Five Week Update

Look who is five weeks old!

Zane had his one month check up today and we were happy to discover that he has put on weight and is growing. Such a relief to know that my milk supply is sufficient enough. He is now up to 8lb 5oz which is almost 2lbs above his birth weight. He has also grown 2 inches since birth which puts him in the 75th percentile for height. While he has gained weight he is still a slender little guy. He currently measures in the 10th percentile for weight but the doctor is not concerned about his growth. As long as he continues to wet at least 6 diapers a day, he is getting enough to eat. 

Zane also got the second round of his Hep B shot. He did a pretty good job. Yes he got upset and cried right after but he was quickly soothed and off we went to continue our day.
This week has been a fussy one for Zane and as a result has been quite a challenging one for Zac and I. It can be a bit frustrating when he is crying and we've tried what we think is everything to make him happy. Zac works during the evening so I am alone with Zane for six to seven hours in the late afternoon and evening. His fussiness tends to start at around five o'clock or so, just shortly after Zac leaves for work, and sometimes lasts until Zac gets home around eleven o'clock. Sometimes swaddling works, sometimes rocking him does the trick, and a few times he has comfort nursed. The doctor told us that evening fussines in babies Zane's age is normal and can continue to get worse until two months. (Yay!) He gave us several suggestions on ways to calm down our fussy boy and recommended using gripe water if needed.

While he loves his swing and bouncy chair, our little guy definitely prefers to be held. The Moby Wrap has come in handy for this. I'm able to keep Zane close and keep him calm while still being hands free to complete necessary chores and tasks. (It's difficult to write a blog post with only one hand free!) Zac loves the Moby Wrap, too. On the few occasions that the weather hasn't been too hot, he has taken Zane outside with him as he completes his chores in the yard. He has even gotten some skin to skin time with him a few times. The sight of Zac wearing Zane around is just so precious, I can hardly stand it.

We celebrated Zac's first Father's Day this weekend which was something pretty special. I was very appreciative of Zac's fantastic managers who gave him Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off. It was great having him home all day for the entire weekend. It definitely reminded us that we need to work on our long term goal of working from home together. It would be wonderful to be able to see each other on a regular basis and have the ability to be available to Zane.

It's been another wonderful week with out little guy. We can't believe how big he has gotten already and how quickly the time has gone by.

Zane's Birth Story

Today Zane is one month old. Happy one month birthday little man!

Just one month ago today Zac and I were at the hospital passing the time until our Zane made his big entrance into the world. We are so thankful to have him in our lives.

I've had a few requests to write a post about my labor and delivery story. It's a post that I've been meaning to write but for some reason has taken me longer than I expected. It was such an incredible experience and while the memory was very vivid in the first few days, I'm beginning to lose the details with each passing day. (I'm pretty sure that's Mother Nature's way of seeing to it that we have another baby. Just kidding!) Thankfully I have Zac to fill in the gaps of my memory. 

I'm sure this won't be a post for everyone. No worries to those of you reading; I won't be getting too into detail about everything. Still, a labor and delivery story might not be your cup of tea. So for those of you who are not interested in today's post, stay tuned. Other posts are soon to come that are a little more fun and filled with pictures of our Zane.

For those of you who stuck around to read Zane's birth story...here we go!

We made the decision on Monday May 13th that we were done waiting for Zane to arrive and that induction would be our next step. After talking to our doctor, we set up a date for induction and knew that we would meet our son on Wednesday May 15th. On Tuesday I went in to see my doctor for my final prenatal appoinment and to fill out a consent form for the induction. After my physical check up was complete the doctor said that I was dilated to 4cm so it was possible that my body might decide to go into labor on it's own before we were scheduled to go in to the hospital. I was excited to hear that my body had already done so much work on it's own at home without feeling too uncomfortable. Zac and I were both excited that whether Zane decided to come on his own or not we would only have one more day until we got to hold him.

Our doctor told us that we were scheduled to go to the hospital at 7:30am. He also said that we were the last ones in the books so it was possible that we would receive a call pushing back our appointment if the ward got too busy and there were no rooms available. Even if we got in a little later Wednesday would still be our day which was good news to us. Zac and I spent the rest of our Baby Eve getting last minute things together, making sure that we had everything ready to take to the hospital, and getting arrangements made for our dog Jim since we were sure to be gone for at least a day if not more. We filled our family and close friends in on what was going on and attempted to get to bed early as we knew the next day was going to be a long day.

