7.29.2014

Tad--One Week

I'm lying in bed rocking back and forth with sweet Tad pressed in close. I wish I could go back to sleep but I've found that staring at him is actually much more fulfilling. Besides, the advice "sleep when the baby sleeps" seems a little insane; like I have a switch that I can flip to immediately hit a deep REM cycle. And after being woken up 3 times in 6 hrs, my body has decided it's a new day. So here I sit in the morning twilight contemplating how I can smell like old milk and vomit while Taddycakes still maintains that sweet new baby smell. And though there is no sleep switch, there is a maternal switch that I believe the Holy Spirit controls. Because how did I go for years thinking more children would be a bad idea and now I hold the most perfect little blessing? It is God's timing and His will because I would have never gotten here on my own.
I told a friend today that all the things I worried about or didn't want to give up in having another baby seem so insignificant and ridiculous now. Once you are on baby time, life just seems to flow and you forget what it used to be like until you are there again--sleeping through the night, wearing old clothes, going out with your husband again. But until then, I am relishing this newborn stage even more so than I did with Loulie. I can't believe I already love him this much!

So here is a rundown on Tad's first week in the world...

on Tad: He's an angel! Basically, the antithesis of his sister, he sleeps all the time. When he is not sleeping, he's eating. The only thing I kind of hope for is some awake time where he is not crying and hunting for a boob. He lost 9 oz in his first week and then gained one back, making him 7lbs 2oz at one week. He doesn't really like quick movement (swing, vibrating chair, dancing) but just likes to be cuddled close to his mother. We've stuck pretty close to the house but Loulie and I did take him out to the beach for a quick stroll Friday evening. It was breezy and glorious and I look forward to a 1000 more beach walks with them. 

on Loulie: She is such a help and revels in finally being a Big Sister! She had a few moments after he was born of wanting to stick close and being kind of snippy to other caregivers. I think her occasional sassiness has more to do with almost turning 5 than with having a new brother. She initially didn't want to come to the hospital afraid of what I would look like and how they got the baby out. But once she discovered I have a lap again, she was okay. She's now just obsessed with breastfeeding and mimics me all day. on Me: I cannot believe that just one short week ago, I was miserably pregnant. While I do see pregnant women now and envy them seeing their baby for the first time, I miss NOTHING about being pregnant. It did take a few days for my rib to stop hurting and of course I am still healing but I feel great! It was beautiful outside yesterday so we took an hour walk. Nursing around the clock still hurts but less this go round and I basically inhale food when I get a chance. But I feel almost back to my old self.

on Friends: We have been so incredibly overwhelmed at the kindness of friends. My whole pregnancy, I was just showered with friends giving maternity clothes and hand me downs and praying for me and the baby. That has not stopped--friends have come to visit and brought meals and offered to take Loulie. It makes me want to be more intentional about helping friends. I used to not really understand the whole bring a meal thing--I mean why not just order take out, etc. But it really is the BEST gift when you are nursing a newborn on no sleep is to have friendly faces bring you a warm meal. Since I am not a very creative cook, I have on my to do list to master two meals to take to friends.

on Having Two: Everything people have said about having two children is a total lie! I will never know if it is having a boy or knowing this is my last baby, but I have already taken at least 1500 pictures. I refuse to put him down. Bert jokes that he has held him a cumulative of 2hrs. I spend a good majority of my day and night just looking at him. It doesn't really aggravate me when he cries. And I am about 1000 times more neurotic and protective. I was protective of Loulie but also didn't know better with her. I basically went along with my life as best I could, carting her everywhere. I have stayed much closer to home this time knowing that this is just a small window. I'm actually enjoying being at home and not having much expected of me. It's nice being in the bubble. I also don't have the hormone surge I was so scared of (knock on wood)--I'm really blissfully happy rather than sad or overwhelmed--I truly think this is God's protection. August us always a rough month for me so I am praying that this will continue.

I hope I can continue to update and stay on top of pictures, etc. Advantage of the second born--live and learn.
Bubbles, Tad, TaddlePup, TaddyCakes--I love you so much my heart might burst. Don't grow too fast on me (just enough to sleep through the night ;) )

1 comment:

  1. Oh Lauren- you go, Mama!
    I feel the same way about second child/boy/knowing he's my last. Every second is that much more precious with both of them. Though I will say that I have found opportunities to stop looking at him. But with both, we stuck to home a lot for a long time. But the cries don't get to me the way they did with Libby. Didn't have the hormone issues I did with her and there is just a peace of knowing "I got this" (with God, of course.) He is just a doll. Enjoy it all! And enjoy watching that sweet sibling relationship develop. Libby couldn't love our Matthew any more... and then, it's still like she falls more in love with him daily, just like we do. What blessings! I am so happy for you and your sweet family. I'm also quite sure that if Loulie and Libby lived near each other, they would quite hit it off. That- or be so much alike that it wouldn't work at all.

    ReplyDelete