Today I gain 2 new sisters, and Rebekah gains 2 new aunts. My parents and sister Nina are in Russia adopting 10-year-old twins Anastasia Irene and Ekatarina LaRue. In fact, with the 12 hour time difference, the adoption has probably already taken place.

I got up and walked down the hallway and back today, with Joe's help. I'm a bit unsteady and thankful for the rails that line the hallway. Joe was beside me the whole way, toting the IV cart with my "artificial bladder" attatched. While we were walking, one of the nurses changed my bed. It was good to get back into a bed of clean sheets.

I have begun to develop a fever. The doctor was by to look at my incision and noticed that I have some infection just above it. It is probably a Strep infection, but not the kind that affects the baby in any way. I'll be receiving antibiotics through my IV to help counter the infection. In the meantime, my sleep is restless and fevered.

They removed my intravenous pain relief today too. I'll be receiving Percoset orally for pain now. Sometimes when I move my incision feels like it's burning. My tummy is contracting painfully, especially when I nurse Rebekah.

Sharon, the lactation consultant Nyasha had called, almost didn't come since she heard how well Rebekah had started to nurse. But she came by around lunchtime anyway to help out with our technique. I was glad she did.

Joe managed to come in late this morning and missed having lunch. I was eating my dinner (the doctor had finally OK'd me for solid food) by the time I realized he hadn't eaten since morning.

We were both moody and cranky. A hospital stay can be quite taxing. I know we were both probably still exhausted from lack of sleep too. Holli brought in some food, and we also finally cut my birthday cake...or I should say, Rebekah's and my birthday cake. We made sure that Michelle, my favorite nurse, got a piece too. It was great to finally be able to eat some cake.

Later, Joe watched over me and Rebekah as we tried to sleep. I woke up every five minutes, or so it seemed, to tell Joe about another nightmare I'd had. The dreams were so vivid and seemed so real, even though, like most nightmares, they were not the least bit ordinary or likely to happen. We blamed the nightmares on my fever, which seemed to be getting worse. Later on, someone came in to draw 5 or more vials of blood for various cultures to determine exactly what kind of infection I had.
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