I had an incredibly difficult time sleeping that night. I kept thinking about what was to come. Being a first time mom I really had no idea what to expect exactly so my mind wandered. I was also just so excited to finally hold the little man that's been kicking around inside of me for these last nine months. I wanted to see his face and kiss his little forehead.

It took a while, but I finally got to sleep. At 4:30 in the morning I was woken up by the phone ringing. The charge nurse from the hospital was calling to let me know that (as predicted by our doctor) things were a bit busy in the hospital that morning and our scheduled appointment needed to be pushed back. The nurse apologized for the inconvenience and asked that instead of heading in to the hospital we should call her back at 8:00am.

Getting back to sleep after that was just impossible. I closed my eyes but sleep wouldn't come. Before I knew it the sky was getting lighter outside and the alarm I had set for our originally scheduled appointment, was going off. I decided to just go ahead and get out of bed. I had a bowl of cereal and went through our bags to make sure that we had everything together to head to the hospital. Zac awoke shortly after, got dressed, and looked crazy excited for the day ahead.

At 8:00 I called the charge nurse back to see when we should head into the hospital and was given the news that we could check in at 8:30. We packed up the car, said goodbye to our pup Jim, and headed to the hospital. Zac had a smile that stretched from ear to ear. While I too was excited, I was also anxious, nervous, scared, etc.. I really had no idea what to expect and the only reference that I had for childbirth were the stories that I had heard from friends and family.

When we got to the hospital we went up to the maternity ward to check in. After filling out paperwork we found out the unfortunate news that there were a few unexpected delays and our room was not yet ready. We went down to the maternity waiting room to hang out and wait for the charge nurse to call us when our room was ready.

By the time we got the call and headed up to our room it was almost 10:30. It was three and a half hours after our originally scheduled appointment. Though the nurses were apologetic for the wait, I wasn't upset. Like I said before, my nerves had gotten to me and although I was excited, I was also a bit scared as well.

I got changed into the hospital gown and it was time to get started. The charge nurse left and the labor nurse arrived shortly after to make sure that I was settled and comfortable before she started to begin the tests. She drew blood, and put in an IV. I'm not a fan of needles so these were less than fun for me but as I considered what was going to happen to me by the end of this hospital visit, I figured it wasn't that bad. I had tested positive for Beta Strep during tests at one of my final prenatal visits. To make sure that the bacteria didn't cause an infection in Zane as he passed through the birth canal, I had to receive antibiotics through an IV as well.  

By the time that I was all changed and set up in bed with the IV it was just about noon. The nurse informed me that I wouldn't be able to eat anything from here on out. I also couldn't drink any water. It was ice chips or nothing. This was quite disappointing as I was already hungry and knew that there were still hours to go until the big event. Poor Zac was also pretty hungry since he hadn't had a decent breakfast before we left the house. He was going to head down to the cafeteria to eat so that he wouldn't be eating in front of me but I asked that he bring the food to the room. Even though I couldn't eat, I didn't want to be alone in the room for very long.

At one o'clock, my doctor arrived to check on my progress. It turned out that I was already five centimeters without any drugs started to speed up my labor. Chances are, Zane would have been born either that day or the next had we not induced. Since my water had not yet broken on it's own, the next step was for my doctor to break my water and get things moving along. The nurse insisted on showing my every tool that was going to be used. I appreciated that she wanted me to be comfortable and know what was going on however I don't do very well with hospitals and things that go along with hospital visits so showing me these things did not make me feel better. While having my water broken was not painful, it was definitely a strange experience. I immediately wanted to take a shower. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible and I was left to deal with the wetness for a while until it was time to change the pad on the bed.

Once that was over, the nurse began the pitocin drip to get my labor going even faster and I started to feel contractions. They weren't intense or really painful. Instead they were just uncomforable. The nurse asked me if I wanted pain medication or if I was going to go drug free. I have much respect for women who have a natural birth plan but for me I knew that I would be getting medication. I have a low pain tolerance and couldn't imagine going through the process without some assistance. The nurse said that she would check with the anesthesiologist about getting me an epidural as soon as possible. Because of the amount of c-sections that were scheduled that day, the anesthesiologist for the maternity ward was pretty booked up. As I was already dilated to 5 centimeters and the anesthesiologist was held up in other deliveries, the labor nurse informed me that I might not be able to get an epidural in time. I cannot explain the panic that rushed over me with this news. The thought of going through this without a little pain relief was scary and not something I hadn't mentally prepared myself for.

