Time is flying by

I can't believe Hannah is nearly 4 weeks old.

There is so much to tell and it's hard to organize all my thoughts and everything that's been going on but, I'll summarize as best I can.

Hannah is up to 8lbs 7oz and is very close to being too big for newborn diapers and clothes. This is a huge difference to Ryan who wore newborn until he was 3 months old.

As for our "birth story", it's not really all that interesting to be honest. We showed up at the hospital at 7:30 for a 9AM scheduled c-section.

Everything went pretty much the same as with Ryan (and Nathan) to start with. Once they had me numb from the waist down they let James come in. One big difference between this delivery and the other two; I didn't throw up a single time. Hoorah!

I'm not sure how long it took to get Hannah out, it felt like quite a while. Once she was out, this is where things were very different between Ryan and Hannah's delivery.

Difference #1: Right after the doctor pulled her out she held her up over the screen for me to see. She was covered in muck and her face was all screwed up in a scowl. It was scary and hilarious at the same time.

Side note: A few days before she was born I was joking with a friend saying Hannah was going to come out looking like a Mandrake from the Harry Potter movie. Damn if that's not exactly what popped into my head when they showed her to me at that moment!

They took her over to the scale and I heard her crying (I don't think she cried before that moment). I remember James and I looked at each other and a sigh of relief came from us both.

The nurse told James to come over and he took pictures while they checked her out.

Different #2: Once she was wrapped up and handed to James, he was allowed to bring her over to me to be held up to my cheek. When he put her cheek to my cheek, she turned her head to me. She knew I was mommy. We were able to stay like that for a long time. A nurse took our camera and took pictures of the three of us like that and then of just Hannah and I cheek to cheek.

With Ryan, after he was weighed and wrapped up, they scooted him and James out of the OR to the recovery room to wait for me. I was able to get a quick look before they left me but, nothing more than that.

This new way is much, much better.

I was in the hospital for two nights. After that, I was ready to get the hell out of there. I don't like hospital beds. I find them to be as comfortable as sleeping on a pile of bricks.

A few random notes from the hospital stay:

I had quite a few family and friends come visit but, the one that sticks out the most (of course) is Ryan. When he came into the room my Aunt was holding Hannah* and I was laying in the bed.
He waved to her and it was the sweetest reaction ever.

*The day I came home from the hospital Ryan asked me if there was still a baby in my belly. I said "No Ryan, you can see Hannah is here". He said "then why is your belly still big?" Wow, thanks Ryan.
I decided to ignore that and said "The doctor took Hannah out of my belly". He said "No, Aunt Maggie took Hannah out of your belly".
We guess he assumed that because, when he met Hannah for the first time, Aunt Maggie was holding her.
(And, for the record dear son, I lost 6 pounds during my pregnancy AND dropped another 20 -and counting- after she was born)

We've settled into our home life quite comfortably now.
I suppose I was expecting an experience very similar to Ryan's first weeks at home but, it's been quite a big difference.

Ryan was on formula and breast milk to start and slept through the night early on. Hannah is on breast milk exclusively and wakes up 2-3 times a night to be fed.

Having a baby that wakes up a few times throughout the night is hard. James is back at work now so I get up with her overnight on week days. It pretty much means I spend a good portion of my day in a drowsy fog.

Usually her and I take a nap later in the morning or, sometimes, in the afternoon. But, most weekdays I'm only getting about 4 hours of sleep over night (sometimes less) and maybe, if I'm lucky, a two hour nap later in the day.

My in-laws (MIL, FIL & SIL) are flying over from England tomorrow. We're very excited to have them come. I love my husbands family and always look forward to their visits.

On Hannah's due date we attended a baby shower in her honor at James' work. It was such a special thing they did for us and I was overwhelmed by the generosity of his colleagues. It was even more special because Hannah was there for her own shower!

We're having a "Sip & See" this coming weekend, too. The few people who haven't met Hannah yet will be coming for the occasion. I have to say, I prefer baby showers with the baby being there. The one my work had for me before Hannah was born was lovely but, I love being able to show off the honoree. This has all been for her after all!

I return to work on September 23rd and Hannah will go to day care. She'll be at the same place Ryan has been for the last 18 months and I trust them but, I know it will be hard to leave her there at first.

Ryan starts Kindergarten in a week but, he'll be at that day care after school so, it's nice knowing that they'll be there together.

I'm sure there are other things I meant to write about while composing blog updates in my head over the last couple weeks but, it's 3AM and Hannah is sleeping so I think I will, too.

Until next time, I leave you with this:

Big brother & little sister