Month One

One month old and handsome as can be. This little guy just keeps getting pudgier and more adorable with every passing day. The two of us have started leaving the house on little adventures, mostly small ones to grandma's house or the grocery store. These little adventures are his introduction to this great big world and mine to life as a mom.

This week we had to retire some of the little clothes that he outgrew. I almost cried. It is such a battle between wanting him to stay my tiny little bundle, and excitement at watching him grow and learn and change. So I try to be present for each little moment, each tiny wonder. I try to appreciate every minute that I get to spend with this little guy.

Now that he has gotten a little bit bigger we are moving on to cloth diapers. They are so much less waste and they are softer on baby's bottom. But let's face it, the cuteness factor is what really sells them! =)

A is for Apple Picking

Yesterday was the first day of fall and my first in the beautiful foliage of Northern New York in ten years. This time around I have a wonderful husband and beautiful baby boy to enjoy it with.

The little man will be a month old in two days. He and I have been more or less cooped up for the last four weeks. Apple picking was our first family adventure. We grabbed grandma and went to a little orchard nearby. This was also our first use of the Moby...it was a little confusing at first, but worked out well for our wandering. The mister and my mom were able to get some good pictures in the lovely fall sunshine as well as a couple pecks of apples to turn into delicious baked goods. The weather was amazing, it was warm and sunny, with exceptional blue skies. It was a wonderful day spent with my perfect little family. 

Sean Padraig

August 26, 2014, our little man's due date. No one thought that he would actually be born *on* his due date. The Mister and I were betting on about a week late. First pregnancies usually run long, boys tend to come late, the Mister was late...surely our little man was going to take his time. So, imagine my surprise  on Monday night when my water broke...well little man, you sure did get your daddy's sense of timing.

My labor was not uneventful, it did not go exactly as planned, but I brought our son into the world happy and healthy, and that is what is important.

The contractions started around 9:00 pm on Monday. The mister and I met my mom at the hospital around  3:00 am. I labored thorough the night and was seen by the doctor at around 8:00 am. By 10:00 am having been in labor for 12 hours the doctor wanted to start me on pitocin. I didn't want to, but for fear of infection we decided to do what we needed to in order to progress with the labor. Needless to say my body didn't want the pitocin either and I had a bad reaction to it. The nurses took me off of the pitocin within a few minutes of starting it. I was then informed that the doctor wanted to do an internal monitor. This might have been the most terrifying moment of the entire labor. When I asked how this was done the nurse stated "with screws". What? You want to put screws into my baby's head?!? Absolutely not. The Mister called his mom (a retired OB/GYN, lucky us) and she encouraged us to proceed with the monitor as it was not as serious as they made it sound and would give a better idea of what was needed for me and the baby. Fortunately, before any of this could take place our little man decided he was ready to make his entrance. My contractions started feeling more like pushes and soon the delivery room was filled with nurses. I don't have a good concept of time for any of the labor, but the delivery felt like it went very quickly. So after 15 hours of labor, with no pain medications, I saw my little man, Sean Padraig, enter the world at 12:38 pm on 8/26/14.

People told me that I would hate my husband, that I would say terrible things while in labor. None of this was true for me. I was so thankful for my husband (and my mother) who helped me through the entire process. I never hated either of them, only loved them more for supporting me. My love for my husband grew more than I knew it could during labor and after. Seeing him with our son was one of the happiest moments of my life. Every time he holds our son the love I thought was to bursting grows a little more.

What no one told me was how much I would miss my husband. We spent two days together in a little hospital room after the baby was born and I felt like I never got to see him. I spent my time feeding the baby and drifting in and out of sleep, while he sat in the chair on the other side of the room. When we got home he had to go back to work so I only got to see him in the evenings and on his days off. After a couple days I broke down in his arms and told him how much I missed him. 

Things are beginning to settle into a routine and yesterday I was able to snuggle with my husband while watching movies as the baby slept. It was the little things that I missed during the early days. Each day I am learning how to live this new life as wife and mother. It is an exceptional challenge and I love every moment.

Our little man will be two weeks old tomorrow. It is still hard to believe he is ours. Having a baby to love and nurture is more overwhelming than I had ever imagined, and more amazing. This little person depends on us for everything, doesn't speak our language, and has no concept of time. He is our world. I love watching him. I love being his mom. I am so excited about this grand adventure that the three of us are making together!