The nurse offered Fentinyl, a temporary pain reliever, as an alternative option. She explained that this option would only last a few hours but that I could get more of it later if I needed it. I figured that some pain relief was better than no pain relief so I agreed to go ahead with this option. This was a decision that I would soon regret. Once the drug was administered I was out of it. It hit me like a huge wave and completely changed the way my entire body felt. It seemed like the room was spinning and my whole body felt heavy. I told Zac right away that I didn't like it, but there really wasn't anything that we could do about it. I just had to wait for it to start to wear off. I spent a good twenty minutes with my eyes shut because although it only helped me mildly, it seemed to be the one thing that worked. At least it distracted me from the uncomfortable feeling of my contractions.

Soon after I was given the Fentinyl the labor nurse came in with good news. An anesthesiologist from the surgical ward was available to come up and administer epidurals to patients in the maternity ward. While I was relieved to find out that I would be able to get an epidural in time, I was nervous that my body might react to it as it had to the Fentinyl. I didn't want to have to go through that again. Just after two o'clock the anesthesiologist arrived. The nurse had warned me that the pain from receiving the epidural would be the worst of it. (She was wrong.) I was a bit nervous, quite sleep deprived, and was holding in the emotions of the whole day so by the time the anesthesiologist was all set up, I was in tears. The anticipation of the needle was far worse than the needle itself. The anesthesiologist was very good. I felt close to nothing as he administered the epidural. It didn't take long for the medication to begin to work. My legs felt warm and heavy and I felt no pain or dizziness. Zac asked me how I felt and then laughed as I responded, "I feel cozy". The nurse was happy to see that although my legs were numb I still had the ability to move them. 

Once my epidural was complete, the nurse checked me once more before seting me up with a catheter and replacing my IV bag. I was now dilated 7 centimeters. The nurse was surprised with my progress and predicted that if I continued to progress this quickly, that I would be ready to push by five o'clock. This was exciting news to hear. She also predicted that it would take me about two hours of pushing to bring Zane into this world. This was less exciting news. Two hours of pushing seemed like a very long time.

It wasn't long after this that the labor nurse returned to the room to tell us that we needed to decrease my pitocin and slow down my labor. It turned out that my doctor was finishing up business day at his practice and wouldn't be able to be there in time for me to start pushing. While I was disappointed that we would have to wait longer to get started, I felt nothing due to the epidural, so I was fine with slowing things down. Zac and I had nothing to do but watch television and wait for until we could speed things up again. For a little while I closed my eyes, though I was still unable to sleep.

The labor nurse told us that she would probably be gone before I started to push because shift change was quickly approaching. Sure enough, the change up happened just before it was time to get things rolling.

The evening labor nurse arrived, checked all of my machines and then told me that it was time to start pushing. So, about seven hours after we started to speed up my labor, this was it. I got myself prepared and hoped that it would all be done within an hour instead of two like the first nurse had predicted.

The first few sets of pushes I didn't feel like I was doing anything. The nurse said that with each push Zane was moving closer but during the break between each set he seemed to slowly move back. The nurse had me turn from my back to my left side to push. Being on my side felt much more comfortable than being on my back and I appreciated the change of position. I alternated from my side to my back every few sets of pushing. Rather than pushing in sets of three, I started to push in sets of four to see if I could get Zane moving in the right direction. I continued to do so until it was all over.

I had always wondered how women knew when to push and I quickly learned. The doctor had ordered that before I start pushing that my epidural be turned down so that I could feel my contractions. He explained to me during his afternoon visit that this was important for me to know when to push. Right before I started to push, my epidural had finally worn down to half  and I was starting to feel contractions. The sensation started off slow and then peaked before tapering off. They didn't last for long but I was grateful that I didn't have to go through hours of feeling that way while I labored. Unfortunately, the epidural had only worn off on my left side leaving my right side still numb. Feeling contractions only on my left side was odd but I figured that it was better than feeling them all over. More painful and uncomfortable than the contractions was my back pain. The contractions were bearable, but the lower back pain was intense and wouldn't go away.

