What I have learned in 11 days

Nash is 11 days old today. It's hard to believe he's already been with us that long. He is so sweet and overall a wonderful baby. Motherhood thus far is pretty surreal. I still feel like I am just in survival mode, and am guessing that will continue for a few more weeks as we adjust. There is so much I have left to learn about him and about caring for a baby, but I have learned quite a bit in just the past 11 days. Here are a few snippets:


1. Postpartum recovery is a lot more difficult that I imagined.
I had assumed I would have Nash one day and feel the sudden relief of not being pregnant any more coupled with overall physical rejuvenation once I gave birth. Nobody really prepped me for how my body would feel after having a baby. The pain and physical fatigue were unexpected and made me extremely thankful that my mom was able to stay for a week to help care for Nash while I recovered. Luckily, I am feeling loads better and have kicked the pain meds by now.

2. I can do more than I ever imagined possible on just 3 hours of sleep.
Every parent warned us that the first few months are absolutely exhausting. They didn't lie. It's truly amazing how much you can really do on just a few hours of sleep. I have also learned the joys of a well-positioned power nap. Luckily, Nathan is an early morning person while I am a late night gal. It's 6:36pm right now, and Nathan has already gone off to bed to get some solid sleep before he takes the 1:00 - 7:00am shifts.

3. You have to do what is right for your family.
Everyone has a lot of opinions when it comes to parenting - particularly parenting a newborn. From breastfeeding to co-sleeping to soothing techniques. I have learned that you have to do what is right for your family and not worry so much about what "they" say. A baby needs unconditional love and care, and you can't give that if you are trying to fit into a mold that only frustrates your family. If you do what is right for your family dynamic, everyone - including baby - will be happier.

4. I now believe in love at first sight.
I cannot express how much I truly love this little boy. I wish my arms and back could stand to hold him more - I would never put him down. The first major "Mom moment" I had was in the hospital right after Nash was circumcised. They brought him back to us and the scream he let out when he got shifted the wrong way was one that brought tears to my eyes so fast and made me want to do anything in my power to make him not be in pain any more. I'm sure I will have many more moments of wanting to save my baby from pain, heart ache, and loss over the coming years. I just pray I have the strength!

I know there are millions of lessons left to come over the course of the next 18+ years. We're so excited to have him in our life and begin building a family.

December 26, 2010

Nash made his debut at 2:43a.m. on December 26, 2010!! Nathan and I still cannot believe that he is here - and at the same time, it feels like he always should have been. He is so amazing and I cannot put into words how much love I already feel for this little boy. God is so good to give us this gift!

I've had a few people ask about the story of his delivery, so I thought it would be easier to just post it here. To sum it up in one word, it was FAST. Both of our parents were in town for Christmas. We had a great day with them, and Nathan's folks left around 2:00 to head back home, since Nash did not seem to want to make an appearance. My parents were scheduled to leave the next day. After dinner, though, I felt what I thought was my water breaking. I was scared to have a false call, so I took about an hour to do some at home assessment (I'll spare you the details.) Around 8:30, though, I decided to call the hospital and talk through my symptoms. They said for us to go ahead and come on down to be assessed. We made it to the hospital around 9:15, where they confirmed that my water had indeed broken, although I was still only dilated to 2.5 cm. They admitted me by about 9:45, where they got me hooked up to all the machines and started giving me Patocin to get things moving. By about 10:45, I was in labor with an epidural administered. Praise the Lord I didn't have to feel hardly any contractions, and definitely not the hard ones. We all settled in for a long night of contractions. Nash had a different plan, though. Around 1:30am they upped my Patocin. Luckily, Nathan's folks made it back to Arkansas by 1:45 am, just in time! By 2:00, I was paging the nurse, telling her I thought it was time. Sure enough, Nash was ready! The doctor rushed back to the hospital, but was sure I'd have about an hour of pushing to do. I started pushing at 2:30 and by 2:43, we had a Nash. :) I couldn't have asked for a smoother delivery - it was a wonderful, life changing experience. The staff at Willow Creek Women's Hospital were amazing and took great care of us. Nash came out healthy and screaming!

