Mommy update

Since reporting on our photoblog yesterday that Kari suffered some painful complications during the birth of our daughter Erysse, I’ve been overwhelmed by your notes of concern and support. This is one of those rare and beautiful times when we have felt connected to friends and family, despite the geographic distance between all of us.

I’m relieved to report that Kari’s condition has improved considerably since yesterday afternoon.

For those of you just joining us, Kari delivered a 10-pound, 6-ounce baby girl at 6 a.m. on November 9. She was a record-breaker, not just for the attending nurse and physician, but also for the ward in which she was born. (To put this into some perspective, the hospital opened this spring, so we’re not about to call Guinness just yet.)

The birth capped a gruelling all-nighter and more than a day of excruciating contractions. Kari was originally scheduled to have a c-section, but after consulting with her doctors and several trusted friends and relatives who worked in the medical profession, she had decided to have the baby normally.

Several hours after Erysse arrived, Kari’s condition took a turn for the worse. There were problems with blood loss and clotting.

“The pain I experienced during the delivery was nothing compared with this,” she told me yesterday afternoon, just before doctors hooked her up to an IV with a potent, morphine-like narcotic that made everything groovy to her.

Well, needless to say, while Kari was feelin’ alright, I was coming unhinged. For those of you who spoke with me yesterday afternoon in my sleep-deprived state, I’m sorry for not being my usual chipper self.

Late yesterday, doctors were able to contain the bleeding and they successfully removed all of the clots. I brought Aren and Iden to the hospital to visit their mother, and while she was still barely coherent, the nurses assured me she would make a complete recovery.

The biggest problem at that point: preventing the boys from pulling her IV and catheter out of her while she slept. But they did get to meet their new sister. And they were fascinated by her.

Aren looked like a kid that goes into a pet shop and sees a puppy or a lizard that he’s never seen before. You know, a “Wow!” reaction, followed by, “Can we take her home with us?” (I will need to explain to him at some point that sisters aren’t pets.)

Iden, who is only 22 months old, wanted to give Erysse a ride in her wheeled bassinet, while screaming, “Sister! Sissssster!”

By this morning, all the tubes were out of Kari and the bleeding had completely stopped. We’re expecting her home tomorrow.

OK, so I know this blog is known for its often snarky comments about the travel industry, but for just one entry, I’d like to say in all seriousness and without even the slightest hint of sarcasm, how much I appreciate all of your kind notes and prayers during the last 24 hours.

They have meant a great deal to to us.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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