Before I knew it, the sky outside had darkened and the clock revealed that I had already been pushing for an hour. I was starting to sweat and my hair was sticking to my forehead and neck. Thankfully, I had packed hair ties and bobby pins in my bag and Zac was there to grab these items for me so that I could pin my hair back. After a few more sets of pushing I began to feel really worn out. The nurse reached over and placed an oxygen mask over my face. This did not go over well with me. The mask made me feel trapped and I pulled and tugged until I freed my face from it. The nurse apologized but suggested that I breathe with the mask in between pushing. I honestly couldn't tell the difference but I'm guessing that it helped.

By this time, my doctor had arrived and came in once or twice to see how I was doing and check on my progress. At the time I was so focused on my contractions that continued to get more and more intense that I wasn't paying much attention to anything else including what was going on in the room around me. Zac told me later that the nurse and doctor seemed a little concerned. Apparently, every time I pushed, Zane's heartrate was decreasing more than the doctor felt comfortable with. Once I stopped pushing, his heartrate would shoot back up. They wanted Zane to get out as soon as possible. All that I noticed was that my doctor had put on gloves and was getting himself set at the end of the bed. I felt a weight lifted because I knew that this meant that it was almost over. I could do this.

The contractions during the last few sets of pushing were the most intense. I knew that each push was one less push that I would have to do and this is what kept me motivated. Then came the most intense pain that I have ever felt in my life. (Zac told me later that because the doctor was concerned with getting Zane out, he assisted me on that push by using both hands to reach in a bit and pull out Zane's head.) After that pain came the greatest feeling of relief and the words that I had been waiting to hear, "Just one more push!". I pulled together all of my strength, gave one final push and then, after two hours of pushing, there he was. A perfect, tiny person.

I stared at him in disbelief and was awakened by his scream. I looked over at Zac who was smiling from ear to ear. After pulling out the camera and getting some video of Zane in all of his newborn glory, it was time for the nurses to take Zane away and get him all cleaned up. Zac leaned over and gave me a kiss on the forehead. Let me just say that when your husband looks at you with tears in his eyes and whispers "You're my hero" in your ear before giving you a kiss, well that's just not something you'll ever forget.

Four Week Update

Time is seriously going by too quickly. It's unbelievable to me that Zane is four weeks old and that my maternity leave is officially over in two weeks. *sigh*

This week we've started giving Zane some tummy time on his Boppy pillow to start building up the strength of his little neck. So for about five minutes a few times a day he sits tummy to pillow. We think he likes it.

Zane seems to be getting bigger by the day. (His eating schedule no doubt has something to do with it!) We're excited that more of his newborn clothes are starting to fit him. For a while we were limited on clothing options for him because of his size. While the clothes were all long enough for him, he was swimming in most of the onesies. Zac weighed Zane the other day using our bathroom scale and (if it's accurate) he is now up to just over eight pounds. He is still a long baby who doesn't yet have a round belly but we're glad to see that he is putting on some weight. His next doctor appointment is on June 19th so we'll have to wait until then to get the official word on how much he's grown.

I had my four week postpartum appointment this morning and I am now down twenty pounds since Zane was born. I am grateful to have lost that much so far, especially since I haven't been getting any physical activity other than walking around bouncing Zane and breastfeeding. I've gotten the okay from my doctor to start working out again so I can begin to work on getting rid of the other thirteen pounds I gained during pregnancy. After that I'll start on my goal of getting back to my pre-pre pregnancy self. The real challenge will be finding the time. After an eight hour shift at work, I'm sure I'll want to take in as much time with Zane before going to bed and starting all over again. I'm sure once we get settled into a routine I will be able to get twenty minutes here and thirty minutes there. No need to rush it.

In the meantime, I'll be focusing on pumping in order to get a good supply of milk stored up, and spending as much time as I can hugging, kissing, and loving my little guy!

Bring on week 5!

Working Mom

On Sunday Zac and I took Zane to meet our work families. We stopped at my work first for some Sunday brunch. Zac and I enjoyed a yummy breakfast and had several visits at our table as my coworkers stopped by to say 'hello' and get a peek at our sleeping boy. I fed Zane in the parking lot before we went into the restaurant so he was out for the whole visit. It was really nice to see everyone after being gone for the last six weeks. There were a few new faces, but mostly familiar ones and plenty of open arms giving friendly hugs.

