Full time work

So yesterday I added it up and figured each time I feed the bambino I spend 1 hour average (at least) with feeding, burping, diapering, and sometimes changing clothes. Times that by 8 feedings a day and I have my new full time job, except I work 7 days a week/365 days a year. Also that would be the bare minimum care for baby. There is other care that needs to be done. No wonder I'm tired. I'm pretty sure Chad thinks this is a sweet gig because I get to stay home (which it is to some degree because I can't imagine trying to work too) but I am working more/longer than I used to. Yikes a scary thought. But again oh so worth it. I mean come on have you seen this cutie?

Baby sleep

I absolutely love to watch my baby sleep in my arms. All the books I've read about getting your baby to sleep through the night say don't let them fall asleep on your arms but how can you resist? When they feel so safe and warm with you that they can't stay awake it is just the sweetest thing. I hope he will feel this way a long time. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to continue to have him fall asleep in his crib as much as possible but I'm not going to deny this...

Also great news 3 nights sleeping inin his own crib fairly easily. Only waking once each time. Hooray.

Start at the beginning

The best place to start is the beginning. I guess this started on August 7, 2012 (really nine months earlier but that is a whole nother chapter). I was scheduled to be induced because of high blood pressure, and so I called the hospital at 5 AM to see what time they wanted me to be there. I was told to get there by 7 and so I went to sleep for another hour and got up at 6am to get showered. We arrived a little late and then it took some time before they took us back to the labor and delivery room. We were both so nervous. Chad couldn't sleep most of the night, and I couldn't hardly eat breakfast even though Dr. Martin told me to eat that morning for strength. Once they took me back I changed into a gown and then they started my IV and pitocin. After that it was pretty uneventful for a few hours. At lunchtime Dr. Martin came to see about breaking my water. I wanted to wait and try to let it happen more naturally so we agreed that at 3 the nurse would check me and if I wasn't progressing more then we would break the water.

So at 3 I was only dilated maybe another mm so I allowed them to break my water. OMG. Immediate, earth shattering, cry like a wolf pain. What?!? They said it would likely get worse in about 30 minutes. Apparently the amniotic sac was some sort of heavenly barrier between me and real labor (not really since pitocin induced labor is not the same as natural labor). Immediately I knew I was done with the whole natural thing. I told Chad, "I don't want to endure another 5 minutes of this even". I asked to get an epidural ASAP. I was seriously worried about how I would be able to endure the mind bending pain until the anesteologist got there. About 10-15 cruel minutes later my nurse Jayme came to tell me I was third in line for the epidural? WTF? There was a run on epidurals and you chose the one on pitocin with HTN to be last?!? Arg. So about 30 minutes later they come to tell me there were 3 people ahead of me and there are still 2 waiting so it will still be awhile. My blood pressure is now approx 240/140 through the contractions (normal is under 120/80 and anything over 160/100 is getting to be too high) and my husband kept mentioning I'm in danger of stroking out. I'm a little concerned now as well as the 3 nurses who are now hovering around my room. So and hour and 15 minutes after I asked, the most wonderful relief, the nurse anesthetist arrived. Hooray! "Why didn't she get a epidural sooner with her pressures being so high?" she asks. Yeah I'd like to know that too I think. They kept wanting to give me pain meds and again wanted me too so I could hold still for the epidural but I didn't want my baby to be high on drugs so I promised to not move a mm. Husband claims the needle was super scary and had to have hurt but all I know is I was focused on getting through the contraction and didn't care a thing about my back. And sweet relief came almost immediately. No more big bad scary contractions.

The next hour or so is bliss. I can breathe and think again. When they came to do the epidural they asked about medication and allergies and I honestly couldn't process what they were asking me. I told Chad he would have to answer. The nurse then told us she had never seen a pitocin induced woman who had her water broken not have an epidural. I might have rethunk the natural thing if I knew that. I claim to be super woman but I know I'm not really. Anyways, a little later I realize I'm shaking a lot and ask the nurses and they say that's normal. Shortly after I realize the shaking comes with the contractions and oh my I am starting to feel them again. They say sometimes you can feel the pressure of the baby and so that's normal. Finally I explain this is NOT pressure, I am feeling everything almost as intense as without the epidural. So finally they get in contact with the nurse anesthetist again and redo my dosage. Eventually the pain begins to subside and shaking goes to a minimum. Finally it is around 6 when the Dr was supposed to come after work to check on things and maybe deliver the baby. By 7 o'clock I know I am dilated completely and effaced because I can feel the baby's head pressing on my pelvis. Dr. Martin finally gets there and it's go time. Time to start pushing.

This is where the magic happens. It seems like it only took 3 pushes but I think it was more like 7-10 but really it couldn't have been much easier. I was ready to meet this little man. I was a little too eager because I don't think the doc was ready to catch him yet, and I tore myself up pretty good considering he was less than 6 lbs. But I did push out this little miracle weighing 5 lbs 15 oz. He was so amazing and when they put him on my chest after he was delivered all I could think was nothing ever felt so right.. Definately love at first sight. At the hospital they let you have the first hour with your baby with as few interruptions as possible so everyone left me, Chad, and baby boy to be together. It was great. One of the best times in my life. After that enter baby drama...

22 days

22 days of amazingness. That is what my first 22 days of being a mommy are. There have been some awesome highs and some scary lows, but add up the experiences and I think I might die of happiness. I can't believe it's been 3 weeks already and I haven't really journaled or blogged anything about his birth or all the amazing first days then I remember oh yeah I'm exhausted beyond belief. So I'm going to fix this and post something at each feeding until I have an approximate vignette of what these last 3 weeks have been like. To sum it up at this moment: <3.

Magical moments

At 4:15am I don't expect life changing events. I normally prefer to be deep asleep next to my husband in bed. This morning though I knew I had to feed baby Eddie, it had been 5 hours since he last ate and he was dead asleep still. My favorite way to wake him: diaper change. I was aware he was kindof stinky and sure enough, first poop in about 48 hours. Hooray I'm not concerned anymore that anything is wrong. I go about happily changing a diaper (I didn't think I'd ever say that!) and oh no pee! Luckily I have a wipe I can hold off the flow. Uh oh is that a fart? Ok bum check, oh crap! Literally! Ok wipe to bum ASAP. I no longer care about pee. Let's try to no get poo on his swaddle blanket. Mission mostly accomplished. There is some pee and the remnants of a juicy fart there. As I finish cleaning him off, putting on a new diaper, and remove his sleeper I realize This is it. New mommy hood still rocks. I'm happy to do it because I have this...