Baby Ethan: Week 1

Hi Friends and Happy 4th of July!!  I'm stopping by today to give you an update on life with baby!  :)  Thanks for all your sweet comments on Ethan's arrival!  It's been a whirlwind these last few days, but some of the best of our lives.  I plan to post his birth story soon...just working on the details.  In the meantime, I'm taking direction from Erinn and posting some weekly stats and firsts!

Weight: Ethan was born at 6lbs 3oz and left the hospital at 6lbs 2oz.  We had his first pediatrician visit on Monday, July 2nd and he was up to 6lbs 4oz!  Music to our ears!  He also grew half an inch, which puts him at 20 inches!  :)

Medical Issues: Ethan was born with the cord wrapped around his neck, which caused some issues for him at birth.  Mainly getting air in his lungs properly and then a variety of issues related to stress.  We had to stay in the hospital 48 hours post birth to be monitored.  Poor little guy had an IV on his hand the whole time, which just broke our hearts.  He recovered amazingly though and we were able to leave the hospital with a happy and healthy baby!

Sleep: He sleeps most of the day and then is up about every 1.5 to 2 hours through the night.  We definitely need to reverse this trend at some point, but Ryan has been amazing with helping change his diapers at night and I just nurse in bed.  It is hard to actually sleep though...I feel like I'm leaving him unattended and it scares the heck out of me!  I'm building my confidence with it, but I just want to stare at him all the time and make sure he's ok.

Clothes: Even though Ethan was born on the lighter side, he's still pretty long!  So he's wearing newborn and some 3 month Carter onesies {which are really loose but they still work!}.  Below is his special "going home" outfit.  I remember buying it and thinking it was SO tiny and then here he is swimming in it!

Visitors: We've been blessed with a lot of family and friends who have come to meet Ethan.  He's met both sets of grandparents and his grandmama {my step-mom}, his uncle {Ryan's brother}, his great-grandmother {Ryan's grandma}, his great aunt and uncle and their two daughters {cuzies!}, and a variety of friends.  He's SOO loved already and can't wait to meet the rest of his family!  

Diet: All breast milk, ALL day!  He nurses like a champ, which is HUGE since he didn't get to nurse right after birth.  He was kept on sugar water at the hospital to keep his fluids up and prevent dehydration {which helped him keep his birth weight}.  We had our first session the morning after he was born and he was a natural.  

Baby Gear Love: We LOVE the itzbeen timer.  It helps us keep track of his last diaper change, nursing session, sleep, and medication.  It's been a life saver!  Also the Adenn + Anais muslin swaddle wraps...they're so lightweight and breathable, which is great for this time of year.  Ethan also loves his rocker and bouncer and he's been sleeping in the same wicker bassinet that Ryan slept in as a baby.  Last, we bought these mittens which are the best.  They stay on his little hands and are super soft.  I definitely recommend them.  Oh and for nursing...the Bebe au Lait {aka Hooter Hider!} is amazing for those times you need to nurse, but you have an audience!  ;)

Crying: I'm knocking on wood as I type this but Baby E has been really mellow.  He doesn't cry much at all, and even when he does, it's brief.  Thanks to the wipe warmer, he actually doesn't even mind getting changed.  Ryan is the diaper master too!  ;)

Likes: Ethan loves his hands.  If you swaddle them, he gets super upset!  So we swaddle them with his hands out {we joke that because he had the IV on his hand the first two days of his life, that he is making up for lost time}.  He makes the cutest little gestures with them all the time...see "the thinker" and the "drama king" {also known as "jazz hands"} below!  :)

Milestones: Gosh!  I feel like there are so many!  Going home, of course, was a huge milestone, especially after having an extended stay at the hospital.  He loves riding in the car, which is definitely a bonus.  

Other milestones include, going to Grandma and Grandpa's TWO nights in a row for dinner, taking our first walk around the block in the moby wrap, first surprise pee sans diaper {the first one literally hit the wall!}, first doctor visit, and first sponge bath {he smelled SO good after}.

Postpartum: I'm feeling great postpartum!  I have little to no pain and only take Motrin to help with swelling.  I've learned the importance of Kegal exercises {preggo mamas, don't skip out on these, you may regret it!} and also adjusting to actually having boobs!  ;)  Lanolin has been my best friend...it's such a life saver!  I've also been wearing Gilligan and O'Malley nursing bras and tanks...they're awesome.  And for an extra treat, the Lansinoh Soothie gel pads.  They're pretty expensive but SOOO worth it!  Your breasts will thank you!  :)

I have to say that this has been the most incredible week of my life.  I have never known a love like this before and looking into my son's eyes is the most beautiful and rewarding experience ever.  He makes the sweetest little coo's and cries...it sounds strange but I love the sound of his cry.  Maybe it's because he couldn't quite cry when he came out of the womb and to hear it now just reminds me that his lungs are full and working!  We think he has his dad's ears...I could just eat his little ear lobes.  And he puckers his upper lip over his lower lip, which makes me want to kiss him all the time.  I can't believe we created him and that we get to keep him...he's all ours.  My heart has never been so full.

I hope you enjoy the holiday and I'll be back soon with more updates!

xo natasha