Now that Zane is three weeks old (and quickly approaching four weeks!) my maternity leave is halfway over and I have to start thinking about going back to work. During our Sunday brunch visit I was asked several times when I would be returing. One of the managers I share the office with asked me if I was really coming back or if I was just saying that I was coming back but really staying home.

As much as I would love the opportunity to stay home and take care of my beautiful baby boy, I will be returning to work in just a few short weeks.This is not something that I'm excited about. Don't get me wrong. I like my job. I have a set schedule, weekends off, and I work with some amazing people. I am just not looking forward to going back to work and leaving my little Zane.

In a perfect world, I would be able to be at home but unfortunately, that's just not possible right now. It's very important for our family that Zac and I both work. After all, we have a beautiful home that we would like to keep and a son to take care of. My job is necessary not just for the income it brings in but because our family has insurance through the company. Without my job we'd lose the income and would cost ourselves a great deal more in medical bills.

So in a few weeks, I'll be headed back to my forty hour work week. I have my four week postpartum appointment with my OB on Wednesday and he should give me the exact date that I am permitted to return to work but I'm pretty sure that it will be on Thursday, June 27. (This also happens to be the eight year anniversary of my first date with Zac.)

There were a few things that Zac and I had to think about with my return to work. The first being childcare for our Zaney boy. Our schedules tend to be opposite so we actually shouldn't have too much of a problem in this area. I go to work at 7:00am and typically get done at around 3:30 - 4:00pm. Zac works nights and usually goes in at 4:00pm. Thankfully, Zac and I both have jobs that are pretty close to our home so our "commute" is no more that ten minutes. As long as I am able to work my eight hours, clock out by 3:30, and get home quickly, Zac can leave to work without any worry about being late and we won't need anyone to watch Zane. If for any reason I have to stay later to finish some work and can't get home in time for Zac to get to work, my mother has made herself available to come over and cover for us until I get home. Though I have a set schedule and work Monday through Friday, Zac's schedule is less predictable and consistent. He usually works weekends which leaves two days during the week that he has off. Thankfully, this means that a few days a week we won't have to worry too much about when I get out of work.

My biggest concern with heading back to work, is maintaining my goal of having Zane recieve breast milk until he's one year old. This goal was already challenged when we had to supplement every other feeding with formula when Zane was one week old. We are now down to one bottle of formula a day and I want to be sure that this number doesn't increase.

In order to see this goal through while I'm at work I know that I will need to have a good stash of breast milk stored away. I talked to some of my mama buddies, read articles, watched Youtube videos, and tried to get as much information and advice as possible in regards to pumping and storing breast milk. I bought a breast pump while I was pregnant and this week I started to use it. I try to pump a few times a day and my goal is to have at least 100oz of milk stored in our deep freezer before my first day of work. Realistically, if I continue to pump the same amount of ounces that I have been I will probably only have about 80oz frozen. My hope is that my supply will increase as I continue to pump and that I will save more with each pumping session.

I will need to pump at work not only to keep up my milk supply while I'm at home with Zane but also the make sure that there is enough milk on hand for Zac to feed our little guy while I'm at work. This has been my biggest area of concern. I don't have a private office to myself. Instead, I share the office with ten male managers. The office door is locked and can only be opened by key holding staff (managers and myself) however, there are at least four managers on duty who come in and out of the office while I'm at work. In addition, staff members frequently knock on the door and need to come into the office throughout the day so really all the lock does is require me to get out of my seat often to let staff in or tell them that no manager is available.

I will probably be pumping twice during my eight hour shift and will obviously want a private, quiet space to do so. The office will probably not work out. The amount of people that come in and out of the office throughout the day will make it a little difficult for me to feel comfortable enough to pump successfully. I could put up a sign on the door that says something along the lines of "do not enter; pumping in progress". (Or something other wording asking for privacy in a nice way.) I would need the office to for around thirty minutes each time I pump and it might not be possible to lock managers and staff out of the office for this amount of time during operating hours. Unfortunately, there currently is no other room in the back of our restaurant that is private, comfortable, and has a lock so I am not sure what alternative plan could be worked out. This is something that I will need to discuss with my management team before returning to work.There are other factors that could come in the way of reaching the goal of giving Zane breastmilk until his first birthday, but I don't want going back to work to be the reason that we aren't successful.

