First Bottle...

Micah - you are getting so big already! You are already 4 weeks old today, and following orders from the hospital, Daddy gave you your first bottle. You passed the bottle feeding with flying colors, but please don't grow up so quickly! Mommy already felt a taste of your independence as she was not the one to feed you. But great job on your first bottle...one more "first" here and gone.

June 27th: Micah 1, Momma 0.

June 27th is a day I would rather not repeat that often (or ever)!  It started out the same as any other day - Micah up and ready to eat.  Then as we went to put him down for his nap, and consequently make our way to church, the little guy decided he didn't want to go to sleep.  Not then, not an hour later, nor another hour later, or another hour later...you get my point.  And in the midst of not wanting to sleep, he also decided he was crabby and fussy, crying for the majority of the 6 hours he was awake.  So 2 feedings later and hours in the glider, Christian and I taking turns trying, I finally got him to sleep in my arms.  And that's where he stayed for 2 1/2 hours.  I was not moving, not taking chances, and just wanted to get my baby his much needed rest.  

Oh, and I also should add that in the process of working with Micah, I noticed our base boards coming off the wall in our kitchen next to the fridge.  On Friday I had pulled the fridge out of its location to get something that had dropped behind it, and loosened up the line that connects from the wall to our ice maker and it began leaking.  I thought I had tightened the screw, therefore stopping the leak, but two days later saw that was clearly not the case.  So our base boards are coming off the kitchen wall and the bathroom wall that connects to it, there is water seeping out from our floor and you can see a leak in the garage that's about 3cm x 3cm.  Awesome.

While Christian works on figuring out the next steps here, I continue to work on getting Micah to calm down for the day as well as work on the tears that just seem to be constantly in my eyes or coming out of them for most of the afternoon.  As we decided to head out for the church picnic to get some much needed social time, Micah again started to fuss and would not go to sleep.  There went that idea - back to the glider for more rocking.  It was a quicker process this time around and I actually got him to sleep in the bassinet for a little over 2 hours, while Daddy and I got some "us" time.   

Going to bed that night, tears still falling for reasons I couldn't explain except that it was just one of those days, I am completely humbled as I think about the precious little boy who is sleeping in his crib (for the first time for the entire night - 4 weeks old!).  As I look at how dependent he is on mommy and daddy for his every need,  and how easy it is to ask why he isn't taking what we are giving to soothe him, I am reminded of something Christian said a week or two after Micah was born and he was soooo hungry but not willing to eat.  Being a parent gives both of us a deeper understanding of how God loves his children.  How He supplies all our needs if we are willing to accept them, and then we get frustrated and sad when something doesn't work out right.  And there is God saying, I'm here!  What you need is here, you just have to be willing to open your arms up and accept what I am giving you.  

As I sit here today looking back at yesterday's events, I am also staring at a monitor of my son sleeping soundly in his crib for his third nap of the day, after an almost 4 hour nap this morning and amazed at what a difference a day makes.  Thank you God for the amazing little boy you have placed in our care.  Please help us to raise him to be a man after your own heart.  And, if we could not have too many days like yesterday, that wouldn't be so bad either... :)

Swaddling efforts

We are swaddling Micah when he goes down at night because it helps him sleep longer and more soundly with his arms not flailing around.  Last night he wasn't quite asleep when he was put in the bassinet, and as Christian and I are falling asleep ourselves, we kept laughing listening to our little boy.  He would randomly make these whimpering sounds every 30 seconds or so for about 5 minutes, which is when he was trying with all his might to bust out of the velcro-bound swaddle.  Although he has been successful in the past, thankfully he settled down last night and went to sleep.  

Kisses

I just have to post how cute Micah is when he's getting hungry - I so wish I had a video of the latest.  As I was picking him up last night and giving him kisses on his face, he began giving me "kisses" right back, as his mouth was literally kissing my nose, lips and chin.  I know it was only because he was ready to eat, but I couldn't help be in love with him just a little bit more as I got "kisses" from my Micah.

Mr. Micah

Wow - this boy allows for growth for Christian and myself on a daily basis. I have been reading "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" and am figuring out that Micah may have characteristics of a touchy, textbook, and spirited baby. But our biggest thing we are trying to figure out right now is his sleep patterns...I know we are getting in a bad habit of rocking him to sleep, but it's so easy and so cute when he falls asleep in my arms or on Christian's chest. And we just love him so much. In the midst of reading the sleep chapter today, however, we are going to work on putting him down while he's almost out, but not quite, so that he can work on building those "self-soothing" techniques. I failed at my first try, but half-hour later Christian tried again and was successful! Our sweet baby is now sleeping soundly in his room and dad and I are enjoying some "me" time before he wakes up again.

Beginning of Blog

So, I'm figuring this whole blog thing out - this is my first attempt - but it's something I've been wanting to do for quite some time now. And now that we have a 2 week old boy, I decided it's about time I actually take the plunge and start my own blog. I don't know how creative I'll be or how much I'll keep up with the blog, but I'm hoping it's something I can look back at and have many, many memories of our family.

A couple of things I want to remember about the last two weeks after Micah's birth (born May 31st, 2010 at 3:38am) include:

• how utterly and completely in love I am with this little boy...I never knew the kind of love that I feel was possible. I thought I already knew how to love with all of my heart, with everything that I have. I now understand the love of a parent and am able to comprehend how much larger your heart grows to account for the love of a child.
• how supportive my husband has been through this life changing experience...Christian has been amazing, picking up where I am unable to (dishes, laundry, house cleaning, cooking) while I am focused on taking care of our son. I am blessed to have a man who unconditionally loves God, loves me, and now loves our child.
• how much I love being a mother...to know instantaneously my title changed to include "mom" and the uneasiness that might bring to some...it's the most amazing thing in the world and I feel like it's such a natural part of my life and can't imagine life any other way.
• how adorable Micah is when you go to put something in his mouth and he shakes his head back and forth before giving in to whatever you are placing in his mouth
• how absolutely precious Micah is when he cries - even though he is upset, it's the cutest cry in the world
• how Micah likes to see the world - even attempting to do so by wanting to come out face first and sending me into a c-section...often times we call him the one-eyed bandit because he will open only one eye, as if trying to decide if it's worth waking up for or not. He also tends to be very alert much of the day, in between sleep, feedings and diaper changes. His eyes are beautiful and I could stare at them all day.
• how I dread going to bed at night knowing I'll be up in 3-4 (or 2) hours to feed Micah. I know one day I will miss those night feedings, but right now I am quite exhausted when waking up in the morning
• how my husband had an emergency appendectomy 10 days after I gave birth, and was rushed to the ER by my mom (who thankfully was in town)...therefore causing both of us to have surgery in 1 1/2 weeks and to be under doctor's orders to rest and relax, with a 10 day old baby at home!

There are so many more things that I have enjoyed, learned, and experienced over the last 2 weeks, but the above list is just a snapshot of the new life that Christian and I are now living. More to come in the future.