Quinny's First Days

I still can't quite wrap my head around the fact that I was fully pregnant when I left my apartment on October 1st, and then after a short subway stint, an elevator ride to the 10th floor and a little OR action it was like wham, bam, thank you ma'am I was no longer pregnant and was holding the cutest little human in my arms. Surreal is what I like to call it. That, and a miracle. And kind of weird, right? This morning I went on a very, very slow walk around the block (think, sslllooowwww) and ran into a man who lives in our building. He hit it right on the head with, "So...last week that baby was inside you and now she's hanging out in the bassinet? I can't figure it all out!" Me neither. Making babies, birthing babies, caring for babies; the fact that it's at all possible is a wonder of the world to me. 

But anyway, la-dee-da, below is an ever-so-brief (ha!) travelogue of our days in the hospital. Another thing I still can't wrap my mind around? The fact that I left the hospital with a healthy 3-day-old baby. No extended stays. No NICU. No "Your baby probably isn't going to make it" or "This really isn't your fault" or "He stopped breathing, emergency surgery, side effects, risks and consent forms." Nope. After a couple of sweet nights shared with Miss Quinn (and a roommate--no private rooms were available at the inn!) I sat in a wheelchair with a baby in my arms and was pushed out into a rainy, noisy New York City that seemed more beautiful than I remembered. I'm pretty sure I have Quinn to thank for that!

So, here you go: 

 Heading to the hospital on an early Wednesday morning. 

 We figured our Subway days were going to be over for awhile (well, mine at least) so we opted to take the train to Columbia instead of a taxi. It was a very entertaining trip as we documented, well, just about everything!

There was some confusion about surgery times and we were a little scared that Quinn's birthday was going to be delayed, but luckily the charge nurse worked her magic and by 10:18 we were holding a baby girl in our arms, just as planned. And let's just state the obvious--Quinn's hair was the envy of all the other newborns! Seriously though, she's a looker!

Then came the visitors:

 GG and Mema (Papa and the boys were there as well but I need to get pictures from my mom. The brothers should have their own post anyway, right?)

 Dr. Bonanno on the left is the wonderful doctor who delivered Quinn, and on the right is Winnie, the nursing student who followed my case from pre-op to post-partum (and her first c-section!)

 We finally settled on the name Quinn Isabel. The story behind the name Quinn is found here, and Isabel is after my beloved great grandmother Margaret Isabel Chase Crowe.

 Me and my girlfriend!

One of the sweetest things about welcoming Quinn into our family is seeing how much her Daddy adores her. Don't get me wrong, he LOVES his boys, but there is something about the way he looks at his little girl that makes me melt. 

 A super blurry picture taken by a cab driver that wanted to get us in the cab and on the road as quickly as humanly possible. Welcome to New York City, Quinny!

Daddy and Quinn inside getting ready for her first crazy, bumpy, and totally "normal" cab ride home. The cabby wouldn't even wait for car seats to be buckled or seat belts fastened. Oh bother.

 These little ones are beyond lucky to have the fantastic grandparents that they do, and I'm grateful that they were here to share in Quinn's birth.