I started my third day at 6 lbs. 10.5 ozs., having lost about 8% of my birthweight in the first two days. This is just a bit more than I should have lost, but Dad (thanks to Grandma Yagan’s advice!) has been having my glucose checked regularly, and everything looks just fine.
At around 8:00 am, Dr. Bergquist came by to examine me and write my discharge order. The doctor noted that my legs were really strong and that I had “nice hips” (not sure that’s what Dad was hoping to be my best feature). Mom got discharged about an hour and a half later.
Dad packed up our stuff and Grandma Droste battled terrible Chicago traffic to bring the car from our house to the hospital. It took forever for the nurse to perform the ID check required by Prentice before a baby can leave the postpartum floor. Then we waited for a volunteer to escort us downstairs (is the FAA running the hospital’s security protocol?). My parents strapped me into the car seat and we drove home. Chicago seems cool, but, man, what is up with all those potholes?
My nursery is so cool! I don’t think my parents have any sense of style — my room’s color “theme” is the lack of a theme. I had lunch and then hung out with Grandma Droste for a couple hours as Mom took a nap and Dad went to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for Mom.
I ate again and then spent a couple hours with Grandpa & Grandma Yagan. I like that Grandpa Yagan doesn’t believe in swaddling — he’s always so worried about my arms and legs being tucked in so tightly. Dad’s an obsessive-compulsive swaddler, so it’s a nice break to be with Grandpa.
I had dinner at 7:00 or so and then overheard Mom and Dad strategizing about how to “survive” their first night alone with me. Well, their plans went up in smoke when Mom started feeling pretty severe pain that even a prescribed painkiller couldn’t fix. Dad took me downstairs to the office and got me to take a pretty long nap before I was just too hungry to keep quiet any longer. As if the the last few days weren’t proof enough that I have an amazing Mom, tonight’s performance sealed the deal. Despite being in excruciating pain, Mom and I had our best feeding session to date. I was stuffed; she was exhausted.
Dad insisted on giving her the night off and set up a makeshift bed out of blankets and sheets in front of my crib. After my big meal, Dad burped me quite vigorously and got three big burps out of me. Then, apparently jealous of all the “skin-time” I’ve been getting with Mom, he took of his shirt and let me lay on him. It was so cool! I just wiggled around and looked at him for about 45 minutes. We totally became BFFs, at least until I’m hungry again.
I got tired and instead of putting me in my crib, Dad let me sleep on the floor while he made a bizarre pitter-patter sound beating his fingers against a black piece of plastic with a bright light attached to it.
When I woke up about an hour later, Dad swaddled me and turned on this super cool rainforest noise maker (thanks Aunt Kim for telling my parents to register for it) that the Mareks got me before I was even born! I feel asleep almost instantly.
Mom crashed our sleepover at about 1:30 and tried to feed me, but instead I spit up through my nose and endured Dad’s amateur attempts to use a nasal aspirator to suction the stuff out of my nose. I had a quick snack with Mom before Dad asked her to go back to bed.
Now, here’s where Dad pulled a fast one on me. As long as I’ve known Dad (almost three days now!), we’ve had an ongoing battle. He tries to swaddle me using all the tricks he read about and learned in some parenting class he took. But he’s no match for me. I am way stronger than he thinks and I am always able to wiggle my way out. That is, until I met my match: Kiddopotamus! It turns out that I am definitely not strong enough to beat the Kiddopotamus, but I think using Velcro is cheating.
Dad finally fell sleep around 4:00 am, and the rest of my 3rd day of life went by uneventfully.
margaretyagan 
A sleeping baby seems great for mom and dad! She is so pretty, and I expect she will be talking and online at one month with such highly verbal parents! [Sherry, it was fun seeing Harris family link–and one or 2 pictures of brothers???]
Maggie, you are such an adorable, cuddly baby! We are so thrilled that you are finally here. You have the greatest parents! Be patient with them. Love to all!
Great-uncle Mark, Great-aunt Joanne,
Cousins Sam and Hunter
How is it possible than in just 3 days she’s become even cuter? This picture takes the cake.