Schedules, Sleep and Sweetness

I must officially be a Mom. I can successfully fall asleep sitting straight up. Anyone who knows me very well knows I'm not a very good sleeper, but after 16 days that have averaged about 4-5 hours of sleep (not to mention all the lack of sleep during pregnancy), come dark-thirty when I snuggle Sister down to get her to close those sweet blue eyes, my head immediately begins to droop.

I'm learning the importance of a schedule. I've always been kind of a type A personality about certain things but having a newborn is bringing it to a whole new level. The pediatrician said it best yesterday. Control the things you can: when she eats, how often her diaper gets changed, what she wears, whether to give her a bottle or to exclusively nurse until I go back to work...but realize she has control over a lot of other things. Whether she immediately refills a diaper after you change her (which she does). How long she eats and whether she'll actually wake up and eat more or if she'll demand to be fed again (or suffer the wrath of a very mad baby) in an hour. She needs a schedule and will be happiest once one is successfully established but realize that it will be a work in progress. We've both only been at this for about two weeks. There's a reason they recommend you stay at home for 6-12 weeks with a newborn...especially if you're breastfeeding. With that being said, things are going quite well. She now weighs 7lbs 7 oz (two ounces more than at birth) and is 21 inches long (she's grown two inches in two weeks!). We can confidently say we're getting the hang of this nursing thing. :)

 

Fact about this sweet little mess:

• Parker Baby is a snuggler.
• This girl is beautifully opinionated (no idea where she gets it).
• She hates being "messed" with.
• If you're gonna give her a bath, change her diaper or put a headband on her, best make sure the sweet little Indian baby has a full belly or you'll hear about it. (I have to say, I adore that about her.)
• She wiggles constantly. Her daddy and I predicted she'd be active, we had no idea how busy a baby could be even when she's asleep.
• She has her Daddy wrapped about her little finger.

When we visited Mike at work yesterday one of his boss' wives made a statement I keep replaying in my head. It wasn't because it's a new thought or something I've never heard before...but I guess it's because she's actually HERE sleeping next to me in her sleeper that it's ringing so true. She was referring to how quickly things change. She said for us not to blink because in an instant she'd be grown up. That we'll miss the days when her happiest place was when she's snuggling on a pillow between us in bed. She talked about how us having Parker made her think back on how it felt when they had their kids and how they thought the nurses were insane to send that baby home with them after only two days. How frighteningly amazing it was for such a small "thing" to be totally dependent on her and her husband for its well-being and happiness. I think the best advice I've heard yet has been to not get so caught up in the feeding/changing/crying/teaching/disciplining that you forget to just LOVE her. That she's made up of half me and half the person I love most in this world and that makes her very worthy of our unconditional love, attention, patience and sacrifice.

My grandma and I were talking a few days ago about how completely precious Parker is and how it feels to be a Mama. I couldn't help but brag and tell her how thankful I am for Mike because he is so very helpful and attentive to both Parker and her Mama. He's full of compliments and genuinely loves spending time cuddling with this sweet little bundle. He's already so protective even of the eating/sleeping/changing schedule because he's seen how hard it is on her when it gets messed up. He's the best Daddy she could ask for.

 My conversation with my grandmother ended with us talking about how I've waited 30 years to be at this place in my life. This time three years ago, I couldn't have imagined things would be as they are. Now I am counting my blessings and thanking my lucky stars for the "perfect for me" family Mikey and I have started.