Little Man's Birth Story...Part Two

Today, January 16, was your due date, sweet boy.  Instead, we are celebrating your 2 week birthday...God decided to allow us to meet you early, and I'm so glad He did.  Now, I would be lying if I said these last 2 weeks have been easy.  Each day has been a learning experience for me and your daddy and your Maw Maw but, with you, our lives have been blessed beyond measure and abundantly full.  



"O my people, trust in Him at all times.  Pour out your heart to Him for God is your refuge."  Psalm 62:8

So, where were we with your story..oh yes, the three of us in the operating room...

After the nurse finished taking pictures, she took you to the nursery and had your daddy follow you.  He waited outside of the nursery with the other family that had been waiting to see your perfect little face.  They finished stitching me up and then wheeled me to post op...I had no clue how much time had passed, all I can remember is thinking about how badly I wanted to be holding you in my arms.  By the time I was back in a room, about two hours had gone by, it was now around 5:30pm...I can only imagine the path your daddy probably wore in the carpet from pacing and waiting for me to get back in his arms so that we might have you in ours.

Oh darling, your mama has never been so exhausted and I'm pretty sure I can say the same for your daddy, too. A lot of the times and events of your birth day are hazy and because of that, I am so thankful that your Maw Maw kept a journal recording times and events for most of the birthing process.  As I was reading over her account, refreshing my memory so that I could write these posts, I came across the following paragraph.  I'm just gonna include it, verbatim, because I don't believe I could say it any better myself.  Her words captured exactly how I felt whenever the nurse laid you in my arms for the first time...that, my sweet, is a moment that I will never, ever forget.

"I watched as the nurse lay my newborn grandson onto my precious, pale, worn out, swollen eyed baby girls chest.  Tears, tears, so many tears fell during the birth process- pain, joy, discouragement, heartache, but the tears of joy will be remembered.  My baby girl is a trooper- she was still in pain and a whirlwind of emotions going through her, she was finally smiling, soaking up the beauty of her baby boy and talking to her precious little miracle with her worn out, tired, loving husband by her side..."

Baby, I've never felt exhaustion like that before...physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually we were spent...but the moment they laid you in my arms, inexpressible joy filled me to the very core.  We just stared at you and it was as though time stood still.  The God of the universe had granted us our hearts desire, a beautiful, healthy, strong baby boy...it was as though our hearts might just burst.  We prayed over you, thanking the good Lord for giving us you and for His continued strength and faithfulness.

"But You, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.  Look down and have mercy on me.  Give your strength to your servant..." Psalm 86:15-16

Maw Maw went home to let your four-legged brothers out around 6:30pm and to give me and your daddy some bonding time with you.  She came back around 8:00pm and held you for the first time.  We asked her to stay so that we could get a little rest, knowing that the night may be long and sleep might not be a possibility due to changing and nursing you.  She of course was happy to do so, holding you and staring into those baby blues of yours until about 10:00pm, when we woke up to the nurses checking mine and your vitals.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

I was so thankful for and proud of your daddy...the man who gags at the sight of dog poop and who said he didn't know if he would ever be able to handle a dirty diaper without throwing up himself- was my superhero those first few nights and days following your birth.  Because of my c-section and my inability to get up and down with ease, he took on diaper duty...changing his first few dirty diapers that first night in the hospital room.  We set our alarm for every 3 hours, and after getting up and changing you, he would hand you to me to nurse and he would then lay you back down to sleep.  We were up at 1:00am, back to sleep around 2:30am and then up again at 5:30am, getting you back to sleep around 6:30am.  The nurse came in to check my vitals so we just decided to stay up and start our day.  A few moments later, a couple of nurses came in to remove my catheter and get me up for the first time to walk to the bathroom.  I was so wobbly, weak, and sore.  I've never known fatigue like that before...it was as if I had run 30 marathons and lifted a ton of weights...all of my strength was zapped from the 2.5 hours of pushing and pulling the day before.

At 7:30am, the pediatrician came in to take you to the nursery for your circumcision...we prayed over you first then handed you to the nurses.  You were gone from 7:30am to 8:45am.  The nurses told me I needed to get up and start walking around to build back up some strength in my legs so your daddy held me as we walked around that tiny hospital room waiting for your return.  When the nurse brought you back, you were so calm, swaddled and soothed.  When your Maw Maw arrived a short while later, she watched you so that your daddy could help me shower and get ready for the day.  I felt so helpless yet so blessed having your daddy...I would have just died without that man by my side.  I can't remember ever needing someone so much and that need for him fueled a passion and love from him that I don't believe I have ever felt before.  Don't get me wrong, I was madly in love with your papa bear before you were born...but the closeness experienced those next few days took our relationship to a whole new level.

