For days I have been meaning to post a recap of the past couple of weeks, but somehow nothing else seems as important as holding our sweet baby. Our days and nights have been filled with feeding, changing, holding, rocking, kissing and loving our new baby girl.
After reaching my due date, and still no signs of labor in sight, we decided to be induced on Wednesday, July 28. Because of an Rh negative factor in my blood, my doctor would only let me got so long before inducing. Being induced was not my first choice, but I was definitely ready to meet Amelia.
We arrived at the hospital at 7 am, began the Pitocin at 9 am and after a fast and hard labor, Amelia arrived at 4:44 pm. Looking back, the entire day seems both a blur and precisely clear all at the same time. David, my parents and in-laws were all there. I could feel their presence and support in the room, but was only vaguely aware of their coming and going. After the contractions began, I could only focus on Amelia, and how with each contraction we were one step closer.
The hours passed quickly, and at approximately 4 pm I was shocked when the nurse said we were ready to push. The delivery is the one part of the day that I remember vividly. I can remember the excitement, the fear, the anticipation and the joy that I felt. I remember each push, I remember the doctor's face and the nurse's voice, and I remember the indescribable feeling of seeing her for the first time. I remember the panic in my heart when she didn't immediately cry, and I remember my sobs of relief when I heard her finally make her first sounds.
My memory of those precious minutes will be with me forever.
The past two weeks have flown by, with all the days and nights running into each other. The first week home David took off work and my mom, Grams, came to stay with us. David and I will forever be grateful for her help and encouragement during our first days as parents. My in-laws were a tremendous help, bringing dinner over each night and providing a needed break so we could all rest.
Now that David is back to work, Grams has gone home, and the 24 hour help is gone, Amelia and I are spending our days together. I'm learning how to manage on my own during the day, how to recognize her different cries, how to rock her to sleep and how to be a mom. We've had our share of unexpected difficulties, mainly in the breastfeeding department, but we are powering through. The days are sometimes long and hard, but I would not change one minute of one day we have spent with our baby girl.
Amelia is already more than I ever dreamed or imagined. I'm soaking up every minute of these precious newborn days and am so excited for all the fun things to come in her future. I'm also pretty sure she is the most adorable thing ever, don't you think?
