Baby viewing, the full version

So I finally have time for the full version, thus, here it is.

Baby Saskia (not her name, but one of my picks, so it's going to be her Zen Name) was born Sunday afternoon. I had originally been intended to be there, but Caroline's labor went so fast that Mr. Samoa and I were unable to make it. Thusly, we decided that we would make the trek last night after Mr. Samoa got off of work.

I got out of work myself at three yesterday, and went home to walk pups. This being done, I headed off to Voldemart to get baby gifts. I had intended to leave with roses and a mat for the birth record I stitched. I left with: the roses, the mat, a card, a bag of chocolates for Caroline, an adorable pink knit hat and mittens set with roses on them, a pink and purple sleep sack (JFGoogleIt, I'm lazy), and a gift bag for all of same. What can I say, I was sucked in by the lure of Voldemart.

At five, I arrived at Mr. Samoa's office to drag him out. This is generally no small task, and yesterday was no exception; I used the time to put the birth record in the mat. At ten after five, I dragged him out by the hair and stuffed him into the car. Due to Saskia's prematurity, she and Caroline were two hours away at Metropolis University Hospitals. So, off we schlepped.

We actually made it in an hour and 45. We parked in the parking garage, then realized no one had cash for the attendant. "No matter," I said, "there is an ATM inside." This will get important in a bit.

Hopped in the elevator, made it up to the seventh floor where Caroline and Mr. Caroline were to be found. You have to get through an airlock system to get to the mothers' rooms. I was tempted to have work fax them a copy of my background check and fingerprinting, but resisted. We then trooped down a long hallway (I expected some villain to jump out from behind a meal cart at any moment) to Caroline's room.

Caroline and Mr. C were looking very well. Caroline was wayyy bouncier than Tagalong had been after having Daisy, but Caroline does not have a flair for the dramatic so I imagine this was to be expected. All the presents were appreciated, but Caroline leapt upon the chocolate directly. :D At Metro U Hospital, the babies do not room in, and Saskia was in the NICU so was on the floor below. As there was only one visitor at a time allowed in, with a parent, it was decided that her Aunt Agony (there also) and I would be the ones to go while Uncle Fester and Mr. Samoa stayed behind. As Mr. Samoa and I had been there longer, I got to go first.

Caroline and I trooped down a floor, and through still more airlocks. They make you do a surgical scrub before you go in. "Oh, you don't have to do that, just wash your hands," said Caroline. I had come almost straight from work. I did the surgical scrub. :P

We went through the final airlock, and there she was, in her little incubator. Only parents and grandparents could touch (I was somewhat relieved, having come from Germ Hell) but I could look and take pictures. Dear readers, Saskia is beautiful. I swear she looks exactly like the picture of Briar Rose that I stitched in her birth record. Caroline and I were sitting there: "Dude! You made that! Isn't that wild?" "Yeah! It's crazy!" "Totally!". Beavis and Butthead do the NICU. ;) She looks a bit like Caroline's mom, who I really wish could have lived to see her. Perhaps she did get to.

After standing there enthralled for several minutes, we reluctantly went up to switch out for Aunt Agony, and Mr. Samoa and I began the trek back home. This was when we discovered that neither of the ATMs in the place liked Mr. Samoa's debit card. As nearly as we could tell, this had something to do with the events of the Miss Butterhorn festival last month. So I dug through my purse and found enough change to get us sprung from the garage. I got us dinner at Dave's Daughter's Fast Food on the way home, as is tradition on late-night trips home from Metropolis.

I can't wait until she gets home so we all can hold her, but there's time enough. As a wise person said, babies don't spoil, and we have eighteen years. :D