While, I'm not the happiest to be headed back to work, especially so soon, it's what needs to happen for our family. Maybe one day it will be possible to only work part time or stop working all together to stay home and take care of my family but for now it's back to the grind. On the positive side there are a few good things about working. Going to work I'll be contributing to our family, getting some grown up conversation outside of the house, and setting an example for my son about hard work.

Three Week Update

Our little man is three weeks old today!

Apologies for being MIA this week but as predicted, Zane's third week was exciting and busy. As mentioned before, Zac's sister, Sarah, is expecting baby number two. This past weekend she came into town for her baby shower and Zane finally got to meet his aunt, uncle, and cousin. Zac's parents also arrived for the celebration and had their first chance to meet their new grandson. Zane had four days filled with love, kisses, and lots of attention.

We're glad that Zane finally had the opportunity to meet his Grammie and Papa. Zac's parents live about 8 hours away, so visits can be far between. We've sent pictures and videos their way since Zane was born but it's certainly not the same as seeing one another in person. The two will be headed to Vegas in a few weeks when Sarah gives birth to her new little man. They plan on making a stop at our place for a day or two on their way. It'll be nice to see them again and we're sure that Zane will love some more time with his grandparents. 

This week, Zane has definitely become more expressive. The faces he makes have both Zac and I laughing. Here are just a few that I was able to capture while Zane was waking up from a nap:

Zane's new feeding schedule has kept him satisfied this week and with the amount of diapers that we've been changing, we know that he is definitely getting enough food. While the schedule is great for Zane, it has left this mama exhausted. Yesterday was an "attempt to catch up on sleep" day. Our guests had all left, Zac had outside chores to complete, and I had nowhere that I needed to be except for home with my boys. The entire day consisted of feeding Zane and napping. We no longer set alarms for night time feedings. Instead we're letting Zane let us know when he's hungry. He seems to have picked up on the routine we created because he wakes up around the times that we set alarms anyway. After his final feeding at 11 we head to bed and have two feedings throughout the night before waking up for the day.

Physically, I'm feeling better and better. Unfortunately, I did have an emotional moment last night. The lack of sleep had gotten to me and on top of that, my lazy "catch up on sleep" day had me feeling like a bum. I hadn't gotten dressed all day, I didn't get a chance to shower, and I was beginning to smell like breast milk and spit up. Being that it's only been three weeks, I'm still not in my prepregnancy clothes which has left me feeling huge still. I broke down and cried for about 20 minutes and then laughed. Hormones are crazy! Today I was able to get dressed, do my hair, and even put makeup on. It might be silly, but it totaly made me feel like a human again. I also got a bit of sun since we had a few errands to run. Getting outside throughout the day, I've realized, is super important.

I'm still only down 18lbs since giving birth to Zane but I realize that it took me 9 months to put it all on so I should give myself at least that long to take it all off. Next Wednesday I am scheduled for my 4 week postpartum checkup so we'll see what my doctor has to say about my recovery.

This week, Zac and I plan to take Zane on his first restaurant outting. Sunday brunch sounds like a fun date. We're hoping our little guy is up to it. It's possible that we'll go on a few more walks around the neighborhood and perhaps venture to the park again. The temperature is supposed to get as high as 106 this week, so we'll have to see. If it's too hot, I guess I'll just spend most of my time indoors staring at this beautiful little face.

One Week Update

Today Zane is one week old. It's a little crazy for us to think that it's already been a whole week since we went to the hospital but it has. It's definitely been an exciting and surreal week for us having Zane at home.

Zane was born on Wednesday night at 9:24pm. Since the hospital doesn't like to discharge newborns until they are 24 hours old and Zane was born so late in the day, we were told that we could probably anticipate staying two nights in the hospital. Zac and I weren't thrilled at the idea of being in the hospital for two days but having a private room where the three of us could all stay together made things a little better.

On Thursday we had a few visitors including some friends, my parents, the newborn photographer, and of course several nurses. We were happy to see that Zane's pediatrician was also on the list of visitors for the day. The doctor came by to see how Zane was doing and to fill us in on some things that we could anticipate in the first few days with our little guy. He also told us that our first appointment to see him would be on Saturday. Our first impression of the pediatrician was fantastic and we were happy with our choice of care. My OB also stopped by to check on me. He was happy to hear that I only had mild cramping and no serious pain to report.

