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| Colter's First Thanksgiving |
I love being a Mama. I love looking at this beautiful baby boy that grew inside me for 40 weeks and 1 day. I love making up silly little tunes to sing to him. I love how he grabs my thumbs. I love how he watches the world. I love his "gas" faces. I love his smell. I love Colter.
The first two weeks have been a whirlwind- as I am sure they are for all new mothers. My life now revolves around a 2.5-3 hour schedule of nurse, keep Colter awake (during the day) and naptime (for Colter and occasionally for me!). I must admit our little family has adapted quite well. I thought for sure I would be so exhausted I wouldn't be able to function. Yet, somehow, I manage to keep smiling, laughing and loving every moment.
A fellow mom and I were talking about our labors and she said, "All I know is that it will be a long time before I want to go through that again!" And I thought,"That's funny. The first thing I thought when they placed Colter on my chest was, 'I would do that again in a heartbeat to bring such a beautiful child into this world.'" Now, perhaps I am jaded because my labor was 5 hours long. FYI: it wasn't easy. And it was incredibly intense. I'd say 3.5 hours of serious intensity and pain. They say you get breaks between contractions- I did not. They just rolled in one after another. I'm not looking for sympathy. I am merely saying everyone's labor experience is unique and can never be fully appreciated by anyone else. I guess that is what makes it so incredible.
We have been blessed with support from family, friends and the community. I firmly believe this has made a HUGE difference these first few weeks. My parents were here over Thanksgiving and the first part of this week - how wonderful to share in the first few moments of their first grandchild. Oh, and for the record, I have no pride issues in letting my Pops clean my bathrooms. My church community is bringing over dinners through the weekend while CJ has to work. A friend dropped off pumpkin bread on my doorstep this morning. A mom is bringing me herbs for my sitz baths.
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| Learning to read with Grandma |
Colter is a curious little guy. He very rarely becomes a "Fuss Monster". When he is awake (and it is often a feat to get him there but the reward is great, I assure you), he spends up to 2 hours with his eyes wide open, exploring the world around him. He loves the color yellow and is fascinated with lights. He loves to look over our shoulders and holds up his head quite well for a 2 week old. He perks up every time he hears CJ's voice (ah, the Malcolm tone) and definately knows where his food comes from. It is a wonder to watch him take it all in - the little mind a sponge soaking it all up.
Our biggest accomplishment these past few weeks? The swaddle. Not just any old swaddle will work for our super strong boy. He broke out of every swaddle we did for the first 5 days. So we got serious. We went to YouTube. We discovered that Australians know how to swaddle. One blanket does not work: two is key. One to lock down the arms, and one to secure the babe. I swear he sleeps much better now that he doesn't startle himself with his arms. We are sold.
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| Our swaddled little munchkin |
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