So, Gavin is almost 5 weeks old, but we're playing some blog catch-up... I'm not sure if I can find the words to describe the first two weeks, especially being three weeks out, but I will try (if only so we have documentation when we want to make Jewish mother statements when he turns 16).
So... at first Geoff and I found ourselves constantly wondering why NO ONE told us how crazy awful those first two weeks are! Seriously, NO ONE. C'mon guys, we were counting on you! The trend stops here - for all of you expecting parents, the first few weeks of parenthood are (truth be told) an ungodly mix of sheer terror and misery...
Sure. At the hospital, it's a cake walk. Everything is taken care of -- there's a "cottage" where babies sleep at night, the baby does actually sleep at night (!), there is an endless stream of good company, and heck - room service three times a day really can't be beat. Then you drive five minutes away to your once-cozy home and everything you think you know about parenting goes out the proverbial window. We got released at 10:45 pm and by 2 am I was reduced to tears, convinced I just wasn't cut out for motherhood and wondering how the heck we would ever survive.
Sure, it was awesome being a new parent and we found ourselves staring at our *sleeping* baby in absolute awe of nature and ourselves [high fives for procreating!].. but when he awoke, it was generally another story. We did our best to figure out what our little dictator liked and didn't like (usually with little success, though we found out our fatso LOVES food), tried to get sleep in 20-minute doses where we could, tried to remember who we even were as people (it's incredible how easy it is to forget), much less as as a couple, and even dropped the baby off at Joan and Warren's once to go grocery shopping for some much-needed "excitement".
Beth
So Beth pretty much covered the first weeks as best as we can remember. But I have a couple of things to add. It's funny how a few months ago, I could not comprehend why we needed SO MUCH CRAP to help raise a baby. We seriously loaded up the Durango and the Fusion to the brim with things from the baby shower. I felt like I was in some stupid comedy unloading all of it as Beth showed the Kingman girls the nursery. Well now I know what all that stuff is for, and could not be any more thankful for all the nice things we received.
You see, in the first few weeks of being a first time parent, you basically spend every waking moment of your baby's day troubleshooting how to make him happy. 1) You check the diaper (I would like to recommend Chris Casson's blog (
http://thosecassons.blogspot.com/2011/03/liam-3-liams-dad0.html) regarding how this exchange typically happens between father and son.) 2) You discard the four dirty diapers produced from one change into the magical diaper genie. [The Vaseline that you have to line the diaper with (due to circumcision, a whole 'nother story) makes a diaper essentially useless - anything he pees out leaks out. Which in turn makes the 8,000 onesies vital. Additionally, I am 99% sure we hold the Guinness book record for longest continual diaper genie snake ever held in one unit prior to removal.] 3) You continue around the room lighting up the turtle planetarium, putting him in his swing, rocking him in the armchair, turning on the "ocean sounds" lamb, and placing him in his bouncer, building up frustration until you're ready to burst. AND THEN he lets an epic fart go and immediately passes out. Instantaneously, you completely forget and release the frustration that had built in the previous 45 minutes. You proceed to lay down on the couch with the newborn on your chest, and marvel at how wonderful being a parent is.
Geoff
We will post a more current blog soon. Spoiler alert: It gets easier. Oh, and he learns how to smile.
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| First day home from the hospital... Beth is a zombie |
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| With Gamma Joanie, declaring him perfect |
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| First of many couch snuggles with the Papa Bear |
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| Our first adventure! Walking with Gigi to visit our new neighbors - Great Grandpa Larry and Great Grandma Barbara... it was quite a hike, let me tell you! |
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| Grandma Barbara holding Gavin... and giving him the Tom Selleck treatment because it's beastly hot outside |
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| Great Grandma Gigi |
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| Grandpa Larry |
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| Gavin's first bath at home - he is a SQUIRMY little guy! |
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| But cute as a button! |
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| Naptime! |
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| Meeting his Auntie Deblet -- him loves her! |
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| And she loves him! |
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| The best feeling in the WORLD! |
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| I give him a borderline creepy number of kisses a day... but his lips are so darn kissable |
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| Admiring his lovely cousin Megan :) |
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| All is right with the world in Auntie Deb's arms |
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| In the usual position... Nugget in sleep mode, Daddy in Xbox mode |
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| Our handsome boy... with the stinky umbilical stump (ew!) before it fell out |
Well, he's continuing to be quite adorable!