Things must have looked great because he told me that I could be discharged as soon as the pediatrician gave word that Zane was fine to go. We were excited to hear a few minutes later that the pediatrician had already given permission for Zane's discharge. This meant that we didn't have to stay another night in the hospital! Taking Zane home and sleeping in our own bed sounded amazing! The nursing staff told us that there were a few more tests that Zane had to go through (a hearing assessment, check for risk of jaundice, etc.) before they could let him go. As long as we were able to leave that evening, Zac and I didn't care if we had to wait a few more hours to head home. 

We were discharged from the hospital at 9:00pm and were just about home when Zane officially reached 24 hours on this earth. My older brother Michael was staying at our house so that our dog Jim wasn't alone and Zane was able to meet his uncle for the first time. 

We came home to find that my mother had spent Wednesday cleaning our house, doing our laundry, and making things comfortable for our return home. My dad had created this welcome home sign for Zane which we proudly displayed in the yard so that our neighbors could see our good news.

Our Thursday was spent at home. I stayed in bed for the entire day resting up, feeding Zane, and staring at his adorable face every waking moment. My sweet Zac waited on me the whole day. I seriously couldn't ask for a better husband. He is just....amazing. 

Zane had the chance to meet the final member of our family, Mr. Jim. Our beloved pup wasn't sure what to make of our newest addition. He sniffed at Zane without getting too close and kept looking at Zac and I with questioning eyes. 

Throughout the week Jim has become more accustomed to Zane. He comes running when he hears Zane cry and has been spotted several times perched on furniture looking over our munchkin.

Our week has been pretty good. It's a surreal feeling to look at Zane and remember that he's not just some baby....he's mine. I can't believe that this beautiful little creature is who I've been carrying around for the last nine months.

Little man got to meet some of my coworkers yesterday when I went in to add him to my health insurance. I haven't been to work in three weeks and it was great to see familiar faces. Zane got so much love. All of my coworkers were excited to see him. I have a really amazing work family. Yesterday was also the day that we took Zane to get his pictures taken by Tess. I am seriously excited to see how they turned out. She was able to get him in some cute positions and had some really awesome set ups.

We did have a bit of a scare this week. When we took Zane in for his three day checkup with the pediatrician on Saturday, he weighed in at 6lbs even. Since he was born at 6lbs 11oz, the doctor thought that he was getting close to losing more than the typically acceptable percentage of weight that babies lose in the first week of life. He asked that we come in again two days later so that Zane could be weighed. We discussed Zane's eating habits thus far and thought that perhaps my milk had not fully come in yet. The doctor thought that by Monday (at 5 days old) Zane should have stopped losing weight and be on the road to getting back up to his birth weight.

On Monday, Zac and I took Zane back in to the doctor to be weighed and were devastated to hear that he had dropped down to 5lb 12oz. He had lost another 4oz in two days. The doctor was of course concerned by the weight loss and started to go over our options to remedy the situation. Because of Zane's loss of weight and lack of peeing it was clear that he was not getting sufficient feeding with breastfeeding and the doctor told us that we would need to start supplementing every other feeding with formula. He said that it was possible that my milk was taking just a little longer to come in or perhaps I was one of those women who just doesn't produce enough milk to sustain an infant. Zane's next appointment was his one week checkup on Wednesday (today) and if his weight didn't increase by then we would have more serious measures to take.

I held myself together in the examination room, and even at the grocery store where we stopped right after Zane's appointment, but by the time we got home I was bawling. Post partum hormones combined with a lack of sleep and the news that Zane had lost almost a pound in five days left me exhausted with emotion. I felt like I was failing my son. My one job was to keep him healthy and happy and I was starving my poor boy. Not wanting to ever give Zane formula, I was crushed that we had to supplement his feedings. On the bright side, it was nice that Zac was able to have some bonding time while feeding Zane and allowing me a little extra time to sleep but I was still disappointed. Zac was so sweet and supportive and most of all reassuring. He reminded me that there were worse things that could be wrong and that if our pediatrician really thought that Zane was in any danger he would have been hooked up to an IV. Zac and I also got a lot of support from an old friend of ours who is a new mama herself. Kaitlen sent me the sweetest messages that made me feel so much better about the situation. Her words really made a difference and I hope she knows that. Her kindess didn't stop there though. She even dropped off dinner and dessert to our home. Seriously such a sweetheart.