Every experience in that hospital drew us closer together and closer to the Lord.  We praised Him for everything...for the small and the big.  We praised Him when I was walking for the first time after surgery, we praised Him the first time I was able to go to the bathroom, we praised Him when you would latch on during nursing, when I pumped and got 2 ml of colostrum to feed you, we praised Him when you slept, and we praised Him when we slept, we praised Him when the Panthers beat the Cardinals, and when the nurses gave us helpful advice for breastfeeding.  

And we prayed...for the big and the small.  We prayed for your sleep, and our own, we prayed for rest in Him, we prayed for strength and wisdom, we prayed for my milk to come in and for you to be satisfied, we prayed that we would be good parents, that God would extend grace and mercy to us...oh how we prayed.  Your birth birthed something in us sweetheart...we were cultivating a lifestyle of thanksgiving and prayer in that hospital room.

"Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name.  Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me."  Psalm 103:1-2

The nurse came back in that afternoon and asked if we wanted to go home the next day (Sunday) or stay another night.  After discussing it, we opted to stay another night and we were so glad we did.  Sunday night was a long one...

Sunday, January 4, 2015

You hardly slept a bit the night before.  Between feedings, your daddy held you so that I would get a little sleep before nursing you again.  We cried a lot that night...mostly out of exhaustion and from feeling inadequate.  One of the amazing things about God is the way He provides what we need when we need it.  There was and has been no moment that your daddy and I have experienced weakness at the same time so far.  When I have been weak, God has given your daddy strength and when your daddy has been weak, God has given me supernatural strength. You didn't rest well because you were just so hungry and I was still waiting on my milk to come in.  We asked several nurses for help and tips for breastfeeding throughout that night and the day...We found out later that the stress of long labor, pain meds, fluids, and a c-section all slow milk production.  The nurses were very encouraging.  They told us to keep trying and not to give up, and as long as you hadn't lost more than 10% of your birth weight then there was nothing to worry about.  Sunday morning, you weighed 7lbs 6oz.  

Sunday night was longer than the night before.  The nurse took you back to check your vitals around 10:00pm and you were down to 7lb 1oz.  We did the math and that was a little more than 10% of your birth weight.  We were so worried about you so your daddy went out to get a nurse...the nurse who came in the night was a God-send.  She had true concern for you because you were losing weight so quickly.  She brought us some sugar water to help you latch and formula to supplement after each nursing...we were to give you 15 ml every 3 hours.  This brought us such peace and brought you much satisfaction...and, you guessed it, we praised the Lord!

Monday, January 5, 2015

We woke up early Monday morning, got ready for the day and began packing our bags...this was the day we were finally getting to take you home, and we were beyond ourselves with excitement!  The pediatrician came in first to discharge you and then my doctor came in to discharge me.  An angel of a nurse helped us get you in your car seat and walked us to our car.

Your daddy drove so slow...your were precious cargo, little man, and he wanted to take good care of you and get you home safely.  Once home, we introduced you to the boys, your three 4-legged brothers..Vance and Deuce (our chihuahuas) and Zeke (our chocolate lab).  It took about an hour to ease them into getting acquainted with you and then about two days for them to get used to you...I had spent so much time praying about this.  I wanted so badly for you to all get along.

Now remember, you were an early bird so we weren't exactly prepared for you when we got home.  I had left the house in complete disarray because I was in the middle of cleaning and redecorating (one day you'll understand this...I'm sure you and your daddy will have a blast picking on me about it) and your Maw Maw so graciously cleaned up and put things away before we got home.  Also, we were told you would probably be a big boy so we shouldn't buy any newborn clothes.  Well...you were such a tiny little man at around 7lbs by the time we arrived home so none of the clothes we had for you fit.  And because of my c-section, I couldn't wear my normal clothing that sat at my bikini line due to the incision.  Your nursery is upstairs and due to my limitations, climbing stairs all day with you wasn't an option so we had to create a nursery for you downstairs, too.  After getting settled in, we made a long list of items we were in need of...newborn clothes, high wasted leggings and granny panties for me, a pack-n-play for downstairs, groceries, etc.  Your daddy and Maw Maw tag teamed WalMart, texting me play by plays of the trip, and then hurried home to rearrange the living room and dining room to best suit your and my needs.  Getting ready to go upstairs to bed was an ordeal, making several trips to take formula, sugar water, burp clothes, the Boppy and anything else we thought we might need.  

