Norah's First Bath

New babies mean new blog posts! They might not be all that exciting, but hey, I've got a lot of time on my hands, so here we go, Norah's first bath at the homestead. 

△△△ Gwyneth was of course excited and eager to help. 

△△△ For reals, the child slept through her bath. And don't panic that she's not eating enough and therefore exhausted and sleeping through everything (I've been there, I've seen the breastfeeding nazis attack some moms on FB in regards to this). She's really just that relaxed, with a full belly I might add, I have the diapers to prove it.

△△△ Until it was time to get out, then she lost her mind.

All in all a pretty uneventful event for this little relaxed girl, who now smells all sweet. And can we get a shout out for the amazing amount of counter space in our new kitchen? It's pretty bonkers, and a little hard for us to keep uncluttered, but we are exercising our grownup skills and doing our best, because those counters are meant to be used for baking and not cluttering, of course.

Coming Home

One of the things that sucks about having a c-section is the extended stay you have to have at the hospital. Oh how I would love to pop that baby out and be back at home comfy on my couch the next day. 

But then again, there aren't nurses administering pain meds and gas relief throughout the day at my house, so, I mean, there's benefits to both, eh? 

Before we had Norah we were sure to ask my doctor when the soonest is we could come home. And so two days later we were sure to ask to be discharged as soon as those doctors walked in the door. Lucky for us we were all healthy and got the OK. 

△▽△ Of course her coming home outfit was polka dot, would you expect anything else? Also, this is the only time she's had a headband on her little head which is really surprising to myself, the woman who gets in fights with her two-year-old over her wearing a clip in her hair. △▽△

 Welcome Home, baby girl.

Norah's Birth Story

On Monday, July 22, 2013 while the world awaited the news of a prince's arrival in London, Jake and I walked into a hospital for repeat a c-section I scheduled 3 months ago.

After signing the appropriate paperwork we stood awkwardly in the dingy lit labor and delivery reception area until it was time to go to the basement, where babies are currently being born. We joked with each other as a nurse, tired from the length of her shift she was finishing, administered an iv so painful I declared it more so than the spinal block I received a half hour later.

As I walked into the operating room (which is a strange thing to do) doctors and nurses alike discussed the impending delivery of the prince half a world away, while I tried to avert my gaze from anything that remotely  resembled the surgery I was about to have. 

One spinal block and some other things later, in walked Jake, talking about our honeymoon. You see, you need a distraction from the surgery that's happening right below your nose. Last time, I found storytelling to be a welcome one. As I demanded my nervous husband to make up stories on the spot with Gwen, this time he had plenty of warning and came prepared with a pocketful of romantic memories that worked like a charm.

With this baby I did my research and educated myself on breastfeeding as best I could. To say we were hyper vigilant about breastfeeding for this second baby would be an understatement. We were determined not to go through what we went through with Gwen again. For the past month our plan of depending on a lactation consultant morphed into a more DIY approach as I discovered a lack of hire-able help in our area that was followed by a realization that there's a big book of answers to breastfeeding available at the library. The one thing I read and knew needed to be different this c-section was the first 30 minutes.

With Gwen we didn't have a first 30 minutes. What we had was a glimpse, a shocked mom being handled a tightly swaddled and washed baby who was promptly whisked away to a nursery. She was brought down to me 45 minutes later where we made a sorry attempt at skin-to-skin contact.

This time? Norah was laid on my chest and spent the remainder of my surgery taking her first deep breaths of life nuzzled against my skin. This was something we had to fight hard to make happen. It was a heated argument between a strong-willed nurse, us and our doctor who eventually had to play a heavy fisted role to ensure our wishes became a reality. 

This was just the beginning of a wonderful birthing experience. Instead of sitting in an operating room alone while my husband and the baby were on a different floor, I got to be a part of my baby's first moments of life as she cried and did exactly what the books said she would do, she nursed. 

Luckily this time around I was greeted with an amazing postpartum nurse who I firmly believe is the cause of a my speedy recovery this go around. She was on top of my pain medicine, got me up and moving the day of the surgery and was so amazingly helpful I asked her every stupid question I could think of without hesitation. She helped with nursing, got us a lactation consultant when we asked and absolutely made this hospital experience one to be remembered. To make things better, our night-time postpartum nurse was equally amazing. 

Family popped in and out in those two days, coming by to meet our new little babe. Gwyneth spent some time meeting her little sister and being doted on by family until we left the hospital two days later. This was not a moment too soon as the amazing nursing team we were initially assigned with was replaced with a terrible one that made the morning we left miserable.

The second time around was such a completely different experience. We went into the entire thing prepared, knowing what to expect and we weren't afraid to ask for what we wanted. Because of this we were able to make the birthing experience, even if it was a c-section, into a memorable one that will remain a fond memory in our hearts forever.

Moms Are The Best, Aren't They?

For both of my babies my mom has come and stayed a week to help out. When we had Gwyneth my mom and dad helped around the house, giving us the ability to focus solely on that new little baby, which we so desperately needed to do.

Mom did the laundry, the dishes, made dinner for us, made sure our guests were taken care of and my dad fixed all sorts of things that needed fixing around the house (and made amazing breakfasts to boot).

With Norah my mom not only tended to our home, but also took care of Gwyneth in a fashion I like to think relatable to a week-long trip to Disneyland. When we came home from the hospital we were greeted with an excited little girl who had clearly been having the time of her life. 

Dinners this week have been full of the things we don't know how to cook, so therefore we don't eat. Brussel sprouts, ribs, pork tenderloin, baked then grilled sweet potatoes. Things have been taken care of without even having to ask, water cups always filled, babies taken from exhausted, weary arms at just the right moment, weepy hormonal tears discussed and wiped away, missed family members calling at just the right moments. 

And just when my heart is beyond grateful that my mom would take the time off work and care for us like this, Jake reminds me that I someday will do the same thing for my daughters. For Gwyneth who firmly believes her mommy's water is far better than her own, for Norah who prefers snuggles with her mommy over a pacifier. It's obvious now that they need their mom nowadays but its hard to imagine what motherhood looks like 20 years down the road. But then it's times like these when I realize how I truly do need my mom, because she makes everything better. Even if I am 28 years old, married with two children of my own, there's always a place and a need for her and that makes my new little mom heart sing to even think about. 

Life is Good

Life around these parts has been calm and relaxed as we adjust to our new little girl and I heal.

It's been a huge blessing, this relaxed atmosphere, seeing as one week before Norah's arrival we still only had half the use of our kitchen and the Friday before Gwen and I were down at the bank finalizing the last of insurance paperwork. 

But nevertheless, things got done right in time, as Norah conveniently stayed the proper time in utero, even though her mommy was a stressed basket case. 

And here we are, one week in and things couldn't be more perfect. Gwen adores her new little sister and is always eager to help. Norah, unlike her sister, has picked up on breastfeeding and received perfect reports from her pediatrician. And better yet, it seems that when your newborn is eating properly you can heal from surgery in an expedited fashion. That and the amount of care my mom and Jake have made sure I receive. Knowing Gwen and our home are taken care of has given me the peace of mind to be able to focus on this new little girl.

Our hearts are happy, grateful and blessed.