Blog? What blog?

In case you haven't noticed, having a newborn and maintaining a blog don't exactly go hand in hand. Like most new moms, I'm having trouble doing anything other than sleep, eat, mindlessly watch TV or clean the house when Will takes a nap.

It may be the understatement of the century, but being a new mom is exausting. I have completely forgotten what 8 hours of sleep feels like. Will wakes and eats about every 2-3 hours. Most of the time I feel like a 24 hour buffet.

Waking in the middle of the night to feed, change and soothe Will isn't the hard part. When he needs me, I'm on. It's when he starts to drift off to sleep that I realize how tired I am. I carefully place him in his bassinet and give a silent prayer that maybe, just maybe, this will be the moment when he decides he can sleep for 4 hours straight. Yeah, right. I think that one might be awhile.

The truth is that being a mom is tiring, and at times overwhelming. But it's also amazing. So you take the good with the bad. The snuggles with the sleepless nights. The chubby cheeks with the dirty diapers. And you find strength in place you didn't even know existed inside you.

But if he's offering, I'd take a few more hours of sleep a night.

One Week Old

Dear Will,

Today you are one week old. The last seven days have been a combination of joy, exaustion, excitement and fear. The first day we brought you home I was overcome by the sheer responsibility of keeping you alive. Every noise you made in your bassinet would wake me immediately. Is he OK? Is he still breathing? Though I'm still easily roused by your squeaks and cries, I'm starting to learn when you actually need something and when you're just fussing a little.

You smell absolutely amazing. I can't even describe it. I love to kiss your sweet little head and stroke your downy soft hair.

You love to be swaddled. It calms you instantly. But we've started calling you Houdini because you always seem to wriggle your arms out. You'll pull them triumphantly above your head, as if you're saying "ta-da!"

You only sleep for 2 or 3 hours at a time, so Mama is really tired. I'm convinced you'd sleep longer if you weren't such a heavy wetter. You've peed through more diapers, onesies, swaddling blankets and sheets than we can count.

Sometimes when you get really upset, you stop mid-cry and take three short little breaths. "Oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh." I hate to hear you cry, but it's such a sweet little sound.

Daddy is a master diaper changer. He loves to snuggle with you on the couch. In fact, you watched your first Packer pre-season game together last night.

You're a really good little eater. Breastfeeding has been harder than I anticipated, but we're both getting the hang of it. Even though I'm exausted, I love getting up with you to nurse. You look up at me with your beautiful eyes and grab my finger with your tiny little hand.

Nana stayed with us for most of your first week, which was such a huge help. She started singing you the Mister Ed theme song when you got upset. You love it. I had to look up the lyrics online to remember the entire thing, but we bounce and sing "a horse is a horse of course of course" whenever you get upset.

You've changed so much in seven days. I have to remind myself that each stage will be gone before we know it. So even though I'm tired, I'm cherishing every moment.

I love you, my sweet little William.

Mama

Introducing...

This is William George.

He arrived at 6:02 PM on Sunday, August 8. For those of you keeping track, that was 15 days early.

Labor was fast and furious. I'm proud to report that I did it all naturally. It was the most rewarding, overwhelming, intense experience of my life (more details to follow).

Words can't describe how thrilled Ben and I are. Little Will is perfect in every way.

For Ben

I know these last few weeks haven't been easy on you. At nine months pregnant, I'm a hormonal mess. I cry at the drop of the hat, grumble constantly about how uncomfortable I am, and lose my temper in a fraction of a second. I get so frustrated with you sometimes. You don't say the right things, you need to be nicer, blah, blah, blah. The truth is you're not doing anything wrong. I'm frustrated with everyone. But as my partner, you bear the brunt of my mood swings. I'm sorry for that.

I don't feel like myself anymore. And as hard as that is for me, it must be equally as hard for you. Who is this person? What did she do with my wife? After my meltdown last night, I expected you and Stella to be half way to Canada by the time I got home. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

I want you to know you're a wonderful partner. You make me laugh. You tell me I'm beautiful. You make me dinner when I'm exausted from working all day. You move at a snail's pace so I can join you and Stella on an evening walk. You remind me to put my feet up and drink plenty of water. You offer to drive to Pick 'N Save at 9:30 at night to get me rice pudding with raisins. You rub my back when I'm falling asleep. You kiss me like you mean it. And you love me unconditionally. Even this swollen, irritable, gigantic version of me. And that says a lot.

We're in the home stretch now. I love you so much.

Overheard

"Next time, let's not be nine months pregnant during the hottest month of the year."

As if that's not the understatement of the century.

Fun Fact

More babies are born in August than any other month. September is not far behind.

What's in the water in November and December? The holidays must put us in a family-friendly mood.