Hello, world!
Last Sunday at 2:01 a.m., after 37 weeks and 3 days gestation, Abigail Marie was born. I had been worried that I might not know the signs of labor... ha! My water broke, in a big way. I made a big old mess running from the patio to the bathroom. Thank goodness our carpet needed replacing anyway!
Miss Abigail was 7 pounds 5 ounces, and 19 1/2 inches long at birth. We had a pretty good, 14 hour labor & delivery, with just one hour of pushing. I broke down & got the epidural once the contractions went around to my back - what horrible pain! After that, though, the labor went great. I can't even describe how awesome Jason was. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to handle watching it, and might even pass out. He was right by my side through the whole thing, though, and even watched her being born. I'd like to say that I was overcome with love and excitement, but I have to say that the strongest emotion I felt after she was born was exhaustion.
We stayed in the hospital for a couple of days, the first of which Abigail slept pretty much exclusively. The second night, though, she decided it was time to start eating, and Jason and I were completely unprepared. Thank God for the nurse, who saw we needed help and gave it willingly. She swaddled Abigail up tight and put her in bed with me. We actually fell asleep with my breast in her mouth, and were woken up that way by the OB the next morning! I was embarrassed, but not as much as I might have been - in those two days, entirely too many people saw my breasts. I guess that's all part of the experience, though.
Anyway, we've been home since last Monday evening, and the terror level has been going down with every day that passes. It's been kind of difficult so far, with a couple of really bad nights where something I ate upset her tummy, and then last night her having to go on formula for the night because something I ate really upset my tummy. I wasn't about to make her go through the nastiness & pain that caused me. I think she got a little of the icky stuff, but not enough to ruin the entire night's sleep. Then, she ate two bottles (2 ounces) an hour apart, and didn't wake up again for nearly four hours. I almost switched to formula then and there, but decided to resume breast feeding after pumping last night's milk out this morning. Thankfully, the last of the icky stuff went out with that milk, and we've had a pretty good day.
Jason went back to work on Tuesday, making my productivity level plummett. I guess that's okay, though - our little stinkerbutt requires a lot of attention now, but I hear that gets better with a time. I still haven't gotten used to the fact that I'm a Mommy, but I'm getting there. Tomorrow I have a couple of errands I have to run, and I think things will sink in a little better when I have to haul Abigail to the bank and then to the doctor. I dread the bank because we'll have to stand in line, and I dread the doctor's visit because he has a tiny little parking lot with spaces entirely too close together. Getting a car seat in & out of the car with only a foot of maneuvering room is nearly impossible! Maybe I'll park on the street...
Well, dinner's nearly done, which means she'll probably want to be fed now. Funny how in tune she is with our eating schedule - she always wants to eat right when we start!
Miss Abigail was 7 pounds 5 ounces, and 19 1/2 inches long at birth. We had a pretty good, 14 hour labor & delivery, with just one hour of pushing. I broke down & got the epidural once the contractions went around to my back - what horrible pain! After that, though, the labor went great. I can't even describe how awesome Jason was. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to handle watching it, and might even pass out. He was right by my side through the whole thing, though, and even watched her being born. I'd like to say that I was overcome with love and excitement, but I have to say that the strongest emotion I felt after she was born was exhaustion.
We stayed in the hospital for a couple of days, the first of which Abigail slept pretty much exclusively. The second night, though, she decided it was time to start eating, and Jason and I were completely unprepared. Thank God for the nurse, who saw we needed help and gave it willingly. She swaddled Abigail up tight and put her in bed with me. We actually fell asleep with my breast in her mouth, and were woken up that way by the OB the next morning! I was embarrassed, but not as much as I might have been - in those two days, entirely too many people saw my breasts. I guess that's all part of the experience, though.
Anyway, we've been home since last Monday evening, and the terror level has been going down with every day that passes. It's been kind of difficult so far, with a couple of really bad nights where something I ate upset her tummy, and then last night her having to go on formula for the night because something I ate really upset my tummy. I wasn't about to make her go through the nastiness & pain that caused me. I think she got a little of the icky stuff, but not enough to ruin the entire night's sleep. Then, she ate two bottles (2 ounces) an hour apart, and didn't wake up again for nearly four hours. I almost switched to formula then and there, but decided to resume breast feeding after pumping last night's milk out this morning. Thankfully, the last of the icky stuff went out with that milk, and we've had a pretty good day.
Jason went back to work on Tuesday, making my productivity level plummett. I guess that's okay, though - our little stinkerbutt requires a lot of attention now, but I hear that gets better with a time. I still haven't gotten used to the fact that I'm a Mommy, but I'm getting there. Tomorrow I have a couple of errands I have to run, and I think things will sink in a little better when I have to haul Abigail to the bank and then to the doctor. I dread the bank because we'll have to stand in line, and I dread the doctor's visit because he has a tiny little parking lot with spaces entirely too close together. Getting a car seat in & out of the car with only a foot of maneuvering room is nearly impossible! Maybe I'll park on the street...
Well, dinner's nearly done, which means she'll probably want to be fed now. Funny how in tune she is with our eating schedule - she always wants to eat right when we start!