On the way home, David made some phone calls, so we could hold the baby's Bris (circumcision) the next morning. We wanted to get it done before Pesach, but everything was very nerve-wracking.
I set up the baby's bassinet in between our beds, trying to make it as similar to the way the nurses set up the baby's bed in the NICU.
It was very hard to keep to the 3-hour schedule Yonah was on in the hospital, but I managed as best as I could, nursing him throughout the night, and pumping enough milk for the 2 baby bottles the Mohel (guy who does the Bris) told me I should bring, so I could immediately calm the baby, after the Bris was over.
It was so funny, because both David's step-mom Tina and I had bought the exact same outfit for the Bris. Pretty baby blue, with blue embroidery. And a blue cap you see in the picture to the left.
Then David and I were out the door. He drove, and I sat in the back seat of the car, watching over Yonah. Before we knew it, we had arrived at the Young Israel of Avenue J, the same place were David and I had out engagement party. And I went up to the second floor, to stay with Yonah until the men finished davening (praying) and they were ready for the Bris.
I took Yonah downstairs by the elevator and laid him on top of a pretty lace pillow, at the back of the cloakroom on the first floor. You can see him here wearing his bris outfit.
Then, it was time to pass him on. I handed Yonah on the pillow to my mother, and she passed him to Tina, and Tina passed him to David's father, and then to my father, and then to David I imagine.... but I can't remember that well. I just know that it was so nerve-wracking to pass him off to other people.
What if they dropped him?
You can see my Dad, Jay Haies, leaning over the shoulders of David's father, Alan Scop, to help hold Yonah down as the Mohel began the Bris.
Below, you can see my mother's older brother, Artie Solomon, holding Yonah on the pillow, as the Mohel finished up his job, putting salve on the baby, gauze, and then putting a tiny cloth dipped in wine into Yonah's mouth so he could have just a taste of that.
As you can see, he drank from his bottle and went right to sleep.
He's always been the easiest baby to take care of. Hardly ever cries. Even at the Bris, he only cried a short time, and then stopped immediately after the pain stopped.
He was so used to being pricked and prodded from being in the NICU, that he just learned to ignore pain, as long as it went away quickly. The thing he hated the most was when you held up his legs to change his diaper. Then he would cry until you put his legs down. But, other than that, he was always the best little guy.
Whew! It's all over. Thank Goodness!
Nobody likes to hear a baby cry.
It had been an exhausting 6 weeks. And I was enjoying showing off Yonah.
David kept moving me from seat to seat, to keep people from crowding Yonah, because he's still extremely vulnerable to getting sick.
Below: Me with my mom, Evelyn Haies. The proud grandma.
My sister Elissa and her husband, Pinchas Grunwald, come over to check out Yonah.
David, the proud father, holding Yonah.
Deborah with her friends, Channie Braun (l) and Basya Tavlin. Keeping me company.
David's stepmom Tina (she's the one with the hat) surrounded by family.
Mishli (left), Shiffie Silber (blonde sheitel) with her 4 children. 3 boys, and her latest, a baby girl.
Another shot of Deborah with her friends, Channie Braun (l), and Basya Tavlin.
Checking out Yonah and keeping me company.
The Happy Parents,
Deborah, David and Yonah Scop, with the Mohel, after the Bris.
The visiting home nurse came by later that morning, and weighed Yonah. He was 5 pounds! Wow! I called everyone to tell them the good news.
The rest of the day I stayed home and fed Yonah and tried to do as much cleaning for Passover as I could, before the holiday.
My friend, who has 11 children, sent over one of her girls to help me clean. I also ordered a snap-and-go carriage so we would have a carriage to transport Yonah over the holiday.
And then my friends Basya and Jennifer came over to sleep. They were going to be walking to meals and needed a place to stay in Brooklyn. So we even had company.
Jennifer was getting over being sick so she stayed away from Yonah. But Basya even helped me change him in the morning, so she got to see Yonah up close. He may be 5 pounds, but still so tiny.
We ended up going to David's rabbi's for the first night of Passover. I fed Yonah in the back room for awhile, pumping enough for another bottle, so I could feed him at the table. The rabbi's kids all came around to look at Yonah. So tiny. Then we walked home. So nice to finally be a family.
The next day, David came running upstairs from shul, and then ran out with Yonah in his car seat.. He hurried down the stairs and down the block, so Yonah could hear Birchat Cohanim, the Priestly Blessing. He just managed to get there in time for the last bracha. "Yisa Adonai Panav Eilecha, Vayisem Licha Shalom".
Then in the afternoon, we walked to my parents for the second seder. My Uncle Artie and Aunt Fran were thers as were my brothers, Daniel and David. I fed Yonah in the backroom once again, and then brought him to the table afterwards.
Soon the seder was over. David and I went upstairs and went to sleep. David woke me at 5am to feed Yonah. Then again at 8am. And then Yonah fell asleep on the bed next to me.