Sun and I left the hospital yesterday and are happy to be home. The hospital staff was very helpful, but every five minutes someone was knocking on the door–between my nurse, the nursery nurse, the nurses’ aides, the lactation specialists, housekeeping–it was grand central station. At least my home is quiet. And I get to see my animals.

Sun is doing very well–she ended up on a gavage (feeding) tube for just two days. Now she has a red mark on her face from the tape. Other than that, she is just fine. Damned adorable. She’s passed all the tests they’ve put her through. Strong little bugger, she is!

She isn’t technically a preemie (because she was born in the 35th week), but she is “early.” To her, she should still be in the womb, and she is still doing that which she’d do if she were. She sleeps all the time. Never cries. Eats well but isn’t nursing. The sleeping and no crying are very nice (we are told that should last for another two weeks or so). And the eating well thing is good, too. She’s only lost three ounces since being born.

But the no nursing thing is really a drain. I won’t scare off Pete (and other delicate readers) with too many details, but the situation is such that I am pumping every two hours and she is eating every three hours. Oh, the joys of early nursing. Yet another pregnancy-related topic that I had no idea about–and had I known the full truth, I’d have run for the hills. See how they trick you into compliance with the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy?

For those of you who’ve been where I am, here are a few words you may be glad you no longer have in your vocabulary: breast pumps, shields, shells, horns or flanges, nursing bras and pads, chaffing, cracking, lanolin, self expression (no, I don’t mean being articulate or poetic). Oh, and my favorite, engorgement. I can look back and laugh (almost) at this point since the engorgement phase is behind me, but MAN do they not prepare new nursing mothers for this!

And because Sun can’t nurse yet, every meal she gets is pumped by me. That’s a lot of pumping. The lactation aide said that we are doing the work as if we were feeding triplets. There is some consolation in being told that.

So that’s my days (and nights) right now, hours divided up into one of three activities: pumping, feeding the baby, sleeping. Occasionally, I snag a shower and a bite to eat and even 15 minutes to blog.

Motherhood, I have arrived.