1 Week

I can't believe it has already been a whole week since this little fella came into our lives. And I still can't believe how much I love him! I just want to stare at those beautiful eyes all day. We took him to his first doctor's appointment yesterday and he has already made up his birth weight and more- he was 9 lbs. even. We love his chunkiness and because he is so healthy the doctor said we could let him sleep longer at nite if he wants to. This is great news because so far I've been waking him up to nurse, but now I'll just let him sleep and not worry about it.

In Winston's first week we've managed to figure out nursing (at home at least), gone for our first walk in the park, and spent lots of time staring at each other and bonding. And as a bonus, Tyler's been able to be at home with us and I love watching him become a dad. He doesn't love diaper changes (and let's face it, I'm ten times better at it than he is), but it makes me smile when he peeks into Winston's bedroom ever single time he walks down the hall. So adorable!

Winston Lowe Turner

Our little fella is finally here!! He was born at 3:25am on June 20th, weighed 8 lbs. 1 oz. and is 21.5 inches long. Long story short, he came fast. I felt the first painful contraction at about 10:40pm and started timing contractions at 11pm. By 11:30 I was ready to go already, so we packed up a few things and left for the hospital around midnite. I got checked in at 12:30am and at 3:25am he was here!

Things to note about the delivery/recovery:

• I may have accidentally locked the car keys in the car when Tyler was dropping me off at the emergency room, leaving him stranded in the emergency drop-off lane for 30 minutes while he waited for Triple A, and while I got checked in and got an IV. Keep in mind I was mid-contraction when the incident happened, so it's not really my fault :)
• The most intense pain I have ever felt and the hardest thing I have ever had to do was sit still through several hard contractions while the epidural was administered. Up until that point I was handling the contractions okay as long as I could move through them (i.e. walk, sway, massage my lower back, etc.), but for about 10 minutes I had to sit as still as possible and getting through the contractions became a mental game. The nurse gave me oxygen to prevent me from passing out (I warned her early that I faint easily) and then it was all about breathing slowly and squeezing Tyler's hand as hard as I could. I'm still pretty impressed with myself for getting through it, and I only started to cry once for a split second before I held back because I knew it wouldn't help.
• The actual pushing and delivery were much less dramatic than I anticipated. It may have been because I had the epidural, but I pushed for less than 20 minutes and though it was tiring, the atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed.

  

  New daddy

• Every time the doctor told me to push, Tyler tightened all his muscles and squeezed my leg and foot as hard as he could! Haha, I didn't notice, but he said he kept catching himself doing that and reminding himself to just breath and relax :) He's just so supportive!!
• Holding your baby for the first time is incredibly surreal. I was overcome with emotion when they first put him on my chest, but it was still hard to believe that he was ours. Every time I look at him or hold him I feel more like his mother and I love him sooooo much!!!
• Second most painful thing of the nite? Having the epidural tape stripped from my back. My back stung for a whole day and I never even noticed the epidural being there or being removed.
• I knew certain parts of me would be sore, but I didn't realize how sore my chest would be and that my arms would also be sore (from the IV and vaccinations mama gets) and that my back would be sore (mostly from the tape removal).
• I sometimes can't decide if I like holding Winston more, or if I like seeing his dad hold him more. When I'm holding him I'm in love with him, but I feel a little selfish so I pass him off to his dad, but then I'm so jealous of their cuteness and I'm even more in love with Tyler that it is all just so hard!!

Things we LOVE about Winston:

• He's perfect! I cannot believe how much I love him!
• He never cries! He squeaks a little bit when he's uncomfortable and he makes the sweetest little humming sound when he's looking for food, but I only heard him cry when the nurse smacked him right after he came out. He didn't even cry during the circumcision or when his frenulum (tissue under the tongue) was clipped.

  

  New mama

• When he's awake, he's awake. He has big dark eyes and he likes to just look around at everything. 
• His squishy, soft, wrinkly skin. (Mama's fav)
• His shnuggles- I don't even need to train him :)
• His puppy dreams- he makes lots of little faces and squeaks when he sleeps. (Daddy's fav)
• His dark hair and pink complexion.
• When he stretches and yawns really big. (Daddy's fav)
• His smiles.
• Looking down at him while he nurses. This is a view reserved only for mama and it is the best! I just can't stop staring at him cause he is just so cute and perfect and I have a hard time putting him down to sleep afterwards cause I just want to keep him there forever. (Mama's fav)
• Everything! Like I said, he is just so perfect!!

40 Weeks.... and still pregnant

 

4 weeks

 

40 weeks

Another week has passed and our little fella is still hanging in there- I really need to be less hospitable next time around. I've still been nice and comfortable (don't know if that's a bad sign as far as getting this labor moving), but it's pretty incredible how much movement I feel like I've lost just in this last week. Suddenly getting in and out of the car is a lengthy process and Tyler has become my official shoe tie-er. According to the doctor the babe is measuring just over seven pounds right now, but when I try to open the bottom drawer he feels more like a 12-pounder. I'm hoping we've taken the final pre-baby photo and I thought I'd compare to the photo we took of me at four weeks; when I found out we were expecting. It's hard for me to imagine life without this basketball on me, but I'm also sooo excited to have a whole new wardrobe again! I don't think I've ever been so excited to wear my own clothes before. Hopefully my next post will have lots of photos of a little squishy babe!! Cross your fingers :)

The Waiting Game

The other day I asked Tyler, "Is it weird that I'm excited to be in the most intense pain of my life?"

"Yes."

Well, it may be weird, but it's true. I was thinking about this waiting game all weekend, as I was just sitting around waiting, and it struck me that I'm actually pretty bummed out that I'm not in more pain right now. I'm also a little disappointed that I haven't "wet" my pants today. And I'm really looking forward to having a large needle stuck into my spine.

For me, it's not even that I'm very uncomfortable. In fact, I still feel great and I'm still able to do most things I was able to do before having a watermelon stuck to the front of me (although there is that one skinny closet that I can no longer squeeze into), but I'm just so anxious and ready for this little gent to make his grand appearance that I spend half my day dreaming about standing awkwardly in a pool of amniotic fluid somewhere ridiculous- like a grocery store aisle. I don't even think I would have time to be embarrassed because I would be so excited! Just as long as Tyler isn't around, because there are so many things about that situation that he would not be okay with :)

I've been really excited about things before- getting married, Christmas morning, going to London, etc., but I feel like it's an entirely different excitement when what you can't wait for is possibly excruciating pain, awkward pants wetting, and large needles. But I just can't wait!! I'm so excited and nothing is distracting enough for me right now.

Anyways, I'm off to go eat some pineapple. Or do some stairs. Or heavy lifting. Or maybe eat a jalapeno. Wish me luck!