Monday, March 26, 2012
Our first two weeks
Our first two weeks as a family of four have passed, and I honestly don't know where they went. Garrett has been a very easy baby so far. Maybe I shouldn't even type that. Maybe I just condemned myself to a difficult baby. Dang it!
No, but really.. these two weeks have been a lot easier than I expected. Jason was home for the first week, so I was (blessedly) able to recover from surgery and get a good bit of rest. We were on our own last week, and it went so much better than I thought it would be.
People keep asking if Katie is jealous, and I'm so happy to say that she's not. She rocks Garrett when he cries, and she says the Katie version of "He's crying!" ("He lyin, he lyin!") to me. She goes and gets diapers from the diaper drawer, and she throws them away after I change them. She pets and kisses her baby brother, and I can tell she really loves him.
G is really easy for a newborn, I think. He eats every 3 hours during the day, but cluster feeds at night. For the first 10 days I rarely got more than 30 minutes between feedings from 8 pm to 11 pm, but that is slowing down, too. And really, it wasn't that bad because after 11 pm, he would sleep a good 4 hours. 4 hours is a lot for a newborn. (TIP: G didn't want to sleep in his bassinet the first few nights, and we didn't want him to get accustomed to sleeping on Jason's chest. Someone suggested that we put a heating pad in the bassinet, warm it up, and then turn it off before we lay him in there. That's been a life-saver! He's slept there ever since!)
And one thing that's really been wonderful is that he doesn't have reflux. At least not yet.. I know the reflux could rear it's ugly head any time, but it isn't here right now. And let me tell ya, having a baby who spits up the normal amount is about a gajillion times less stressful than that reflux crap.
So, all this to say that our first two weeks as a family of four went surprisingly well. Now bring on week #3!
 |
| G's first trip to the park. He slept through it :) |
No, but really.. these two weeks have been a lot easier than I expected. Jason was home for the first week, so I was (blessedly) able to recover from surgery and get a good bit of rest. We were on our own last week, and it went so much better than I thought it would be.
 |
| Precious sibling love |
People keep asking if Katie is jealous, and I'm so happy to say that she's not. She rocks Garrett when he cries, and she says the Katie version of "He's crying!" ("He lyin, he lyin!") to me. She goes and gets diapers from the diaper drawer, and she throws them away after I change them. She pets and kisses her baby brother, and I can tell she really loves him.
 |
| See?? Kisses! |
G is really easy for a newborn, I think. He eats every 3 hours during the day, but cluster feeds at night. For the first 10 days I rarely got more than 30 minutes between feedings from 8 pm to 11 pm, but that is slowing down, too. And really, it wasn't that bad because after 11 pm, he would sleep a good 4 hours. 4 hours is a lot for a newborn. (TIP: G didn't want to sleep in his bassinet the first few nights, and we didn't want him to get accustomed to sleeping on Jason's chest. Someone suggested that we put a heating pad in the bassinet, warm it up, and then turn it off before we lay him in there. That's been a life-saver! He's slept there ever since!)
 |
| Seriously.. could he be any cuter?? |
And one thing that's really been wonderful is that he doesn't have reflux. At least not yet.. I know the reflux could rear it's ugly head any time, but it isn't here right now. And let me tell ya, having a baby who spits up the normal amount is about a gajillion times less stressful than that reflux crap.
 |
| Hanging out in his Rock N Play, the best invention ever. |
So, all this to say that our first two weeks as a family of four went surprisingly well. Now bring on week #3!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Frederick, Family of Four
 |
| 4:45 am, leaving for the hospital |
 |
| The sweet outfit that daddies get to wear in the OR |
 |
| I was so excited! Like, LETS DO THIS in all caps, excited. |
 |
| About to go into the OR, full of nervous energy |
 |
| And, at 0806, he's here! Garrett Bradley, 6 lbs, 4 oz, 19 inches |
 |
| Holding him for the first time, almost 2 hours later. Our hospital doesn't allow Baby in Mom's recovery room :( |
 |
| The much cuter version of the first picture |
 |
| KB meeting Baby G for the first time |
 |
| Getting to hold both of my babies for the first time |
 |
| Welcome aboard, little buddy! |
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Anxious rambling
*Disclaimer: After re-reading, I realize that I'm just rambling. I'm sorry for that, but I can't find a better way to articulate what's in my brain. Thanks for bearing with me!*
Despite every fear and anxiety I've faced since July, Baby G has made it to full term! I think I'm still a little bit in disbelief that we're even here. I honestly never, ever expected to make it this far. Yet here we are, at 38 weeks, happy, healthy and READY!
I do have a few more anxieties, though.
For instance, ......
Holy moly, I'm going to have two kids!
IN SIX DAYS!
I'm nervous about the c-section recovery, about getting into the swing of breast feeding a baby, and about balancing a newborn and a toddler.
I'm feeling a little guilty for not being able to be the Mommy that KB is used to once G gets here. I cried when I put her to bed tonight because, in less than a week, I will miss a lot of bed times. I won't be able to lift her into her crib for a while.
My baby girl is a little bit rambunctious, and I often get clambered over while she's playing. Come Friday, that will be a big no-no. We've been working on "be gentle with Mommy!", but she hasn't quite grasped the concept.
She doesn't understand that there is a baby coming, either. Not that I would expect her to, though.. she's a bit young for that. She does, however, kiss and pet my belly because that's where the baby is. Those are some of my favorite moments.
The good news is that KB is completely obsessed with babies. Whenever she sees a baby, she gets so excited and points it out. I'm just hoping that she still feels that way when there is a baby in her house.
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)
Grab my button...
