Classic

So, since I had an interesting experience involving a diaper change (i.e. pee on the walls), it is only fair that Daniel have one too.

Yesterday we were changing Carver's diaper together and were just finishing up when we saw a few drops of urine (we assumed) on him and on the changing table. But, we couldn't quite figure out where it came from or where the rest of it was...

After some fruitless searching we notice a rather large wet spot on the center of Daniel's chest. Apparently Carver had sprayed all over Daniel without him realizing it. The reason, of course, is that Daniel wears at least 3 layers every day in the winter. The pee only soaked through the first two, leaving Daniel completely unaware.

Not being totally sure of Daniel's reaction I did not laugh at the time. So, I am making up for it now...

ha ha ha ha! hee hee hee :)

One of those days...

Today has just been one of those days when nothing seems to go quite right. Not that there are major problems or emergencies, just a string of small irritations that when compiled equal a not so fabulous day. Here is a rundown of events.

7:45 a.m.- Finished feeding Carver and desperately wanted to go back to sleep. So Daniel bundled him all up, we played his favorite music for him, gave him a pacifier, and I headed back under the covers. Carver did NOT want to sleep but finally, finally, he dozed off. Five minutes later Delia and Lea fly off the couch (where we were sleeping) barking and running to the door in hysterics. Reason? absolutely none. All hope of napping were over.

10:00 a.m.- We've already been through three diapers in two hours. Every time I change it he immediately fills it again. I think he is planning it.

12:00 p.m.- I've been holding Carver since 8:00 a.m. (not unusual). He finally dozes off so I decide to make some lunch in the 5 minutes I have before he wakes up screaming and hungry. So, I make a sandwich, put it on the end table, and take the now screaming child to change his diaper AGAIN. When I return each dog has half a sandwich and are enjoying it immensely. Great. Dogs go into their crates for time out. It was either that or beat them...

1:00 p.m.- Carver has spit up for the second time so I now really have to change his outfit. So, we go for a diaper and outfit change...

1:15 p.m.- Carver spits up AGAIN this time the quantity is most impressive. I am covered and so is he. We go for outfit number 3 for the day (number 2 for me).

It is now 2: 30 and the child is screaming. Can't wait to see what the rest of the day holds. Good thing he really is so darn cute :)

LOVE him :) (and his daddy too!)

I know it is probably tacky to go on and on about how cute your kid is but, seriously, he is SO cute...

Daniel really hates these "dresses" I put him in...

First Month

I can't believe that Carver is already one month old. I guess since the first two weeks passed in a complete blur of sickness and drugs it has made the weeks pass more quickly. At first I thought that it would be such a relief when he got a little older and was sleeping better, etc. But, now I realize that I want time to pass as slowly as possible so that I can cherish every stage and every moment. Already he looks different than he did at the hospital, which is a little sad to me, that even his physical appearance changes so quickly. I can't get over how lucky I feel to have him-- even the hard days are good days. He has already changed my life in basically every way.

It's been a learning process but we are starting to figure things out. Only for the last week have I been completely on my own with Carver (while Daniel is at work), and I think we are surviving quite well. We have had a lot of good bonding time though sometimes I struggle to find things to "do" with him. I mean, what kind of entertainment do month old babies like? We rock in the glider, play in his swing and bouncy seat, read books, sing, watch tv, and go for walks. I hope this is enough stimulation for him. I'm sure one day I will feel confident enough to venture out of the house with him alone, but for now I am content in the safety bubble of my home. I've never watched this much television in my entire life.

I had a reality check the other day when I unloaded the dishwasher and felt SO productive and proud of myself. Sad, isn't it? But, as the days go by I do get more accomplished. Because Carver will only sit by himself for very short spells I am learning to be VERY efficient with my time. So far it is working and I think I am keeping things under control. Now if only I could make myself get dressed more often I think I would be doing well. But, when you don't leave the house it seems pointless to change out of pajamas or sweats. I'm becoming the cliche new mom who just lets herself go...something to work on, but not right now.

Last night I got to clean an impressively large amount of urine off of the walls in the nursery, and the changing table, and Carver's entire body...yep we had an "accident." Totally my fault. Carver lulled me into a false sense of security because I always covered him when changing his diaper but he never had an accident. Messy but funny.

Carver just does the cutest and funniest things. I love his expressions. Even when crying he just looks so cute-- his sad face just breaks my heart already. I never realized that newborns had such personalities but they really do. I'm tired and a little overwhelmed but I am loving this new phase in my life. If I can keep my worries and fears at bay I think we will do well. It is so hard not to want to wrap your child in bubble wrap and keep him from any and all potential harm. The thought of him being hurt or sick terrifies me. Having a child is definitely a practice in faith. I just pray and pray that he will be healthy and happy and whole. He is such a joy and a blessing. I hope he already can feel how much his daddy and I love him.

Settling In

We are finally starting to settle in to this whole parenting thing, though we are nowhere near having any kind of normalcy or routine. This is hard work! And, we've had constant help since the little one arrived. Soon that will all change and I will be thrown in to the deep end. Hopefully I won't crumble under the responsibility.