ReplyDeleteAs far as the first couple weeks, I'm starting to think we've been REALLY lucky in that our babies are pretty content and sleepy for the first several weeks, and I may also have some awesome and lucky hormone situation, because after giving birth I've had this weird energy burst and euphoria. I promise I would have warned you otherwise. In fact, I think I may just be a weird person in general, because I was way scared during my first pregnancy, thinking I wouldn't know how to take care of a baby at all. But once she was here I was like "Ooooh, what was I scared of?" Isn't it the reverse for most people? So I think I'm a freak. But that's not surprising really, I was pretty much born an old lady, so my lifestyle didn't change as much as the typical new mom's probably does. Ha.
The one thing that was quite crappy at first was breastfeeding hurt like a mother the first 6 or 7 weeks, but only on one side. Weird. I didn't warn you though, because it doesn't seem to happen to everyone. I don't know. This is a long, useless comment. I'll go now.
Your baby is awesome!
Haha! You guys are funny! I guess I had a couple meltdowns but overall it wasn't too bad and our pediatrician told us that he would be on a night schedule the first two weeks, so we expected it :) He is a sweet looking baby and I can't wait to actually meet him!
ReplyDeleteI love how true and accurate you guys are!! Those first weeks are abuse, but yet you will look back and love them the rest of your lives! You guys are hilarious! I've got to get Mason to write on our blog!
ReplyDeleteForgot to tell you I LOOOOOVE that you are borderline creepy with smooching him. Haha. AWESOME.
ReplyDeleteThanks ladies! Brandi and Sarah, I am starting to think that either some newborns basically sleep through the first two weeks and others scream bloody murder... we got the latter :) He is such an easy baby now. Sadly, I think he was just starving, but now that we're supplementing and he's growing so big, we're GOOD!
ReplyDeleteAnd Allison, your blog is amazing! Your pictures are seriously incredible - you rock!
Ha, we also had a little dictator, who cried a lot for no known reason, and Mike totally thought of life as a checklist of "will this stop the crying? what about this?" - and then life got better. Mike says people forget, the sleep deprivation isn't conducive to remembering, but I remember was on the phone sobbing to Lynn Bergeson (my breastfeeding specialist) and she mentioned, "well, there is a reason they call it Two Weeks of Hell" And I was like, WHO?!? No one calls it that!! At least not to me! Ha. But then it gets better. By around 8 wks I realized how much better life was as feedings spaced out and things were more routine. (Then we both were working, and thinks needed to be worked out a bit more, but it wasn't all that awful... )
ReplyDeleteI try to warn people, sometimes, in saying the adjustment involves exhaustion and tears (mainly bc you don't sleep when baby sleeps, you stare at your sweet creation, so no sleep, and even when you do you are used to lots longer bursts of sleep than 30 min). And everyone has their own struggles. I was feeling great, earth momma in my perfect bubble of euphoria and felt competent then we had to hospitalize her for near brain damage levels of jaundice and zen momma went out the window and neurotic momma was born. I would have been blissful Brandi if not for that setback! (lies, she still would have been her dictator self, and frustration at 2am unknown crying would have still driven us crazy)
Anyway, long way of saying sorry, I don't try to hide it but try to wholly block it all out. Bc it is like a flashback of exhaustion and tears. And it gets better.
Haha, Liam so didn't sleep but he didn't scream either he just liked to be awake :) I am glad all is good now! He seems like a sweet baby :)
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