At Home With a Newborn

One of the painkillers the doctor prescribed was giving me hives, so I stopped taking it after about a week, and I've officially used up the other painkiller. I have ibuprofen in the cabinet, but I've been all right without it. Thankfully, my GI tract is "regular" again. I'll have to wait on the stitches. I'm still just as wide, but it surprises me each time I see myself from the side and realize I'm not round anymore. Sometimes I miss the pregnant belly, but Baby makes up for it.

I've started taking V to the store and church, but strap her around me with the Boba carrier Mom bought for us. It's worked fairly well so far, mostly because Baby V has slept the majority of the time she's been in it around town. It hasn't been as long as some doctors recommend for keeping a newborn away from crowds, but with her in the Boba, and nice weather I'm not as worried. Please don't get sick, Baby.

I associate with other adults a couple times a week, and have tried to Skype and facetime family members regularly to let them see how she's growing, and give me opportunity to keep up with everyone. V can't straighten her legs in the newborn pajamas (above), so we're setting the tiniest ones aside. I can understand why my cousin let me take her children's baby clothes. They grow out of them so quickly, and then you just store them until the next baby comes.

I've been very blessed to be able to breastfeed, to be a stay-at-home Mom, to not have postpartum depression, and to have a camera. Husband is such a great blessing to me. Last night after her second night-time feeding, she stayed up for another hour, but Dad took her with the goal of letting me sleep, even though he's the one that had to go to work in the morning.

Now that V has some wake time, I feel like I need to be teaching her. I sing Children's Songbook songs about the gospel and Savior. I tell her every time I pick her up to nurse, "I love you, V." I need to learn more Baby sign so I can use more than five signs around her. I still think it'll get more difficult when she won't just sit there and do what I'm doing, when I have to be creative with play and activities. I'm definitely enjoying this time as a Mom now. My dad joked that I won't be able to match the picture documentation with my future children, but I love capturing each outfit, expression, and precious moment. I'm getting a little nervous that I'm feeding too often (it feels like every hour or two during the day), in which she only eats for a few minutes instead of getting a full feeding, so I'm trying to transition now into the "On Becoming Babywise" feed-wake-sleep schedule. I have so much to learn, but when I hold this precious tiny human in my arms and smell her perfect baby scent, I can't help but thank Heavenly Father for giving me this amazing opportunity to care for one of His children.

So far we think she has Zak's hair color (but my amount of hair) and his detached earlobes. Our noses and chins are fairly similar in shape, so we'll have to see how hers look in time. When we had the 3-D ultrasound at 39 weeks, she looked so much like Zak, but now I think her face looks a lot like mine did as a newborn. We'll have to see if her eyes stay Porter blue or change to Hooper brown and green. Either way, I think we've got an adorable daughter.

Baby Zak

Baby Nicole