Yes, my friends - that is Guy! Miles was born exactly one minute later...our little ones arrived on Monday (Labor Day??) at 35 and 1/2 weeks. They didn't have to spend even a minute in the NICU, which was amazing and they came home with us yesterday. They are small, but beautiful; immature in some ways and mature in others. The Furballs are terrified but curious - what could these gabbling things be??
What follows are some of my observations and feelings - they're all jumbled up, but here they are!
1) This sounds cliche, but I am totally in love...pure, unadulterated love.
2) I am also stressed out beyond my wildest ken - how can these two emotions co-exist so much? Last night - our first night at home - was so insane. And they weren't even fussy per se! It was just being home, needing to get up every 3 hours at least, to feed them, not really sleeping more than 3-4 hours. I know - I need to get used to this. TD and I are reeling.
3) Medieval Mom is also here until Thursday, so I can't imagine how it would be were she not in residence.
4) The birth was steeped in stress, particularly the days following it, which is why I'm dealing with such anxiety at the moment, I think. The c-section proper was uneventful, even textbook. But we had to do it far earlier than planned because my BP was just consistently way too high. After that, I had a series of events including crashing a bit because of a wonky reaction to something, perhaps nausea, I'm not sure, it's all a blur, but it was very scary for TD. Then we thought all was well but those damned BPs kept creeping up again and they wanted to keep me longer. This was the source of much stress, but finally they just kept me an extra day and sent us home.
5) The babies smell good.
6) Will my hormones eventually regulate themselves? Will I ever feel normal again? Will my body recover from the c-section? When? Will every day get better?
7) Miles is already stepping forward as the "freaky" child - he has so many little quirks and he's not even 6 days old. Guy is all about "slow and steady wins the race"...
8) Tomorrow (yes, Sunday) is our first outing to the pediatrician - what will we wear?
9) Will I ever sleep again?
22 comments:
BIG SMILE!!! YAY!
I'm so happy your family is now all borned and everything! Yay for the four of you!
No advice re: sleep and stress, but plenty of well wishes and happiness for you!
Congratulations! He looks ... covered in vernix! (Green goo came out of Caedmon's nose during that exact moment and photo op. It was alien-esque.)
They are beautiful and I am so proud of you for 35 1/2 weeks! No NICU!!! You are one strong mama. And they are strong healthy babies!
You are right, you may not sleep (in an uninterrupted fashion) for a good long while. But it WILL get better. I promise!
One thing to consider: having someone else do ONE night feeding, so that you can get at least 4 hours of sleep in a stretch. This is important because the 4 hour mark is what regulates your brain and your hormones. It's necessary for milk production, for general well being, and for the reduction of the cortisol that is rushing through your veins. That advice alone (to allow myself to sleep for 4 hours, uninterrupted) was the best I got, so I give it to you.
Also, eat. Lots. Good nutritious stuff. And don't stint on the pain meds., neither.
We can't wait to play legos at Kalamazoo!!
Congratulations! And welcome, Miles and Guy!
And even though I've never thought of having children myself, I have to agree with you on the wonderful goodness of New Baby Smell (tm).
Wow he looks pissed! ;)
Yay! Wow! Good luck and happy Labor Day! (hee!)
Welcome Guy and Miles! And congratulations to you and TD!
It's been a decade since the Snork Maiden arrived to fill our hearts with joy and completely annihilate our previous way of life, but I remember so well our first night home. I remember waking in the night and thinking--in a haze of sleep deprivation, hormones, the aftermath of childbirth, and blood--"I can't possibly do this. Poor child, to have a mother who can't take care of her. What happens to children whose mothers can't do it?...I know, I'll give her to my sister [who was single, childless and working full-time three thousand miles away]. My sister will take care of her." And then, feeling an iota better because I had a [delusional] back-up plan, I dragged myself out of bed and embarked on yet another endless nursing session (it takes SO LONG when they are little).
I agree with TRL about sleeping 4 hours at a stretch, whatever you have to do to get there. Take every bit of help you are offered and then some, including professional help if you can afford it. Give TD chances to get out of the house on his own--Stubb always appreciated a supplies run with a not-too-firm deadline for getting back.
And hang in there because it does get easier, bit by bit. (I am assured this is also true with twins.)
I wrote you a long involved post, but blogger/google ate it. =(
And I'm too tired (the sleep gets better, but not great) to redo it.
But congratulations Mama!
And welcome to the world, Guy and Miles, Miles and Guy!
YAY MEDIEVAL BABIES! Glad you are up and fine and reporting in!
many congratulations!
Congratulations! Empathy on the sleep deprivation .... I remember those days. Enjoy all the wonderful moments.
Oh, MW, I'm so happy for you and TD! Well done, you! Welcome, Guy and Miles!
Swithe faire children with alle! (Beves of Hamtoun, 3711)
Congratulations!
Wow! Hooray! So happy for you--I can't wait to meet them!
Huzzah! Welcome to Guy and Miles, and congratulations to you! Oh, and to the Dutchman, too -- but you did all the work! :)
Hooray for big healthy baby twins!
Welcome Guy and Miles! So glad that you're doing OK, and are all at home. I wish I could give worldly wisdom on the sleep front, but I am assured by my parent friends that it does get better!
YAYYYY!
Congrats to all four of you. And I hope to meet the latest two some day soon!
I was just wondering about you four. Yay babies! Congratulations to the proud and pooped parents, and snuggle welcomes to G&M!
Whooo hoooo!
Three cheers for the new mama and her new babies! Hip! Hip! Hooray!
(That's one cheer for Guy, one for Miles, and one big gut-busting cheer for Mama! Dutchman, I will get you on the flip side.)
Congratulations!! I have a friend who has four-year-old twin boys, and she said that it does get easier as time goes by, but the first two years were hard for her. Now that her kids are older, it's way easier. And they play together constantly and are each other's best friends. Twins rule!
Yes, you will feel normal again. Hormones will regulate again. Sleep will come again. It just takes a while. I didn't really feel normal until after I stopped breastfeeding (when eldest was 17 months old). Now that I have a second kid (almost 9 months old), I felt normal a lot quicker (and am still breastfeeding him). So I think you just have to go with it. Listen to your body, and take care of yourself. That will help the kiddos!
New babies smell so delicious. Just want to kiss them!! Congrats again!!
Wonderful! Clever you! I'm so thrilled for you all.
Yeah, probably nothing will ever be the same again. But in a good way!
Very best to you all.
Congratulations!!! So wonderful to hear that everyone is doing well. Glad that things calmed down after the initial wonkiness post C-section.
Welcome to the babes. Hope the furballs relax soon :)
Woohoo! Congrats, congrats! How exciting! Hugs and balloon bouquets to all! Welcome, little ones!
It will eventually feel normal, the new number of people in the house. And your hormones WILL regulate themselves again. And you WILL sleep again one day! It all just takes time.
One thing I learned was that when the baby napped, I should nap. I kept trying to "do" things when he was asleep at first, and I was missing out on lots of rest opps. As your body is healing early on, you do need to grab the nappage where it happens. ;) For what it's worth...
Congratulations! Your boys were born four days after mine, so I am going through similar moments of alternating anxiety and being totally IN LOVE with my little guy.
So happy for you!
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