead !

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    1. Aww, thanks Manju. I really want you to get your happy ending soon. Hope 2014 is the year to begin that process.

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  11. Yes, look at that smile! Congrats!

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  12. So so cute. With her smile and all her hair, she looks much older than she is. I hope you get better soon, but you are so smart to be extra careful. Congrats on your gorgeous girl!

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  13. She is so pretty.....congratulations, wish u both a great life ahead!

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  14. She is so beautiful. I'm just so happy for you and hope you feel better soon.

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  15. You know how babies are all beautiful because they are precious new babies? Gauri is absolutely beyond beautiful! Holy moly is that little girl stunning!!!!! Congrats again and again and again!

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  16. OH. MY. HEAVENS.
    I LOVE her! She is so, so sweet.

    Boy, do I hope you feel better soon and you can snuggle that girl night and day. She is just so precious and perfect.

    I'm SO happy for you.

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  17. Congratulation, again! She is so precious. Love her wide-eyed gaze. Sorry you've been sick - that sucks! Glad you are home and hope you are feeling better now or will very soon. Sending love to little Gauri. :)

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  18. She is stunning! And looks like a sweet, lovely little lady. Enjoy having her home (and feel better soon!)

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  19. Congratulations! I'm so very happy for you! Now get better soon so that you can enjoy your baby :)

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  20. Congrats! She's beautiful!
    This is my first time commenting... I just want to say I have really enjoyed reading your journey! Congrats again!!

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  21. I can't believe how big and alert she looks already. She is beautiful! I've found masks (and lots of Lysol/clorox wipes) to be very helpful when I've had a bug and had to care for Ella. It's a pain, uncomfortable and hard to breathe through masks, but anything to keep our little ones healthy! When you have a chance… I'm curious why you had a hospital room… can you explain how that works?

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    1. You can get one at hiranandani even if you are not a patient (they call it a "hotel" stay and charge extra when your baby is not there with you yet). Once she was moved out of the NICU,she still needed to be in the hospital to continue the IV antibiotics for 3 more days (7-day-course at a minimum here).

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    2. I should add that all this is possible in India because you can pay directly out of pocket, without the insurance companies being involved.

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    3. Thanks for the explanations. I knew it had something to do with the country/cultural differences.

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  22. She's so adorable! I love her impish smile and sweet hair.I hope you're well soon and she's back in your loving care. You're so lucky to have your mom to help you.Thank you for sharing these special pictures.

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  23. What a beautiful daughter you have. Enjoy every moment. You worked as hard to make this happen as your surrogate. Enjoy enjoy enjoy!

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  24. She is so precious J! Love her pictures... she's already smiling at the camera!! Too cute!! Congratulations again!!

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  25. Oh my goodness she is absolutely gorgeous!!

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  26. She is beautiful! Congratulations!

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  27. Gorgeous. Simply, wonderfully, gorgeous. Such an amazing gift. Congratulations!

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  28. Congrats mama!!!! She's beautiful!!!

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