Hospital visit #1

"On Friday, Ross and I went to check out the hospital where I will give birth. Normally with a second baby, there wouldn't be a need for a tour of the maternity wing, but since the birth of Jackson we have moved clear across the country and thought it would be wise to know, at the very least, which door to enter when the time comes.

I don't know who designs hospitals, but I think a lot of them must have really been into mazes as youngsters. Half flights of stairs, secret elevators, 5 different wings extending off of one long, winding, and sometimes narrow hallway . . . I'm glad that I'll be wheeled around from place to place and wont really need to navigate except from bed to bathroom and back again, with maybe a few trips down the halls for exercise and showing off the new babe.

Now, Jackson was born in DC and the hospital there was just fine. We didn't know any differently. Our Tacoma hospital offers us a few new amenities that weren't available to us three years ago: DVD players in the recovery room (which are actually the same size as the ones in DC = small), a jacuzzi in the delivery room to help relax during active labor, and a crazy sense of heightened security.

I'm sure all of their security measures are in place for a reason, but the extent of them seems a little over the top to me. They do report a 100% success rate, so I guess that's a sign these measures are worth while . . . Your baby is with you from birth until being discharged, there is no nursery. There are little microchips in your id bracelet (as well as baby's and daddy's) that will trigger an alarm if you get too close to an exit door or opening elevator (the I guess there is a mini-lock down and a security nurse will rush to you and make sure all the bracelets match). And now, the majority of tests or treatments that BITB will receive can all be done within my recovery room, and if they have to take BITB elsewhere, I am to go along. Wonder if I'm going to be able to get any recovery sleep that I know I'll be needing. . .

But all in all, it was a great visit. The birthing rooms are large and comfortable and I'm excited to welcome BITB into the world there.

When Ross and I returned home, Jackson was still awake so I tucked him into bed again while Ross drove the sitter home. Jackson asked me, "Did baby come yet?" Too cute. He knew that we were going to the hospital and figured that meant that BITB was arriving (if only it took one hour!). I explained we had a little more time and that we were just learning about the place BITB would "pop out" in (in reference to Jackson's 'when is the baby going to pop out' questions). He seemed satisfied with that, and settled down to sleep.

60 days, give or take a handful, of just one kid to put to bed . . ."
--Clare