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

We continued rearranging things and figuring out what worked best where on Tuesday.  You didn't rest well the night before, and we were still waiting on my milk. Night time feedings were so trying but the time was so sweet spent with your daddy.  He was so helpful, changing you while I would get ready to nurse, and while I would nurse, we would pray together or he would read to us from the New Testament, keeping the two of us distracted from the time passing and your being so fussy.  

We celebrated your first real poop this day.  Your daddy even got excited about it!

I also remember telling your daddy and Maw Maw on this day how crazy it was that we had talked about all that we couldn't wait to teach you but so far, you were doing the teaching.  How to lean on and fully trust in God, how to love with a mother and father's love, how little sleep you could actually get by with....and so much more.  You're still teaching us, little man, and oh how I pray I would never stop learning! 

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Glory to God in the Highest!  My milk came in this day.  What a glorious day it was in our cozy little home.  You slept wonderfully the night before...between bed time and feedings, we got a total of 8 hours of sleep...Your daddy and I felt amazing.  Later that day, I started feeling a little odd.  I was afraid my blood pressure was high so we made the short drive to the doctors office to let them check.  My blood pressure was fine, they told me I was probably just trying to do more than I should and to go home and rest.  While we were there, the nurse checked my weight... I was already down 30 lbs!  I'm pretty sure your daddy was a little jealous.  He had worked so hard in 2014 to lose 40 lbs in a year and I had just lost 3o lbs in a week.  Too bad I didn't make weight loss my New Year's resolution, huh?  I could have checked that one off the list!

When we got back home, we were discussing how well our little family unit was functioning.  You, little man, were totally reliant on me, and I was totally reliant on your daddy, and your daddy was leaning heavily on your Maw Maw...and we were all hanging on to Jesus as tightly as possible.  God was so good to provide us with one another for such a time as this.

"Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me for I need your help...Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am constantly calling on You.  Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to You.  O Lord, You are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for Your help."  Psalm 86:1, 3-5

Thursday, January 8, 2015

You have a belly button!  Your umbilical cord fell off during skin to skin this morning.  And I have to say, it is the most precious little belly button I have ever laid eyes on!  It's the little things, sugar bear, that have made the long sleepless nights seem not so bad.  Each morning, as the sun would begin to shine in our window, your daddy and I would just smile...thankful for making it through another night with you.  And that sunshine was just a reminder of the promise of God, that His mercies are new each and every single morning...and Great is His Faithfulness!!

I had no clue that breastfeeding would be so hard and time consuming.  I'm sticking with it though because it's benefits far outweigh the difficulties.  And I can say, two weeks later, how thankful I am that I have stuck with it...the time spent with you while you are nursing is ever so sweet.  I get to just look at your little face and hands and tiny fingers.  I remember thinking those first few nights how much I couldn't wait to feed you just so that I could remember what you looked like...I was afraid I would forget in the three hours that you and I were sleeping.



Friday, January 9, 2015

You were one week old Friday!  

We no longer needed to use a supplement or the sugar water.  Because my milk had come in, you were feeling satisfied  and feedings were becoming much, much easier.  Looking at the kitchen table with all the clean bottles, nipples, and breast pump on the drying rack was a reminder of the difference a few days can make...and of the faithfulness of God and His provision.

Your first doctors appointment was at 8:15am that morning.  I'm not sure what we were thinking scheduling an appointment that early.  You were perfect...of course we knew that!  You weighed in at 7lbs 1/2 oz.  We asked the doctor if that should concern us, considering you weighed less than when we brought you home.  She said no, that you had probably lost more weight once you came home and now you were starting to gain it back.

Saturday, we let your daddy sleep in and we organized your nursery upstairs.  The swelling in my legs and ankles are gone...Glory!  I haven't seen my actual ankles in months!

Monday, your daddy went back to work.  

Tuesday, you smiled at me.  

Wednesday, we slept in until 9:30. 

 Thursday, my Boba wrap came in and you love it! And last night you slept all the way through the night.  We went to bed at 11:00pm and you woke us up at 5:00am to eat!



You have been such a blessing to us...in these last 2 weeks, you have brought us more joy than we could have ever imagined.  We are learning as we go and relying on the good Lord to give us strength and rest and grace and wisdom.  If there's one thing I want you to learn from your story thus far it is this...God is ever faithful.  

"I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.  Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!  I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.  You satisfy me more than the richest feast.  I will praise you with songs of joy.  I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.  Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.  I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely."  Psalm 63:2-8