One Week

MONDAY:
On Monday James discovered what real hunger was. He decided that he did not like it, not in the least. He made his opinion known to us, his parents, and we did our best to meet his demands. After eating his fill he flopped onto his daddy to be burped. This is what he looked like after belching to his daddy's and my delight. (In future belching will probably not get the same positive reaction so he should enjoy it now while he can.)

TUESDAY:

After he discovered hunger he must have determined never to feel it again because he went on a feeding frenzy. He ate every hour on the hour for thirty minutes at a time from sometime Tuesday until Wednesday morning. Can we say ouch? Can we say sleep deprivation? So for those of you who may have wondered why I wasn't up to visitors, didn't return calls quickly, and was antisocial in general, now you know.

WEDNESDAY:

Happily, James decided that he was not going to starve and went to a much more reasonable schedule of eating about every two to three hours on Wednesday. We were very ready to leave the hospital at that point.

Daniel packed up the room and I got ready to go. We sat waiting on the bed for the nurse to come in so we could pounce.

"When can we leave?"

"Don't you want to stay for lunch first?" (more on hospital food should be written at a later date)

"No? Well then I'll get your paperwork together and get a wheelchair for you."

We made it home without misshap. I have never seen Daniel drive more carefully. It was cute to see him be so cautious and so light on the brakes and gas. This is not normal but I could definitely get used to it. :)

He dropped us off at the apartment and went to fill my prescription for pain medication. I fed James, again, and we sat down surrounded by my fortress of pillows. I must have completely passed out because the next thing I knew James was gone, Daniel was home, and I was completely disoriented. Daniel had found me sitting upright with my head at a very awkward angle on my chest, asleep. He put James down and knowing I hadn't slept much, left me to sleep. He sat still too long and passed out too. Needless to say we were both exremely disoriented when we woke. James was the only one who was serenely unaffected as I groggily scrambled to piece together exactly what was going on.

That evening Grandma and Grandpa Howell arrived from Virginia. They will be staying to help out and visit through next week. James loves them already.

THURSDAY:

James had his first visit to the pediatrician this Thursday. He got his first shot and as Daddy so eloquently put it "He took it like a man." He didn't cry hardly at all and it's a good thing too. Mama, that's me, was the anxious one as they waited for the nurse to come and it would have been difficult for her if he had been more affected by it. He weighed in at a healthy 8lbs 15oz at the pediatrician's office, apparently having gained half a pound from his last weigh-in at the hospital. It just goes to show that he is a very efficient eater.

Although uncertain about the carseat to begin with, he made peace with it and slept very well in it for a good portion of that day after his visit to the pediatrician.

FRIDAY:

On Friday the weather was beautiful. Spring seems to have arrived with James. The trees are blooming and the grass is a lovely shade of green. We went for a short walk around the apartment clubhouse and pond. James tried out his sling and approved of it by promptly falling asleep for the duration of the walk. I might add that it was a very slow walk as I am more at a shuffle while I heal up from the c-section.

SATURDAY:
Daddy went of various expeditions with Grandma for needed groceries/supplies. Daddy later went with Grandpa to look at electronic gadgets and dream of HD TV's. James and I napped on and off through the day, in between multiple feedings of course.

We also tried to get some good pictures of all three of us together. No real winners so far but we are going to keep trying. It's sort of hard to get all three of us looking in the same sort of direction. Perhaps once we have more of a settled routine for ourselves and aren't so sleep deprived.

Daniel took this one later in the day and it is one of my favorites. Eventually we'll get one with all three of us in it.:)

SUNDAY:
James has been very good to me on this day of rest. I was able to rest for a two hour stretch this afternoon while his daddy and grandpa were at church. It has been nice to listen to the Mormon Tabernacle choir and to reflect on this first week of motherhood, fatherhood, and new life.

We are so blessed.