We came home yesterday just after lunch and have slowly but surely been getting used to each other. I am exhausted, emotional, and dealing with all the joys of recovery, but Nash makes it all worth while. I am so in love with him and grateful for a healthy baby, smooth delivery, and the gift of parenthood. I'll leave you with a few of our favorite shots thus far.

Just after he arrived.


Gramps and Nana meeting Nash for the first time.


Grandma Doris and Nash


So handsome!



Headed home!

Full Term

I am officially full term - we've made it!! And I am ready for Nash to make his appearance. We're hoping for an early arrival. I keep feeling odd pains and cramps and wondering, "Is this it?!" I wish there was a firm date and time when he would arrive. This not knowing is driving me nuts! This is when the planner side of me is a bit of a nuisance. :/

My next post will most likely be an introduction to our son! Can't wait! :)

5 Weeks to Go!

We officially only have 5 weeks left until our precious son arrives. We are getting so anxious to meet him. He is moving so much these days - I can just feel him wanting to say "Get me out of here!"

What I'm most looking forward to after Nash's arrival:

1. Seeing his face.
2. Finally "getting it" and being a part of the parents' club.
3. Drinking wine - just bought a bottle of Cakebread Chardonnay for postpartum celebration.



The nesting bug is definitely full force these days as well. Today's tasks were window cleaning and sliver polishing. Just trying to get all those pesky tasks completed before our attention is turned elsewhere. :) Christmas prep is also keeping us plenty busy. We'll be hosting our family here since Nash's debut could be around that time. I'm looking forward to making my first Christmas meal and having it in our new house. The big unknown is how Nash will attend. We shall see!

AROMA

I had the great privilege of having lunch with our new COO at work this past week, and he shared some advice on raising a family. It resonated so much with Nathan and I that I thought I would post it here as well. He told me that his family philosophy is to create a good AROMA in their household. AROMA stands for:

Affection - Between Mom & Dad, towards the kids and between the kids
Respect - Everyone has a level of respect for each other
Order - There are family rules and obligations that govern the household
Merriment - Laughter, joy, and fun!
Affirmation - Everyone is accepted and celebrated just as they are


Great stuff and very inspiring as we begin to build our family. This is one of those concepts that I know will stay with Nathan and me the same way that Love & Respect has guided our marriage to date.

Quick baby update: Nash is now 32 weeks old and the size of a honeydew, weigh approximately 4.5 pounds. We are getting so anxious to meet him. He could be here as soon as 5 weeks! We decorated the house for Christmas in preparation for his arrival this past weekend. I know it's early, but we wanted to be able to enjoy it and have it ready just in case Nash makes an early arrival. :)

Count Down Begins

We've officially entered the phase of the pregnancy where we are counting down the weeks instead of up. In just 10 weeks, we will be bringing home baby Pyles. With each passing day, the excitement is building. Everything is still going smoothly. My back, legs, and feet ache all of the time, but that's to be expected! I had a wonderful pregnancy massage at Wellquest today - it was wonderful!

It has been so neat to watch Nash get more active. His movements are much more controlled and strong, making my belly move in ways that seem very unnatural. :) Nathan has finally been able to feel - and see - him moving.

Last weekend, we had our first shower here in NWA. We felt so blessed to have great friends, co-workers, and family who showered Nash will all sorts of goodies! My sister flew in from Florida to throw the shindig. Below are some of the pictures from the day.


Awesome petit fours from Chuck's Cake Shoppe!


Me with Mom & Meghan, my sister.


The great spread Meghan pulled together.


The amazing quilt my mother-in-law made.

27 Weeks: The Beginning of the End

I have officially entered the 3rd trimester. It gets more real every day, particularly when a co-worker pointed out that Nash could come as early as 10 weeks and still be full term. I don't know if we're ready for that! Nash has now grown to the size of a head of cauliflower and weighs in at 2.5 pounds.




No other updates - all is well. Mom and baby are healthy and growing rapidly (both of us!). I never thought I would look forward to a Jillian Michaels work out...can't wait to get my body back, although it hasn't been too bad sharing it with something so sweet. :)