Surviving the Early Weeks

Luke has been on the outside with us for one whole month now and it has been a mash up of the most challenging and most rewarding weeks of our lives. Living and caring for a newborn has been a huge adjustment. I'm not at all surprised by this, as I wasn't expecting it to be easy. I just don't think one can fully comprehend it until it is experienced. We mostly have good days which we appreciate and celebrate. On the not so great days, we remind ourselves that this too shall pass and that tomorrow will be better. I do have to say that Mark and I make a pretty great team as far as looking out for one another and trying to keep our sanity. Having him home for these first several weeks so we can focus on our family has been a huge blessing.

Here is an update on Luke:    

I will say that Luke is a pretty easy and mostly happy baby. He eats, sleeps, pees, and poops. Usually in that order. Over and over and over again. At 1 month of age, Luke weighs in at 7 lbs. He has been slow to get back up to birth weight and beyond due to some nursing related troubles. His pediatrician and a couple awesome lactation nurses (one being Luke's fraunt) have been working with us and we are finally starting to see steady weight gain.

It has been fun learning his personality, what his different cues and cries mean, and the best ways to calm him down. He likes milk, exploring his hands and trying to suck his thumb, kicking his legs, sucking on his Jolly the Giraffe paci (which has been a life saver at times), having his hair washed under the faucet, taking naps on mommy and daddy, practicing tummy time, and going for card rides (or maybe that is us that likes the car rides because it always settles him down if he is fussy.)

Luke does not care for going for walks (we reserve that activity for when he is already asleep), having his clothing removed to change his diaper, and taking baths. He is becoming more alert each day and is a very expressive baby. We can't get enough of all the adorable faces he makes. He really is an amazing gift from God and we just adore this little dude.










Here are some more thoughts on how I feel things are going so far:

• Nursing has been the toughest challenge for me. For something so natural, it sure has been a rough start. I will spare you the details but it hurt so bad! If I knew how many Lansinoh products I would be purchasing, I would have bought some stock in the company. There have been many many tears, both of pain and frustration. There were many times that I wanted to throw in the towel but I used the thought tactic that a friend shared with me and told myself that I would get through that day and quit tomorrow. I'm happy to say that we are both finally getting the hang of it though and I no longer dread feeding time. I did seek some help which helped tremendously.
• Postpartum hormones are real and they are fierce! I have no control over my crying. I find myself crying along with Luke when he is inconsolable. I cry when I become frustrated, which is more than normal due to exhaustion. I have cried over some pretty silly things in the last few weeks. 
• I have heard and read that many people have trouble going to sleep and will stay up watching them sleep. This has not been the case for me at all. Once I put Luke down and I see that he is soundly sleeping, I follow suit almost immediately. He is a pretty good sleeper and those few peaceful hours at night are refreshing. I do get up with him a couple times a night but thankfully he usually falls right back asleep after he eats and has his diaper changed. For the times he will not settle back down, Mark will go in the other room with him so I can sleep and rest up for our next dinner date.
• I think the most popular advice I have been given is to sleep when the baby sleeps. This one I have struggled with during the daytime hours. Only having a couple hours max at a time that he is asleep, I am often torn between eating, showering, sleeping, or doing something else, like trying to type this post. After not choosing sleep for the first several days, I learned that a nap must happen at least once a day. I am always happier when I do. 
• I will never again underestimate the power of a shower. Taking a shower and putting on fresh clothes is so revitalizing and makes me feel like a new woman. The shower has become a place a peace, if only for a few minutes. On the days that I can wash my hair and blow dry it too it feels like a day at the spa. 
• I still don't understand how anyone with an infant arrives anywhere on time. We are still working on that one. Thankfully we don't have too many places to be and our church has 3 services to choose from.
• I have a newfound appreciation for bringing meals to families after the birth of a child. We have an amazing village of family and friends who stocked up our fridge, freezer, and pantry, setting us up with several weeks worth of meals and snacks. I'm pretty sure we would have been living off of peanut butter sandwiches and water if it weren't for the generosity of them all. THANK YOU! We will definitely be paying it forward more often from here on out when we can.
• Finally, I am constantly reminded of the amazing women that the Lord has placed in my life. There is so much wisdom in my circle and I am thankful for every single person who has checked in on me, answered my questions, offered to help, encouraged me, and prayed for me. Your words have meant so much to me and I am thankful for each and every one of you. 

Although some days are a blur, these first few weeks have flown by and we always hear that it will keep flying faster. I'm sure we will look back someday and miss these times. Even with the challenges we encounter, Mark and I both agree that we will not wish this time away. We want to enjoy and be in the moment for each stage of this journey as a family.