7 weeks in heaven (aside from sleep deprivation)

It's been 7 weeks and a few days since my last post, but I have a great excuse, as I've been spending that time getting to know my little pumpkin, Emmy! She joined us Nov. 16, 2009, the day after my last post, at 7lbs 4oz at 10:50 a.m. It's been a whirlwind of a time these last 7.5 weeks and dad and I are quickly trying to adjust to life with a newborn. In fact, I've been "working" on this post since Monday, and hope to get it done before the next feeding.

If you've ever imagined having a child, or are pregnant and hearing stories, you never get the full extent of what people are trying to explain to you until the day you come home from the hospital with your child. No one ever shares with you their secret feelings of the experience, such as being afraid of the night because it seems lonely when she wakes up crying at 2 a.m. to eat and then takes another hour after the feeding to fall back asleep. But I think we're past that now, thank goodness! (*knocks on wood*)

And since this blog focuses on my physical adventures, I'd have to say my fitness and exercise during pregnancy provided a very smooth, easy, short delivery. Now granted, I was technically in labor for two months prior to my induction date, and was on bed rest for those final two months, which is no easy feat. But by the time I got to the hospital on Nov. 16 (I didn't even have to check in on Sunday night because I was already "moving along") I was already nearly half way dilated. Once they began the drugs to induce labor, it was nearly 4.5 hours later that we welcomed Baby Emmy. And yay for epidurals - it was absolutely wonderful with one and I don't think I'd do it any other way. I think my husband may have loved it even more - I didn't scream at him once for doing this to me! (And I am proud to say he was impressed with me.)

In all honesty, I never realized I would love someone so much so quickly as I did the day she was born and I was holding her in my arms. It was - and is - a great feeling. I'm already missing how small she was when she was born but am excited to see what a beautiful girl she turns into. Now to get used to being on someone else's schedule and getting back into shape...

My husband likes to refer to our first two weeks as Navy SEAL training; it was so intense, so stressful, so sleep-depriving your body has little opportunity to slowly work into existing on little sleep. And if it weren't for my parents, I don't know what we would have done. After our second night home (which seemed so horrible, but looking back now really wasn't), my mother stayed with us for a couple nights and, because of those ominous lonely nights, we stayed at their house for a few nights (luckily it was the week of Thanksgiving by then and we had plenty of help). Now we feel like old pros - um, yeah right.