Little Vanessa had been born prematurely on February 12th, weighing in at just four and a half pounds. We stayed at the Botanic Garden Hospital on the mainland until she weighed five pounds, which took exactly one week. Life leading up to the birth had been hectic at the Pizzeria and the rest had done me a world of good. My private room overlooking the Botanic Gardens offered a balcony as well as a full bathroom, better than most hotels in my opinion!
The day came for us to leave the hospital, and I laid out clothes for the baby’s trip home. I had knitted up a storm while pregnant and had brought along a selection of sweaters, booties and caps. The nurse brought Vanessa to my room and together we carefully dressed the baby, then wrapped her in a blanket. Mac and I settled down to wait for Dr. Cyrus to make his rounds, we needed his approval before we could leave.
The baby started to fuss, and was wailing as Dr. Cyrus entered the room. He quickly unwrapped the blanket, and when he saw how I had dressed my little girl he exclaimed, “Are you trying to kill the child!!?? She’s roasting to death!” He made me take off the beautiful woolen hat, the lovely thick woolen sweater and the woolen booties that reached past her knees. The clothes I had made were tiny but Vanessa was tinier, and she DID look somewhat ridiculous in them! Dr. Cyrus approved of the simple cotton tunic I produced, assuring me that the tunic and blanket were more than enough for the trip home.
Dr. Cyrus had stressed the need to keep little Vanessa away from germs, and that meant no visitors for at least a week once we got back to Bequia. With this in mind Mac had chartered a cabin cruiser to take us home. I hated to leave my room at the hospital, I didn’t feel ready to face the realities of motherhood! Mac was anxious to get moving as I said fond farewells to the nurses who had made my week-long stay as comfortable as possible.
Mac and I left the Botanic Garden Hospital side by side, and I knew that another chapter of my life on Bequia was about to begin.