Noah's First Days.

The previous blog gave you the birth story for our son Noah, but not many people have ever told me the stories of the first few days after coming home from the hospital.  Sure I have heard the requisite stories about lack of sleep,  endless visitors, and the occasional stinky diaper but that's about where it ends.

Since I am off this full first week from work I have volunteered to take the late shifts with him and change all his diapers.  I am having Christine focus on getting plenty of sleep, eating and drinking enough, and feeding Noah.  Her parents have been by a few days and have helped by bringing food, providing dinner, or just taking the baby for a few hours so we can nap.  Speaking of napping!  If I can give advice to any new parents who might stumble upon this blog, nap often!!  Every time that kiddo falls asleep and you don't have something else pressing to do lay down and nap.  Trust me, you will feel much less exhausted and more refreshed throughout the day if you can squeeze in a few power naps.  Christine and I have also worked out a system of shifts where one person or the other can get longer time asleep.  I have volunteered to take the earlier morning shifts from about 2am till about 7am because Noah is very active during those times and doesn't want to sleep.  The downside for Christine is that she can't take a single shift off from feeding him right now, so that means getting up every 3 hours to feed him.

Since I am on diaper duty primarily I keep checking Noah for that "care tag" that you find on clothing but I just can't seem to find it.  The other thing that has me bummed out it that the hospital forgot to give me his warranty registration card when we left the hospital.  You would think there would be a better instruction manual for these little buggers.

I am sure parents who read this can relate but the first time you change a poopy diaper is quite an experience.  No one tells you that your baby is going to be pooping out asphalt tar for the first few days.  The merconium is a tarry, sticky, not too smelly substance that could be used to repair driveway cracks.  Then there is the problem of babies involuntary movements.  They kind of look like spasms and usually send an arm flying into their face or in my case a heal right into the poo!  Then imagine trying to capture that foot and get it cleaned off, and every time that chilly wipe hits his foot he pulls it away!!

I have also held many nephews as infants and you never really notice until it is your own child how they look up at you when you hold them.  They have this ability to look you in the eyes and wrap their tiny little fingers around your heart.  It's a feeling of joy that I can't begin to describe until you experience it yourself.  Noah looks up at me at 3am in the morning when I am exhausted and tired and suddenly I am not as tired as I thought and I think how worth it he is!

Speaking of 3am, this kid has been an absolute angel the first few days home...(knock on wood this doesn't change!!).  My brother Andy (2 boys, Nic and Emerson) told me that if you can make it through the first 2 days home with your kids that you can definitely handle the rest of the time.  Well, our first 2 days were shockingly easy.  Noah has been eating very well since we left the hospital, and I think it helps that Christine got her milk the day we came home.  He currently is feeding on about an every 3 hours schedule 24 hours a day.  We were told by the pediatrician to make sure to wake him up even if he is sound asleep to make sure he eats every 3 hours.  Being good first time parents we are happily obliging, and with excellent results.  He is sleeping about 18 hours a day but the nights are when he is still most active.  During the daytime he is practically comatose when he comes off the feeding!  It is rather cute to see a baby stuffed like he just ate thanksgiving dinner staring back at your with milk drunk eyes.  The nights although not terrible have not been as easy.  He fusses a bit more, and sleeps a lot lighter so he is constantly moving and making noises when he is in the bassinet at night.  We have chosen to keep him in the living room or the nursery during the night so that whoever has the sleep shift can be in our bedroom in complete silence.

I spend a great deal of time walking past the bassinet and just staring at our sleeping little boy.  Part of me just wants to sometimes reach out and tickle him just to make sure he is still breathing.  I am always listening even in my sleep to make sure that I can hear him breathing and moving around while he naps.  I have a feeling I will also be the guy who will walk into Noah's room when he is 18 and pinch him just to make sure he is still breathing too.

This experience so far really has shown me how selfless you have to be to raise children.  Sure you can still have parts of your life (I plan on trying to get a run in today), but other parts of your life have to fade away for a while.  This little boy is now the center of my universe and my wife is right in there with him.  She has been amazing the last few days.  She naps a lot

Life has changed, and it's only going to get better!