Two Weeks Old: The After

Paige is two weeks old! Well, she was yesterday but I didn't have any free hands. And 7pm is the first time I'm finding free hands to write today.

I'm not sure how much she weighs [we go to her appointment tomorrow morning] but I wouldn't be surprised if she is nearing 9 pounds with the way she eats. If you breastfeed, you know how attached babies can be to mama! I feel like I feed her all day sometimes. She has been in size 1 diapers and her newborn clothes are getting a little tight. I could cry!

She only goes 2-3 hours at night, which is rough but eventually she will space that out. I know from having two older ones that I WILL sleep again. I always see these parenting things that say "You won't sleep for 18 years." I slept quite well from the time Molly slept through the night [which was before she turned one] until the uncomfortable portion of my pregnancy. Of course, there were phases where the girls would wake up and come into our room once or twice and we'd take them back to bed. And there are random nights they are up from a bad dream and such, but mainly, I slept. I know there is hope.

She gives me little smiles here and there, which are adorable. Nothing I can catch on camera though, mainly because I am too busy staring at her and talking to her as though she can understand me. She loves to lay on my chest and turn her head to look up at me.

We mainly spend our days in my bed, just hanging out and me napping when she naps. If I can get her comfy enough to sleep with me we can sleep for a good amount of time. If I put her in her rock and play sleeper she doesn't last long enough for me to feel rested.

The After. My shortened terminology for these two weeks after giving birth. I have already forgotten what it was like to be pregnant, which is amazing considering how uncomfortable the end was. It is amazing how all of that just straight up disappears after childbirth. Even using the restroom feels strange because you can't remember what it was like to have to pee every 5 seconds.

The After is full of sleepless nights, roller coaster emotions, baby snuggles, and more that I can't think to name. I already miss my pregnant belly and cling to each moment I have with my baby girl, as I know all too well how fast they grow.

You spend 9 months of pregnancy planning and fantasizing about your baby. You count down the days until your due date, and sometimes it feels like your gestation is that of an elephants. LONG. Then your baby arrives and suddenly you realize there is no more countdown or waiting. Of course, you wait on each milestone and enjoy each stage in a child's life still. It is kind of daunting, sitting in bed late at night and thinking "what now?" and realizing it is no longer go into labor but life.

I have a daily thought journal for Paige's first year of life. Some things I've written down...

Your best friend is the ceiling fan.

Paige definitely knows her mama. It is easy to see when she is handed back to me or when I pick her up when she is fussing. But man, the ceiling fan gets an equal amount of interest through out the day. And it isn't even moving!

You talk in your sleep.

Okay, babies can't really talk, but they have a wide range of noises they make. She makes the cutest newborn noises while she sleeps and sometimes it lasts for an hour. It isn't so great in the middle of the night when we are trying to sleep.

You are SO alert.

Paige has been very alert from day one. She startles awake easily and doesn't nap for long. If you sit and talk to her she will just stare and stare for over an hour. She has also been able to life her head since day one.