An Excuse for More Pictures

I guess I should try to post a little update every so often, but really I am doing this so I can show off more photos of our adorable William!

We went to the pediatrician on Friday, and he was up to 8 lbs, 6 ounces and 21.5 inches. That's great news because he has surpassed his birth weight. Babies lose weight right after they are born, and they need to get up to or past their birth weight within the first two weeks to show that they are eating and growing well. If there is one thing our little man does well it is EAT.

William and I are currently at the Pink House with my family. We have been here since Sunday. Mikey and Buster are going to join us tonight. Yay! I have had an unbelievable amount of help since we've been here. Paw Paw, Grammy and Uncle Michael have been great. Grammy has been taking the night shift and bringing William to me when he needs to eat, which was quite often last night! I think she'll be glad to have Mikey here tonight so she can catch up on sleep.

Having a newborn is definitely a test of endurance. I would venture a guess that William falls on the easier side of newborns, but that doesn't make this job an easy one! I admit I have cried right along with him in the middle of the night, wondering what the heck else I can do to make him happy. The postpartum hormones have been running rampant through my body. However, I am feeling much more in balance than I was last week. Hopefully that is progress hormonally and not just because I am getting so much help. We'll see how next week goes, when everyone else is back at work and it's just me and my little guy! I need to make it a point to get out and about a little more because I always feel better when I'm not cooped up. It should help that I will be back to driving then. It's hard to believe that I haven't driven in nearly 3 weeks!

Physically, I am feeling much better than I expected. I got off the pain medication just a week after my c-section, and I don't have any lingering pain. I have been dropping weight like crazy (of course it all seems to be settling in different places than it once was, but it's dropping nonetheless).

And without further ado, here are the latest and greatest photos of William. I think he gets cuter every day, and he already looks older to me! I can't wait to get more photos of me with him...I have been staying behind the camera for the most part because my hair isn't exactly done, the glasses are always on, makeup hasn't come near my face, etc. Hopefully this next week will bring pics of me with my son, as well as some family pictures with Mikey.

Our Little Heartbreaker

We're Home!

William David Brown

Born 11-07-08
11:07 am
8 lbs, 1 oz
20 inches
Pictures to come...

I am so grateful to report that our newly expanded family of three made it home from the hospital late last night. I don't even know where to begin with this post...I want to chronicle the experience of our last five days, but that will come later in the week. I think it'll take me awhile to craft that one.

I guess it's possible I'm biased, but I am convinced that William is sheer perfection. Not perfect in the "he never cries and sleeps through the night" way. He is the absolute perfect addition to our family. I was so afraid of how our lives would change when he barreled his way into our hearts, but that fear was washed away the moment I laid eyes on him. He stole my heart with those deep blue eyes, that spectacularly adorable nose, those wrinkly hands that migrate toward his face whenever he eats.

Now instead of fear, I feel an overwhelming amount of emotion. I will start crying at the drop of a hat. As we were waiting to be discharged from the hospital last night, I had to work hard to control my emotions. I just felt so blessed to have walked into the hospital with my mom and Mikey on Friday morning and walk out just a few days later with William in my arms. I can't imagine what we did to get so lucky.

Speaking of lucky, Mikey is a dream father. I have been in a fair amount of pain throughout the recovery, and he has done the lion's share of the baby work while also tending to my every need. If you have not yet had children, I strongly recommend doing so with someone you would be comfortable seeing you at your most vulnerable because childbirth and recovery aren't the most flattering times in your life. You need someone who will tell you that you look beautiful holding your baby, even when your hair is matted to the hospital pillow and you are attached to an IV pole by multiple lines. Mikey alternately played nurse, patient advocate, errand runner, cheerleader, and so many other roles. He didn't bat an eye at the fact that his birthday was spent in the hospital, playing a 12+ hour waiting game to be discharged.

Becoming a mommy gives me a newfound appreciation and respect for all moms, but especially my own. She has spent the last week making sure her "baby" (me) is well cared for. Grammy loves little William to bits of course, but she has made it known that my well-being is her top priority because if I am doing well, I am better able to care for my son. I couldn't have made it through all of this without her love and support...and constant reassurance that searing abdominal pain in one spot is in fact par for the course in c-section recovery!

24 Hours!

This is so surreal. As I sit here, relaxing peacefully in bed with one of my cats, I can't get over the fact that our baby will be here in a mere 24 hours. I am so ready to meet him, but it's also freaking me out! I woke up in the middle of the night last night to go to the bathroom, and I thought, "Man, I am so tired." Then I startled myself a little bit with the realization that I don't even know what tired is yet! See me this time next week, and I imagine I will be much more qualified to complain about being tired.


For some reason, I find it really comforting that my friend Jennifer is having a c-section with her (second set of!) twins tomorrow as well. As I'm in pre-op getting poked and prodded, I will be thinking of her going through the same stuff.

It really is mind over matter with my nerves. I know I can handle this. I come from a long line of tough women, and I have a doctor and a hospital that I trust. I have also learned that having Mikey in the room with me makes a 110% difference as to my comfort level. He has an uncanny ability to calm me, whether by giving my hand a squeeze, telling a lame joke, or talking about something completely unrelated to the stress at hand.

Thanks to all who have called/emailed this week expressing their well wishes. It means the world to us to have so many people praying for and thinking about us. Our little family of three is very blessed!

Bring on the bon-bons!

Today is the first day of my maternity leave. My doctor recommended that I take a little time off before the birth, and I'm so glad I took her advice. I am going to spend the week running some last minute errands, finishing up all of the laundry I can get my hands on, getting my hair cut, voting, reading books about the first few months of a baby's life, etc. Today's big outing is my final doctor's appointment before Friday's c-section. Let's hope the baby is content to stay put until then. Mikey can't make this appointment because it's his first day working in a new division of his company, so about 10% of me expects my doctor to send me straight to the hospital from my appointment. Let's hope that's not the case!