Gabrielle Shalom Day 4: Sept 20

Check out day is tomorrow afternoon!

Last night I got a room mate at midnight, and then they moved her to another floor around 3 a.m. my sleepless night was not because the baby was calling. 

This morning they moved another lady in waiting to have her baby, also via Caesarean. I met the husband right away and he was super nice. From Israel, they have lived here seven years. We have met people from almost every middle eastern country in all of our time here, but this was the first Israeli couple we have met. After talking on various occasions I told him I loved Israel, how beautiful it was and why I had visited. I also told him our new daughter's name and he was delighted. He was quite surprised that we were Americans and having 4 kids. "I love it!" he said, and told his wife: 'see!' they are on their 3rd! They also give their kids biblical names and had not yet decided on their newest one's name. 

David brought the kids up to visit this afternoon, it has been non-stop rain, making it hard on daddy entertaining kids who love to be outside. But he has done great! After hanging out in the room for awhile, I fed Gabrielle one more time, and then went to dinner with them at a restaurant in the hospital. We reminded them that from now on, we will have 4 kiddos at every meal!

Here are some pics:

 Tobin finally gets a chance to hold Gabrielle, and he did great!

As Sophia walked towards me in the hall today, I thought: 'here comes mini-me', and in this pic, I think I am looking just like my mom. Really just.like. her. 

 Animal planet: Anacondas! It was pretty gruesome, they were enthralled.

Bella was kissing her head, looks more like she wants to take a bite.

Gabrielle Shalom Day 3: Sept 19

So far, David, with three kids in tow, has visited the Birth certificate translation office (more than once), and the visa extension office. (if you stay over 30 days in Thailand you need a visa). What is helpful is that these services are right here at the hospital. For every one of our children's translations they have said it will take 1-2 weeks, where we could go outside and get it done in a day. But each time David talks them into doing it in about 3 days (which is how much time we have). He succeeded again this time!

The visa extension folks ended up needing our kids' birth certificates, this is new. We had to retrieve these records from the hospital somehow. They came to my room to get more documents from David, convenient. We still need to meet up with each of these offices on various days...Gabrielle may get passport photos tomorrow, this is always fun. With Tobin the embassy didn't accept them and we had to run out of our embassy appointment and get ones nearby, definitely not fun.

Tobin will get his last Rabies shot, we will possibly move into an even better 1st floor apartment (David will do the moving) before I get out of the hospital, and then on Monday the embassy appointment and I have a doctor's appointment. Not too busy around here.

 Here is what the family visit looked like today...

 Tobin was a little grumpy and likes to go across the room and lie down with his 'baa baa'

 Bella had the sniffles so we are making her and all the kids use the antibacterial dispenser on the wall in my room. Then she hangs her hands out like this while they dry.

there is Tobin, in Exile across the room. He likes it. 

 Love these pics, Bella does really well holding Gabrielle and is getting more stable with it.

Gabrielle is nursing well. But did just nurse again after only an hour, such is the life of a newborn. We will see how the night goes...

Gabrielle Shalom Day 2

 Her hair is dark brown and her eyes, for now, dark blue. I have a feeling they may turn brown, not sure.

The girls helped pick out flowers for me!

 We don't get as many pics so far of baby and me (because daddy is wrangling the kiddos) or baby and Bella (because daddy is helping her hold Gabrielle). But I am much more mobile now and moving well. (they had me in the shower on my own after just over 24 hours, this was a bit faster than the previous ones, and more painful).

 Quick daddy take a pic, she is holding my hand!

We are waiting for her to gain some weight back before we do a few immunizations and blood test, should happen in the next few days. She is nursing pretty well so far!

Gabrielle Shalom Day 1

 First photos.

 They let me kiss her and then took her to get cleaned up, while the doc finished up with me.

I was in recovery by 10:40 (yes, I looked at the clock), and they brought Gabrielle to nurse at 11:40. Then I went to my room by 12:30ish

During that time David went back and got the kids

I have no idea what I was saying. The kids were so excited. Tobin kept asking (on day 1 and 2), 'did you have the baby mommy?' 

They were amazed I could not feel my legs or walk.

 Sophia LOVES holding Gabrielle, and would hold her for hours if we let her.

Bella is just as excited and loves doting on her as well. But her arms are smaller so she is not quite as independent. 

  

Tobin held Gabrielle the first day but not since...

 Love this man. Unfortunately not enough pics like these!

 He is super-duper hubby and daddy.

 Sweetness.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.