He's Here and He's Wonderful!!

Finally, our little baby boy arrived on June 2, although not by his choosing. I was induced and ended up having a c-section after 24 hours of labor. I was only in horrible pain for 2 of those hours, I have to admit. I spent the next hour after that thanking whoever invented epidurals. That was the first time for months I was able to lie in bed comfortably, with no back or leg pain, and of course no pain from the contractions.) We were disappointed and scared when the dr called for a c-section, but I had only progressed to 5 cm and "Little" Guy was showing some signs of stress. I was crying and shaking before the surgery, but Adam was there to reassure me and the doctors and nurses were great. It was very freaky to go from the soft light of the labor room to the harsh lights and glaring instruments of the OR. But just 30 minutes later, we heard Brenden Connor's first cries, and his Daddy snapped his first picture (see above). It's a little gross but I love how he's clenching his fists like he's saying "Why God, why??"

And notice the double chins. He weighed in at 9 lbs, 5 oz, which was part of the reason he couldn't come out the normal way. And despite outward appearances, the dr discovered that I have a narrow pelvis on the inside.

The first week was VERY difficult. The recovery from the c-section was awful those first few days, and I was an emotional mess from hormones and the pain killers I was on. I was so upset that I couldn't even take care of myself, much less Brenden. I wouldn't have survived those first days without Adam and his mom. They kept the house running, and all I had to do was nurse Brenden. The nursing itself has been great since our first try in the recovery room, but it was overwhelming having to wake up every 45 minutes or so to nurse. No one can prepare you for the reality of being 100% responsible for another life. I've wanted kids for years and thought about it so much, but thinking about it isn't the same as experiencing the surreal mix of exhaustion and joy.

Thankfully I am feeling much better since I kicked the pain killers, and Brenden is great. From the first day everyone who interacted with him remarked on what a perfect baby he is. He only cries a little, usually when he's hungry. He's a great nurser and at 2 weeks old he was already weighing in at 10 lbs, 11 oz. He's already sleeping for longer streches of time. I actually got 8 hours of sleep the past two nights!! That was over a period of 12 hours, but even when he's awake for a 3 hour stretch in the middle of the night, he's pretty content just to nurse and dirty a half dozen diapers or so. (I am astonished at how many diapers we go through, and at how much they leak!)

He likes to be held most of the time he's awake, but he'll sit in his bouncy seat or lie down for tummy time for about 5 minutes or so, which is a godsend when I'm desperate to eat breakfast or lunch. It's amazing how hard it is to do anything, and how long it takes. Some days are better than others though, like today when he's willing to take a morning nap.

Adam is thrilled to be a Daddy, and the best moments are when we sit and laugh at Brenden's crazy noises and the faces he makes. The funniest one is when he does a big stretch and his crazy cackle, which sometimes sounds like a horse whinney. It's LOUD too - the first couple of nights we had trouble sleeping because we thought something was wrong with him. Adam's first Father's Day was a quiet one. I made a nice dinner at home because taking Brenden out for long periods of time is daunting. He isn't a big fan of his car seat. But he does like his stroller, so I've been enjoying walks around the neighborhood with him. I'm eager to get back into shape, and I'm making slow progress. I lost a good 20 lbs almost instantly, and now I have about 10-15 to go. The worst is how my tummy looks though - my belly button is stuck in limbo - half in and half out, and it's surrounded by stretch marks. Eventually they will fade and they're so worth it.

I am very thankful to have 6 more weeks home with our precious guy, and that his Daddy will be home with him after that. In the back of my mind I'm already dreading making the transition back to work, because I know it will be hard, but it's the best thing for our family and I know we'll be just fine.

Gotta go - someone's waking up from his nap!