Things I Never Want to Forget

When my midwife excitedly announced, "We just delivered your toddler!"

When instead of saying something beautiful after his birth I announced to the nurses that he looks like the monster on The Goonies because of the shape of his (short lived) cone head just after birth.

When Turner pooped on me less than 10 seconds after delivery. Troy was trying to wipe me off and I told him that it wouldn't be the last time.

Which brings me to my next memory that I never want to forget...

When Turner pooped on me during his second bath ever. Sprayed yellow down my front. Good times.

How Troy was able to figure out all of the best ways to sooth Turner. For two weeks before I had the baby I bounced on my exercise ball. Go figure, when we got home and Turner was fussing, the best solution was to bounce on the ball with him! Troy also figured out that putting the heating pad in his bassinet and removing it just before Turner went to sleep helped to settle him in for the night in a warm bed. He learned that from the nurses who used warm blankets to swaddle in the nursery at the hospital. While I was at a loss for ways to soothe him and I didn't know what to do when he cried, Troy was always able to find a solution. Amazing.

When I took Turner to church for the first time at 7 days old. He needs to know that we are Baptist and we are there when the church doors open and we are the last ones to leave (as his Gigi would say).

When he puts his tiny hand on my chest while he's eating. And I can imagine him growing up before my eyes and I already miss him being a tiny baby.

How I can feel a stirring, tingly, swirling feeling in my chest, hands and on my stomach when Turner is hungry in the middle of the night and just beginning to fuss when he needs to eat. It was so confusing at first because I swore I was feeling Turner wiggle on my chest but I woke up to realize that he was in his bassinet where I left him when we went to sleep. That feeling is so difficult to explain! But it's like a built in natural alarm clock saying that my baby needs to eat. Amazing!

The E.T. noises he makes when we change his diaper. The grunting noises he makes after eating and how he's out of breath after eating as if it's so much work (and maybe it is!). I usually look at him and tell him that "Life is hard, isn't it?".

The sweet and satisfied noises he makes when he's drifting off to sleep soon after eating.

How he can't eat and poop at the same time. I tell Turner, "Of course you can't eat and poop at the same time. No man can multi-task, it's not your fault."

Watching Troy put him in the bouncer and his Jeep walker though he is WAY too young and our moms gripe at him for not being gentle enough with him. Hilarious.

How for the first week or two while I was waiting for my hormones to level out I found myself praying often, "Lord, in your name take this thought off of my heart and off of my mind in your name." It was the greatest way to get a horrible thought off my mind and remind myself that God is in control of our lives. It was the best way to clear my mind and give myself a chance to sleep peacefully while Turner was sleeping at night. Thank you, Lord! He absolutely got me through this and I don't want to ever forget that.

The emotions of the last two weeks and how difficult nursing is...SO rewarding but probably the greatest challenge of my life. I often think I would rather go through another unmedicated labor than have to learn (and go through the soreness) of nursing a baby! Each night for the first week I was very tempted to switch to formula. That way the pressure and responsibility wasn't on me to get Turner fed. I felt like I was the only thing keeping him alive and healthy. But each day gets easier. And it's the best way for me to bond with my baby. And the 3am sessions are getting progressively easier though I find myself wishing that he was already sleeping through the night ;)

How when Turner's fighting sleep he puts out a BIG yawn and then one BIG cry and falls asleep immediately after.

Watching Troy read to Turner and dancing with him to the "mixed tape" CD Shannon made him. Don't Worry be Happy is my favorite I think. Also hilarious.

More to come I am sure....