So for a day and a half, Zac and I have been supplementing Zane's feeding with formula. We've noticed a great improvement in his eating and he's peeing much more frequently. Also, I think it's safe to say that my milk has now come in completely and I am so thankful.

Today we headed to the doctor's office because Zane was scheduled for his circumcision. (Poor guy!) We were led to a different examination room and Zac and I waited anxiously to see Zane's weight.....6lb 6oz! Zac and I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief. We were hoping that Zane would be at least 6lbs so to see the additional 6oz was incredible...too incredible....impossible really. The nurse thought it was a little crazy, too. Ten ounces in two days? The nurse was pretty skeptical so she decided to take Zane back to the examination room where he weighed in at 5lb 12oz. She re-weighed him on that scale and wouldn't you know it, the scale was not calibrated correctly. It turned out that Zane hadn't lost any weight when the scale showed that he was 5lb 12oz. Though we had worried and stressed for nothing, we were relieved that his growth was right on track. The doctor told us that we could start weaning Zane off of the formula feedings and get back to our plan of only breastfeeding. I could have cried with happiness. (Again...hormones!)

Zac and I accepted the situation as a small test for us and in our eyes we had passed. Yes we were both upset. I cried about it and Zac beat himself up for not recognizing that Zane wasn't peeing as much as he should, but we didn't lose focus. We talked to each other about it instead of getting frustrated with one another. We accepted advice and reassurance. Most importantly, we were flexible when our plans changed because it was necessary (or so we thought) to make sure that our son was healthy and growing.

The rest of today's appointment went pretty well. Both the nurse and pediatrician laughed because Zane slept through his circumcision. I fed him right before we left for the doctor in hopes that he would be calm and sleepy. Thankfully it worked out. Not only did he sleep during the procedure but he slept for most of the afternoon as well. I had to wake him each time feeding came around and he promptly went back to sleep when he was done eating.

This evening he woke up and became alert long enough for our first family walk. The weather was beautiful today. Instead of the heat we've had the last week, today was breezy and cool. We bundled up our little lovebug and tried out our stroller for the first time on a small walk around the block.

It's been quite a week. We can't wait to see what week 2 brings us!

Newborn Photography

Today Zac and I took our little Zane on an outing to get newborn pictures taken. Before Zane's arrival we had decided that we were going to have our wedding photographer, Tess of Van's Studio of Photography, take Zane's newborn pictures.

We loved the work she did for our engagement photos:

Our wedding photos....

And our maternity pictures....

So it was no question that we would set up an appointment for her to take pictures of our little guy during his first week of life. Today we headed into the studio and were very excited to see what Tess had in store for us. We brought a few props, inlcuding some books, a stuffed animal, our wedding rings, and a few of his cloth diapers. Tess also had a bunch of props and we were happy to see her go to work.

Just sitting back and watching Tess position Zane, Zac and I could see that the pictures were going to turn out amazing! We're excited to see the images very soon. After our session was over we set up appointments for Zane's 3 month, 6 month, 9 month, and 1 year photoshoots. We can already tell that this year is going to go by way too fast. We'll be happy to have a document of his growth.

When we returned home from our appointment. we checked the mail and found that we had already received some of Zane's newborn photos. The photos were taken at our hospital about 17 hours after Zane was born. The photographer had caught me in a somewhat vunerable state. I mean, really! I had just given birth to this baby whom I was becoming obsessed with and now she was showing me pictures of his cute little face! I couldn't resist.

It was probably against our better judgment, but we purchased the disc of pictures. While we think that there are a few cute shots here we aren't in love with the photos. Perhaps it's because we just got back from being giddy over the photos that Tess had captured.

At any rate...here are little Zane's hospital pictures, taken before he was even 24 hours old. It's funny how he's changed already. We think he kind of looks like my dad in these pictures.

Our favorite one....

More newborn pictures to come!

Due Date

Today is Zane's due date. Let me just say how happy I am that we didn't have to wait until today to meet our handsome little man. Instead we have a happy and healthy five day old. I am so thankful to have him here. 

                         

Since today was the anticipated day for Zane's arrival, I thought it only appropriate to write about the day he was born. Unfortunately, there just weren't enough hours in the day to make that happen today. My little family has a busy couple of days ahead. Though it might take me some time, regular posts are coming. 

For now I'm just focusing on this beautiful little guy. Can you blame me?!