Week One Journal: Welcome to the world little girl.

My love,

Welcome to the world my beautiful daughter. You are sweeter, squishier, more perfect and more loved than I could ever imagine. Feel free to insert every...single...schmucky thing you've ever heard other people say about how adorable and perfect their newborns are. It's true.  I spend so much time just staring at you, smelling you, and touching you.

This entire pregnancy, all I wanted was a natural birth at the birthing center. Those plans were stymied near the end by a diagnoses of gestational diabetes and a baby that didn't want to come early, or on time. Fortunately for us, you decided that enough was enough, and I went into labor on Thursday morning, the date that induction was originally scheduled.  After one hellacious drive to the birthing center, that included me swearing at every car stopped at every stop light, we were on our way to our goal.

I'm going to skip forward through the story of my labor, because while I was in labor for 16 hours, time becomes meaningless.  You look at a clock and realize that somewhere between having contractions every two minutes that last a minute long, you've lost a few hours.  I could count time better through the number of times I had to change positions, and if we were in the shower, the whirlpool, on the bed or exercise ball than through looking at a clock.

The only people I had with me at the birthing center were your dad, and our doula Cara.  I can't say enough good things about her, and encourage every woman, even if you want to get an epidural or will go to a hospital, to have one.  She and the midwife knew tricks for helping my labor, like belly binding during contractions to pull the baby into position in my pelvis (which really made a difference and probably radically shortened my labor time), side lunging, and other positions that were instrumental in not only my comfort, but my ability to concentrate and stay focused.

I can't take all the credit for this experience, because I wasn't alone.  Your father never left my side (except once to go get bagels...I was starving).  Cara, and your father constantly told me what a good job I was doing, even when I whined back, "I don't have a choice!" The rubbed my back, held my hand, listened to me whine, and watched you enter the world.

You are a big chunk of baby love. At 9lbs 14oz, I think you even surprised the midwives. I think it wasn't your size that surprised them as much as how strong you are.  You have a full head of dark hair.  We aren't entirely sure which side that is from because your dad is (okay...was) a red head, and I was born blond. I think you look like your dad, but only time will tell.  Our nurse, who is also a lactation consultant, helped put you to my breast and you immediately latched.  You have little furry ears that dad calls your Yedi ears.  Your eyes already look more hazel/brown than blue, so we'll see.  You have a crease on the top of your nose, and when you squish your face up you look like an angry Buddah...or an angry gnome.  When you're hungry you mewl in a cry I call the, "saddest cry in the world!" You basically sleep, eat and poop and then cry about having to have the poop removed or having gas.  You're a wonderful, easy baby so far and oh my God we love you.

Here are some shots of you.  I have only taken pictures with my phone so far, so you'll have to wait for the professional ones we're having taken.

To my readers: Yes...her cheeks are actually that big. We aren't posting pictures on Facebook right now, which is why I wanted to get a blog out.  Dad may eventually get her website set up...but he's been a little busy being our servant.

Note: I'd have pictures of her awake, but she's generally nursing then and no one needs to see my cleavage.

Day One selfie.  

Day Two: contemplating life. 

Day 4: At the doctors office.  You have a tiny bit of jaundice, but it had already improved by the time we got to the doctor.  She was excited to see and squish you!