Needless to say, life has been a little bit crazy lately with our new arrival and has changed all for the better. We have a lot to get caught up on, so I'll attempt to give the abbreviated version of what it's been like for the past 11 weeks.
The recovery after a c-section was much worse than expected. That was one thing I was completely unprepared for. The c-section itself wasn't that bad, considering it was major surgery. I just wasn't prepared for the pain that would come the day after the anesthesia had worn off. Getting up to go to the bathroom for the first time was excruciating. I wish they would have given me the pain meds before they took out the catheter. That just makes perfect sense to me. Every day got a little better and I was completely off all meds within two weeks and feeling somewhat back to normal. My new normal at this point was not having any pattern to my day, feeding and pumping like crazy, and never knowing when I would get a shower.
We had tons of family and friends visit while in the hospital and when we got home. We are so thankful for the outpouring of generosity we received from everyone. It may have been partly because everyone wanted to get their hands on our little beauty, but regardless, we appreciated EVERYTHING very much.
Avery has accomplished quite a lot in the past 10 weeks. She can hold her head up, coo, track objects, and she smiles all the time. We're now working on laughing, reaching for things and rolling over. Those will be the next big milestones. She loves bath time and being held more than anything. She also likes to eat and sleep quite a lot. We are so thankful for her desire to sleep and love for her crib.
She slept in our room for the first 2 months in a bassinet. It was nice having her so close and loved that special time that we got to bond with her. However, she's a pretty loud sleeper and Ben was anxious to move her to the crib. We tried a couple of times, and I would move her back to the bassinet as I was a little uncomfortable with her so far away (across the condo in her room. :) However, after we talked to the doctor at our 2 month check-up, we decided it was time.
She was 2 months old, had her first round of immunizations, first dose of Tylenol, first night in her crib, and first night putting herself to sleep all in one day. It was a lot, but little Avery didn't disappoint. She took change well. We used the Baby Wise method and let her cry herself to sleep the first night. It took a grueling 2 1/2 hours! I was so scared she would be mad at me when I went to get her the next morning, but she woke up smiling after a great night's sleep.
After that, it took 9 minutes the second night, 8 minutes the third night, and hasn't cried since, unless she wants to go to bed. Now, she'll cry when she's tired and when we put her down in her crib, she'll stop. It's great, and it's freed up so much time for us at night and for me during the day. It used to take an hour to get her to sleep, and then she'd sleep for 15 minutes and then it would be time to eat again. Now, I'll put her down, she sleep, and I'll get an hour and a half to get things done around the house. Mom is happy!!
She's currently on a three hour cycle, starting at 6 am. She'll eat, have wake time and then sleep every three hours. So she eats at 6, 9, 12, 3, 6, and 9. She goes to bed at 10 and doesn't wake up until 6 am. It's GREAT!!! It took us awhile to get on a schedule, but now I think she was ready for it, and I know I was. I was tired of guessing about what she wanted, and she is much happier with the routine.
I am starting to really enjoy being a stay at home mom, as I did not at first. I was so jealous that Ben got to carry on with his normal life, and I was stuck at home with nowhere to go. However, now I'm getting more sleep, getting to shower everyday, and on brave days we venture out to Target or something, and it's beginning to get fun.
Avery smiles all the time, and it's so fun to entertain her. She loves it when I change my voice and tap on her belly and sing to her. She's got such a funny personality that comes out so much. She's truly a Mommy's girl (too much sometimes) and we love hanging out together. Sometimes when Dad's gone to work, we'll snuggle up in my bed together and just relax. It's the best!
We are going on vacation in less than two weeks and it will be a true test to see if Avery can handle the car. We're going to Topsail Beach, NC. We're taking along two babysitters, Marmie (my mom) and Aunt Kaitlin. It should be a blast, and I know Ben is looking forward to some time off work! I can't wait to see Avery in her little bathing suit with a bubble butt and put her toes in the ocean for the first time. :)
I go back to work the week after that for 6 days and then SUMMER BREAK! :) I timed it just about right. It will be nice to be able to pack up my own classroom and get things somewhat organized for Fall without having to worry too much over the summer break. And it will be a nice little test to see how pumping goes at work and how Avery handles being with a babysitter all day. My mom and Kaitlin will be keeping her that week also.
I was really debating if I should take grad classes this summer, as I took the Spring semester off. I have a grant that runs out in December, so it makes money sense to take classes this summer, but I didn't really know how I would pump and keep up the breastfeeding during class. It worked itself out by my classes not being offered this summer, so I don't have to feel guilty about anything.
Ben's family got to visit from Missouri when Avery was about 3 weeks old. She got to meet three of her cousins, her Grandma Ruth, Aunt Rachel, and Uncle Matt. It was so nice of them to all make the trip to meet Avery and spend time with us. She has also gotten to meet her Aunt Sara, Kelley, and her great grandparents. She gets to spend the most time with her Aunt Kaitlin and Marmie, who like to babysit a lot while I run errands or go to the doctor. Kaitlin, who is at WKU this semester, likes to come home and visit a lot, and has already had lots of sleepovers with Avery. We will miss her terribly when she goes to England next semester. :(
We've been back to school once, when Avery was 6 weeks old. All of the students were anxious to meet her and I was SOOO happy to see everyone. I love my job and all of the people I work with and miss them a lot. My substitute has done a great job, and my students have continued to make tons of progress while I've been out. It's been a breeze being away, and I'm so thankful everything has run smoothly while I've been away.
Mother's Day was awesome!! I think it's my new favorite holiday. Avery gave me the best gift of sleeping in until 8 o'clock!! She is such a good girl! Ben made me breakfast in bed, necklace and earrings of Avery's birthstone (amethyst), and a picture frame with Avery and her little footprints and hand prints in it. Then we went to church, had lunch and took a long afternoon nap. Then I got a foot massage, a bubble bath and dinner in front of the TV. What a great day!! I love holidays that I don't have to share with Ben. :) I always give him a hard time because he gets to have his birthday the week before mine and I feel like mine gets overshadowed.
I have really debated if I'm going to keep blogging or not, as I don't think I'm the most creative or entertaining writer, and I am a private person. However, I enjoy reading everyone else's blogs so much that I have decided to keep it up, and hopefully I'll have lots to share about Avery's successes and growth these next few months. Thanks for all your comments over the past few months and Keep Reading!! :)