Carver is doing well. He's weighing in at about 10 and a half pounds right now and is wearing mostly 3 month old clothes. We are struggling with sleep issues. It seems he doesn't like to sleep for more than about an hour at a time and he prefers to be held while enjoying said sleep. Which is cute, but exhausting. Daniel and I are currently handling the nights in shifts, but neither one of us are getting much sleep. Daniel is also back at work full time, and I am teaching again, so we are dealing with a lot of changes right now.
Bath time usually goes over surprisingly well, though handling a slippery baby is slightly stressful.

Overall Carver is a not a particularly difficult baby (with the exception of the sleep issues). When he cries it is usually for a reason and not just to make us crazy. I love to just watch him-- he has the sweetest expressions, and his yawns are my absolute favorite :) Though this picture isn't nearly as cute as they are in person. We just adore him.

As a prayer request, Carver has a potential eye problem. Right now we are not too worried because his doctor is not too worried, though he is sending us to a specialist at Emory in February. We aren't sure what the problem is but right now it just looks like a number of broken blood vessels in his right eye. No apparent vision problems or anything like that. But, I can't help but worry some, that's my job, right? We are hoping that it clears up before the appointment and we won't even have to see the specialist. We'll keep everyone posted but would appreciate any prayers.

Family Dynamics

I hate to admit it but I was quite wrong about how the dogs would react to Carver's arrival. It makes me feel like I don't know them as well as I thought I did. On a positive note though, I have been pleasantly surprised by their response to him.

Delia's reaction has been by far the most surprising. She LOVES Carver. She wants to be near him at all times if possible. When I am holding him she wedges herself as close to him as possible, usually with her head right up against his head. She also spends a lot of her time looking for him in all of his known resting places (i.e. bassinet, pack n' play, couch, our bed, swing, bouncy seat...) She moves from one location to the next until she has found him and determined that all is well. I have absolutely loved watching her interact with him. Delia is also rather protective of Carver, she has snapped at Winston for getting too close to "her" baby.

Winston also likes Carver but has been very good about learning to be gentle and to leave him alone when we tell him to. Winston is tall enough to hang his head over the side of the pack n' play when Carver is sleeping. Then he wags and wags his tail while he watches him. I'm sure they will be great friends when Carver is a little bigger.

Lea doesn't pay a whole lot of attention to Carver. She does like to periodically sniff his face and lick the back of his head or his ear. And, sometimes when he is really crying or making noises she ventures over to check on him. But, for the most part she doesn't seem to interact with him too much.

It is such a relief that all of our first babies seem to like Carver. We have loved watching each of them develop particular habits in relation to the baby. We can really see each of their personalities coming out. And, my fears of not being able to juggle time with Carver and time with the others has so far been unfounded. The girls go where we go and sit right beside me and Carver at all times. And, when Daddy is watching Carver during his night shift, the girls even get to enjoy their place in the bed :)

The Big Event

Despite proper planning, Carver decided to make his debut on December 21st instead of December 23rd. Mom and Dad arrived early that morning and we spent the day running errands. Around 5:15 p.m., with no prior warning my water broke. Luckily I was at home and in the bathroom, therefore on a tile floor. Not so lucky was the fact that the water breaking equaled a flood of biblical proportions. My midwife had informed me that due to my elevated level of amniotic fluid to expect a flood but I was completely unprepared for what happened. The toilet was flooded, the entire bathroom was flooded, blankets, towels, our comforter, etc were all completely soaked through. After a quick visit from the paramedics (to ensure the umbilical cord had not also been flushed out in the tidal wave) we were off to the hospital.

I have almost no memory from the drive to the hospital except being so stressed that I was wearing Daniel's sweatpants, my hair was dirty, I needed to shave my legs, and I was covered head to toe (literally) in amniotic fluid.

Within 1 hour of arriving at the hospital sweet baby Carver had arrived. The entire process was amazing in its quickness. The best thing I can say about the c-section is that it did not last long. The experience was less than pleasant. No pain, but otherwise I could feel every movement, tug, pull, stretching, etc. A most bizarre and difficult to describe experience. After starting to panic on the operating table I was kindly given a low dose of narcotics and the rest of the evening passed in a blur.

The next 24 hours were spent in a haze of magnesium sulfate (i.e. satan in liquid form). They said I would feel "blah" while on the drug which was a laughable understatement. I felt like I couldn't think or speak properly, even my eyes would barely focus. I think the c-section would have been quite tolerable had I not developed preeclampsia and required the magnesium.

Lucky for me Daniel was GREAT. He had to do literally all of the work with Carver while I was in the hospital. I covered the feedings of course, but that's it. Daniel did all of the diapers and holding and soothing of tears. I never would have survived this experience without him and I am beyond blessed by how well he took care of both of us for those few days (and continues to do so now). Daniel took to fatherhood like it was the most natural transition in the world. I couldn't possibly love or appreciate him more than I do right now. He amazed me.

Carver is the cutest, most precious baby in the world (no bias here). The immediate love felt for a child is almost frightening in its strength. He is a blessing and a joy and I am humbled that he is ours, that God gave us this most amazing gift. I pray that we can be all for this child that we need to be, that God will protect him and keep him healthy and whole. That we will never take for granted that every day, no every moment with him is a precious gift. My love for this child is overwhelming. I can't wait to introduce him to the world.