Surviving a Newborn

It happened! We welcomed little Levi into the world on May 12. I can hardly believe he is already two and a half months old. 

I thought it might be a good idea to store away some of our experiences this far in the overwhelming world that is parenthood, because let's be real, EVERYTHING changes. 

The hospital stay: It's amazing. Though I had just spent 17 hours trying to push the little bugger out, I was overcome with this incredibly rush of adrenaline once he was born. I was SO wide awake, but at the same time, in a complete daze. Our little man was the cutest little potato head we'd ever seen. Aaron and I just stared at him for a solid three hours...and then we crashed. All three of us seemed to be exhausted from our all day ordeal, that was until the first time Levi woke up hungry. Unfortunately, my epidural had not worn off. I physically could not get out of the hospital bed to pick up my newborn son. I tried calling out to my husband, but if you know Aaron, you know he sleeps like a bear in hibernation.  After three failed attempts at waking him up by throwing empty water bottles, I finally gave up and rang for a nurse (who kindly came and assisted)! I thought after that surely I would get some sleep (insert sarcastic laugh). Nurses came in every hour on the hour to check blood pressures and heart rates on me and the little guy. Come morning, my husband says with a big yawn, "I'm so tired!" I could have cried, but luckily I got many naps throughout the day. 

But then it happened. The epidural wore off, and the pain came. Wow, I had no idea it would be like that. No position was comfortable, and moving in general was an awkward dance. I honestly kept thinking to myself "how am I okay? Shouldn't I be like in a recovery room with people waiting on me hand and foot?" (I'm truly not this vain, but wow, I have a huge appreciation for mothers now!)

Throughout the whole experience our little man was a perfect little baby. He only cried when he was having his diaper changed. We held him, and just treasured what an incredibly little gift for God he was. 

Going Home: While peanut continued to be a very sweet little baby, smiling at us in his sleep, we very quickly realized our nights spent peacefully sleeping were over. Newborns spend 95% of their time sleeping, but that doesn't mean they sleep for long durations of time between waking. But it truly amazed me all the things Levi could sleep through! Two graduations for his uncles and a day spent at my college (I had to take my finals!) didn't even faze him.  

Being silly first time parents, there were many things we were not prepared for! First of all, we did not anticipate having a baby that fit into newborn clothes, so when Levi was born 6lbs 15oz we scrambled to procure more clothes for him! We also had not opened most of our gift from the baby shower. But craziest of all, despite the diaper keg my husband threw, we had NO newborn size diapers! 

Lucky for us, we have an amazing family that was there to run errands and keep us sane! The one thing I had done right before Levi came was preparing 14 freezer meals. All I had to do each day was pop the meal into the crockpot and smell the good food cooking all day. 

All in all, our first few weeks with are little one were great. Sure we didn't get any sleep, and I hardly showered (whoops...to busy sleeping when the baby sleeps), but I wouldn't change a thing! 

However, I would like to share a couple little tricks and tips that worked for us and made life a little easier!

1) Take turns staying up with the little one! Even if mommy is breastfeeding, having an extra hand to change the diapers and rock the baby back to sleep is so nice. I noticed with my husband, we were able to function so much better when we gave each other small breaks. From the first half of the night my husband would handle diaper changes, burping, and getting peanut back to sleep. Then I would take the second half, so he got some sleep before work in the morning. 

2) If you breastfeed, take advantage of lactation consultants and breastfeeding groups in your area! My hospital provided this, and I am so thankful for the advice and knowledge they offered. 

3) Freezer meals: as I said earlier, this ended up being a great idea! You literally have NO time once baby is born, so meal prep is next to impossible. Having something quick and simple to make each day really helped! Also, if you have loved ones who want to provide meals for you, take advantage of that! Anything to take the pressure off you and your partner so you can spend more time with your new bundle. 

4) If you are experiencing "baby blues," tell someone. I plan to write about this more later, but this is SO important. In my case, sharing how I was feeling allowed my husband to support me in the way I needed. 

5) Take care of yourself! Obviously, baby is very time consuming, but take the time to brush your teeth, take a quick shower, and catch your breath. Each night, my husband would come home and take Levi for a moment so I could go outside and get a little fresh air. It can be so hard to put a new baby down! I found that having our rock-n-play sitting in the doorway to our bathroom so Levi could hear me (but not need to be held) helped me take advantage of those amenities. 

Reasons Why I Do Not Love Being Pregnant

Guess what!? Aaron and I are expecting a baby in May! We could not be more excited to enter into this new adventure that is parenthood. Most of all, we are so ready to meet our little man in just three short months!

But, I need to be honest. Pregnancy has not been a glowing experience for me. So I thought I would share my experiences thus far (as a comical way of venting and perhaps a reminder to my future self to wait a few years to try this all again). So, here goes nothing!

1) MORNING SICKNESS: It's real, and I am one if the select few who have been lucky enough to suffer throughout my entire pregnancy this far (though I should note, it's slightly less horrible now). Morning sickness should really be named all day long sickness. During the worst of it, I was throwing up six times a day often only consuming water and stale crackers. Attending class was a balancing act of making sure I had eaten the correct blend of bland carbs and anti-nausea medications. If the perfect combination was not achieved, I would find my self uncermously running to the hallway with my handy Hyvee sack. In these later months, I have mastered the art of waking nauteraly (a luxury I'm sure will soon disappear), eating foods that couldn't possibly give me acid reflux, and taking the wonderful vitamin B6.

2) NOT IN THE MOOD: This one has really cramped my style. Unlike many of my pregnant friends, I did not receive the magical I-really-like-my-husband-and-want-him-all-the-time bug. Instead, my poor man has been suffering though months of puking, crabby whinning, and endless back massages. But, he miracuosly still loves me! (Although, I believe he is very ready for baby to arrive.)

3) AVERSION TO SPEGETTI SAUCE: I only have one major food aversion, and that is spegetti sauce. Not just normal spegetti sauce, but meat sauce in general. Pasta was one of my favorite food categories, but we have had to part ways these last six months. Oh how I miss lasanga, spegetti, ravioli, and manicotti. BUT, the mere idea of eating these foods make me shudder in disgust :( Until we meet again my dears!

4) NO ENERGY: Let me tell you, I am the life of the party. NOT. I hardly make it through the normal day without needing long periods of rest (which usually means sitting, napping, or elevating my feet).  A few times during this pregnancy, Aaron and I have attempted to go with some friends later into the evening. Both times, around 8:00pm I uttered my lame "I'm so tired" exuse and went home early. Now don't get me wrong, I know my body is doing some crazy things building a little human and all, but wow, I'm exhausted.

5) MY BODY: Let me begin by saying, I love that God designed women's bodies to create and incubate. That is incredible and amazing. I am in awe that there is a tiny human inside me. That being said, these changes have been so hard to endure. Watching my skin fill with sketch marks, living with uncomfortable swelling, and struggling to spend time up and about with lower back pain has really take a tool on me. Sometimes I feel so frustrated with myself and my limitations. It is so hard to lose control of my body, which has always been one of my biggest insecurities.

BUT, before I have given you the impression I absolutly hate pregnancy, I have to be honest. It has its moments. When I feel our little man moving inside me, the feeling of joy is indescribable. I love him already and I haven't even meet him.

So pregnancy is much harder then I could have ever imagined, but I know it will be worth it in the end. I just happen to also know that I will not be one of those get-pregnant-again-in-the-post-delivery-room types :)