The Lighter Side Of Things

November 6, 2012

I don't want to come off that my labor, deliver, and hospital stay was the worst ever. Sure I had a rough go, but I truly think the language barrier was my biggest problem. Things would probably been a lot different if I were able to speak Japanese.

I did experience some pretty comical times during my stay as well.

I came to realize that I was developing pretty good friendships with some of my favorite nurses.

One in particular,  we will call her "Sally", has a great sense of humor. As you may recall from an earlier post she was the one that gave me the Japanese doll while I was waiting all night to see Brayden. It may seem insensitive at the time, but she was just trying to make me smile.

I was playing on the IPad when she came over to see what I as up to. I began showing her and another nurse photos of my family back home. When I came to a photo of my brother, Ted, she squealed like a school girl (I think she's probably in her 40's or 50's) and was saying how handsome he is over and over again. She then went and gathered all the nurses to show them my "handsome" brother. She also couldn't get over the size of my Dad. I have yet to see anyone over here taller than about 6' 2".

The picture the nurses went crazy about! My "handsome" brother Ted with his girlfriend, Shanna

The next morning "Sally" came to get Brayden for a bath. When I asked if I could watch, she told me in her broken English that " no, big nurse wash baby". Then started to laugh. I was thinking that I must not understood her correctly, but then about 10 minutes later she came and got Justin and I and brought us to where Brayden was to get a bath. She shouts out to us, "See Laura big nurse wash baby" she laughs and points to the larger woman bathing Brayden. Good thing that nurse doesn't understand English!

While changing Brayden we noticed that he got his first tattoo. On both legs it is written in Japanese characters " Laura Fletcher". At least Brayden is a Mama's boy from the start! Don't fret though it is just in permanent marker and will eventually disappear. It is how they keep track of who's baby is who's. However, there is no mistaking our little man. He's the BIG BOY in the nursery. He's on average about 1000 grams (2.2 pounds) bigger than the others, not to mention his blonde hair and blue eyes.