Healing

They say time heals all wounds. I have found this to be true. It has been 3 weeks since I went through that traumatic delivery and gave birth to a precious baby boy. The recovery from that experience is going pretty well.  My battle scar from the C-section is healing nicely and I have recovered emotionally from that painful weekend. 

The last three weeks have been a blur.  I have never been more sleep deprived and happy at the same time.  There have been moments when I felt like I would not make it til the next day.  I thought my life was busy before but now it is REALLY busy!  Everything revolves around the baby's schedule and there is very little time for anything else.  He eats every 2 to 3 hours, which means he is constantly on my breast (which makes me feel like a milk machine!).  If I could write a book about baby Jake it would be called "Eat, Sleep, Poop."  Being the mother of a newborn is the most demanding job I have ever had but the reward is priceless.

As a new mom I have learned to appreciate so many little things in life, such as having the time to take a shower, my mom staying with us and doing all our chores, and even getting to go outside.  You'll find this funny but the week after I came home from the hospital, I remember being excited over producing milk and finally going #2 (having a C-Section makes your body irregular for a while!). Yesterday I drove for the first time in over 2 weeks and went to school for a meeting.  It felt weird to be out and about again, especially without my belly!  I realized that I became quite attached to my pregnancy...I loved it so much, even the last few uncomfortable weeks.  I can't wait until I am fully recovered and Jake is big enough so that we can go on walks with the dog and I can enjoy the sunshine once again. 

Chris and I entered parenthood in an atypical way.  We didn't get to bond with our baby immediately after his birth.  We spent the first week of our baby's life away from him.  But Jacob's birth has made us stronger as a team.  These days, my brain is having to work twice as hard, sleep has become a luxury, and every minute of the day counts (i.e., "Do I go on the computer, eat, use the restroom, do schoolwork, or nap while the baby naps?" or "I better hurry up and finish whatever it is I am doing before he wakes up and demands my breast again for the 35th time today!").  But the most important thing is that the trauma is behind us now...and we are simply adjusting to life as the parents of a happy and healthy 3-week-old baby.