1 Week Old

Craig and I cannot BELIEVE our little girl is already 1 week old. This time last week I was in surgery awaiting the arrival of sweet baby Addison. Craig and I knew we would love her, but I don't think we had any idea we would love her THIS much. In one short week, she has brought so much joy into our house. The coos, the giggles, the smell of a new baby, and oh yes, the sleep deprivation...

The first few days at home were tough for all of us. Addison was hungry, my milk was a little late coming in, the dog was in shock, and Craig and I were desperately seeking a little sleep. Thankfully, we are all adjusting slowly but surely. I seem to have milk, Addison seems to be satisfied, Molly dog is on speaking terms with us again, and we are getting a few hours of uninterrupted sleep at a time.

Addison had her first sponge bath on Wednesday just before her first trip to the pediatrician's office for a check up. At birth, Addison weighed 7 lbs, 13 ounces. When we left the hospital, she weighed 7 lbs, 1 ounce. At her doctor's appointment on Wednesday, her weight had dropped to 6 lbs, 15 ounces. Since my milk was a little late to arrive, we had to supplement the breast feeding with a small amount of formula in a syringe. We are happy to report that after our 2nd trip to the pediatrician's office for a weight check, little miss Addison is back up to 7 lbs, 7 ounces and is back to breast milk only.

I am on the road to recovery from the c section. I'm still fairly sore, but as long as I remember to take the motrin, I am okay. The hardest part is getting in and out of the bed. I guess I never realized just how much I rely on my abdominal muscles to get in and out of the bed.

Because of the c section, we decided to keep Addison downstairs with us. Our plan was to put her in the pack and play, but we found out very quickly that she was not a fan of the pack and play. I think she has too much room to roll around in the pack and play. She is way more comfortable in smaller spaces. So we experimented with a few things and realized that she loves being swaddled and placed in the papasan bouncy seat. At night, we put the papasan seat in the top of the pack and play, and so far, she has been sleeping like a champ. Hopefully, she will continue to sleep like a champ. I guess we'll just have to wait to see about that...

Craig has proven to be a wonderful father already. He was thrown into the fire and has done a fantastic job with everything. Before the baby's arrival, he asked me a thousand questions about what we would do with her. I told him not to worry that we would figure it out. And figure it out, we are doing. Not only has he been taking care of Addison, but he has also been taking care of me. I know you might find it hard to believe, but he is in the kitchen preparing dinner for the 2nd night in a row. Addison and I are 2 lucky little girls.

We also owe a big thank you to my mom. She left yesterday after spending the week with us. I was so sad to see her go, but she'll be back soon. She helped with the important things -- the laundry, the cleaning and the cooking. Addison spent much of her time in the papasan seat on the island watching mom cook for us. If we start her young enough, maybe Addison will learn to love to cook as much as my mom does. Thanks mom for all of your help! We can't wait for you to come back!

So as you can see, we have had one busy week. We've laughed, we've cried, but most of all, we've been blessed with the love of a beautiful baby girl. We really can't remember what life was like before her arrival, and quite honestly, we don't want to. We are looking forward to spending the rest of our lives with this little girl.