Thankful Thursday...and the First Five Days

WOW. Has it been a journey so far. We're surviving! We're exhausted, but we're doing this! We had a little scare with potential jaundice and ended up taking her to the pediatrician today. He went ahead and gave her the newborn exam that wasn't scheduled until Saturday, then he sent us over to the hospital to have her Bilirubin levels checked. I was crazy upset about having to sit in the nasty, germy hospital waiting room with a newborn, but it was worth the wait. Her levels came back just fine and we're in the clear. What's more, she is back up to 8lbs 1oz (she left the hospital at 7lbs 14oz, so it's amazing to be so close to birth weight at five days!) The doctor was very impressed, but David and I were not surprised given her input and output!

So, in summary: feeding is going great, sleep needs some major improving.
Prayer Requests: More sleep, Audrey to keep eating and gaining weight, my continued physical recovery, both mine and David's back pain (where did that come from?!), and continued good spirits and a sense of humor while adjusting!

In honor of Day Five, I'm combining my Thankful Thursday five post with another "five" list.

Five Things That We Didn't Know About Recovery/Early Parenthood (don't worry, I kept it clean. Though there have been PLENTY of new lessons about those sort of things!):

1. Just how very, very, very, very, very little sleep you get. Of course we knew we were going to be extremely sleep-deprived for awhile, but it's been RIDICULOUS how little sleep we've actually gotten. It was worsened by the fact that I went into labor on Friday night and gave birth on Saturday night. That put us two nights behind before even dealing with a newborn. Plus, Audrey has her nights and days switched. We're working on it, but it's a process. It's like supervising the youth lock-in that never ends.

We're trying to "sleep when the baby sleeps" but that's hard to do when you're nursing around the clock and by the time you get to wind down, she's awake again. If I had to guess, I'm thinking 8-9 hours total in 6 days? That's dang near check-yourself-into-a-mental-institution level.

2. How overly emotional I'd be. Yes, I expected to shed some tears. But I did not plan on breaking down with a fellow new mom in the pediatrician's office waiting room or sobbing my way through singing "My Little Sunshine"! And I sure didn't expect that I'd bawl my eyes out over giving her a pacifier! Every little thing sets me off...welcome to hormone central.

3. The amount of worry over Every Little Thing. Is she breathing? What if that blanket gets in her way while we're asleep? Is she too hot? Too cold? Eating enough? I guess the worry never ends, so we'd better get used to it...

4. The guilt. Along with worrying, I'm sure this is going to be a regular occurrence. I feel guilty sleeping when she is awake and alert (and David is watching her) because I'm missing that bonding time. I feel guilty giving her a pacifier when she clearly just needs to get a little energy out. I feel guilty that I haven't read a single book to her since she was born. I feel guilty that I haven't eaten enough vegetables lately and she needs that nurtition. Catching on? Ugg.

5. And the main thing that we didn't expect: The insane amount of love you can feel towards this teeny-tiny human being that you created. The overwhelming emotions we feel towards Audrey have caught us both by complete surprise. She is amazingly beautiful and wonderful and gorgeous and intelligent (yes, we can tell that already.) Everything she does is both precious and miraculous. The love I feel when I'm holding her is overwhelming. When she's sleeping, I can't wait until she wakes up again because I miss her! Even when she's crying and keeping us awake for hours on end, I still wouldn't trade her for the world!


And Now, My Thankful Thursday List:

1. Audrey Jean. For a million different reasons. Some of which I've named, most of which haven't even occured yet.

2. A good doctor's report! It put our minds at ease!!! Praise God that she is a healthy, chunky baby!

3. A husband who is a true partner. This whole parenthood thing has taken mine and David's relationship to a new level. We have really come together to do this, refusing to take our frustrations out on each other when it would be so easy to do so. We're trying to remember to say "I love you" often, hug each other, and make small gestures to take care of one another. He is such an encouragement and is so patient and kind. He is doing a phenomenal job as a new Daddy...and in more ways than just handling the diaper changes (which is awesome!!!) I cannot imagine doing this with anyone else on earth!

4. 15-20 minute naps. Although 1-2 hour naps would be even nicer. Maybe that'll make next Thursday's list.

5. Friends and family and their sweet prayers and words of encouragement. We know you're lifting us up and we really appreciate it!

Time to feed AJ and go to bed!!! Sweet dreams!!!