1 Week Old....Holy "COW"

It is so hard to believe that 1 week ago, we were headed to the hospital to have our baby! I can't decide if the week has gone by quickly or slowly, but I know that it has been the most wonderful week of our lives and we can't even imagine life without our little guy.

We all came home from the hospital on Monday afternoon. C's weight dropped quite a bit from his birth (down to 5 lbs. 14 oz. from 6 lbs. 10.5 oz.) Weight loss is very common, but we supplemented with formula for a few days to get him to bulk up. :) The care we got at the hospital was absolutely fantastic, but we were excited to get home to get a little more uninterrupted sleep. We know that Connor will wake us to eat, for diaper changes, etc., but we can do without all the "vitals checks" and and random medical pop-ins that happen at the hospital every day starting at 6:30 am.Life at home has been great. Brian continues to do more than his fair share of baby care and I absolutely love to watch him hold Connor and be an absolutely wonderful dad. He has given Connor several sink baths since we've been home, and no, not with the Clorox wipes that are on the counter! My mom and dad have been in town preparing meals, cleaning and allowing us to focus on Connor while they take care of lots of the other stuff. My mom had lots of blue bows outside the house, a "C" wreath with sports stuff (for the hospital and now the front door), and a wreath on the mantle. My dad added more lights to a tree in the backyard that is lit up in honor of Connor's arrival.



I'm afraid Mitsy and Toonces felt a little replaced at first, but they are coming around. Last night, Brian and I were in the bedroom with Connor and my mom said M & T stood at the bottom of the stairs looking up because little C was crying. They've chosen to sleep elsewhere, but it has only been a week, so I expect they'll be back in bed with us soon. As long as we are able to keep the kitties out of the baby's bassinet, we'll be in good shape. Yesterday, both of them jumped up on the couch with us, so we were able to snap a quick picture with all 5 of us! Connor had his first doctor's appointment on Tuesday for a weight check and he was back up to 6 lbs. 3 oz. We just got home from another weight check and he is up to 6 lbs. 7 oz. The doctor was pretty amazed at that amount of weight gain in 3 days. Its amazing what happens when mom's "supply" comes in. :) The feedings have been going fine, but I'm afraid that after giving him supplemental formula for the first few days, he got spoiled by the flow of the bottle. So, at this point he gets a little frustrated and prefers to drink his "mommy juice" out of a bottle. Although not ideal, we are working on it and both of us are learning a lot. In the meantime, I will just continue to feel like a complete COW. I am thankful to have such an effective pump and even more thankful that our little guy is gaining the weight that he needs. He is still tiny, but his little cheeks are filling out and somehow the cuteness increases daily.

Starting yesterday, Connor is fighting clogged tear ducts. The clog causes an eye discharge that must look worse than it feels to him. He doesn't seem to mind, but Brian and I just hate it for him! The doctor looked at it this morning and we are just supposed to wipe it with warm water and it will clear up on its own....no infection or anything, but we still think our tiny man is such a trooper!

We were thrilled to have a few more guests at the house this week. Mary came over on Tuesday evening for dinner and Leslie and Cari came over on Wednesday. Our neighbors have been stopping by to give their congratulations and see the little guy. Of course we never get tired of hearing how cute he is and how he is such a good baby. Of course we agree. :)One surprise I wasn't expecting was that all his 0-3 month clothes absolutely swallow him! We got lots of gowns for him to sleep in and just hang out, but the necklines are almost boat-neck or off-the-shoulder. During an afternoon outing earlier in the week, my mom stopped at Baby Depot (Burlington Coat Factory) and picked up a few preemie outfits that actually fit him now. They are actually for weights up to 5 lbs, but he is so long and then that they fit great. It is nice that the little hats fit too....tough when his head is just about the size of Brian's closed fist!

Overall, life is great. Yes, we wake up several times in the middle of the night, but at this point, I really don't mind. I'm trying to savor all of this time while he is just a little munchkin. I know that he will not be like this for very long. I look forward to all of the stages that he will go through, but I want to cherish every moment...and of course photograph most of them. I hope you will enjoy getting to watch him grow and change too.