Easier Said Than Done

As those who are parents know quite well, there are a lot of things about having a child that seem easy enough...until you actually have one. One such thing I have struggled with since Simon's arrival is breastfeeding. I'll admit that before I actually had to do it myself, I thought breastfeeding must be relatively easy and I was confused as to why any woman would choose not to breastfeed her baby. However, now that I have experienced it, I completely understand why some women don't breastfeed. It is really hard! Not only do you have to ensure that your baby can latch on, suckle appropriately and coordinate swallowing with all of that, but you also have to worry about your milk supply being adequate AND you have to worry about being able to pump an adequate amount of milk for when you aren't with your baby. It's a lot to worry about right after having a baby. It is very easy to feel defeated, inadequate and like a failure if any part of the breastfeeding process doesn't work out at first. Fortunately for me, I had access to some wonderful Lactation Consultants as well as friends who have experience in breastfeeding to offer encouragement and advice. It is really important to Trenton and me that Simon is breastfed, so I am trying to do whatever I can to ensure that I can breastfeed him. Our goal is to breastfeed him for a year. Currently we are supplementing him with formula because he wasn't gaining enough weight with breast milk alone. Hopefully, I can increase my supply so that we can get rid of the formula soon. :)

Hidden One-Handed Talents

As the title suggests, I have discovered some new hidden talents...mainly things I can do with one hand (such as make a sandwich and clean the living room). How did I discover these talents you ask? Well, our little Simon doesn't like to be put down. He likes to eat, sleep, play, etc. in mommy or daddy's arms. That means that while Simon and I are home alone when daddy is at work, I often find myself doing things I never thought possible with one hand. Sure, I could put him down and do the task with two hands, but it truly breaks my hear to hear him cry. I'm not delusional-I know that there will be times when he will cry, and that crying isn't the end of the world. However, the newborn period is so important as far as developing a trusting relationship between parents and baby, and responding to the infant's needs quickly is the best way to strengthen that relationship. There are people who say that holding the baby all the time will spoil him. I don't subscribe to that way of thinking. There are times when I have to put him down, but for the most part, we are still attached just as we have been for the past 40 weeks.

:)

The wonderful world of parenthood

Even though it's been 2 weeks since Simon's arrival it is still hard to believe that we are parents. You would think that 40 weeks of being pregnant would have given us plenty of time to get used to the idea, but it's still all a little surreal. The whole birthing process didn't go exactly as planned or expected, but Simon arrived healthy and beautiful, which is the most important thing. We were so incredibly lucky to have my family here with us for the birth, and it was certainly sad to see them go. Since my mom was kind enough to stay an extra week to help out since I ended up having to have a c-section, this has really been the first week Trenton and I have been on our own with Mr. Simon. All I can say is...this new parenting thing is hard! It's much more difficult that either of us ever expected, but it is also incredibly rewarding. I know there are tons of books and websites you can read to prepare yourself for what it'll be like to be at home with a newborn, and I did read several of them--it's not the same. I even have several good friends who are parents, and even they couldn't truly prepare me for how this feels. The lack of sleep is rough as is the emotional roller coaster (at one point, I would cry and Trenton would say "why are you crying?" and my answer was really "I don't know."), but each time I look at that beautiful little face, I immediately forget all of that. It's amazing to think that Trenton and I actually created such a perfect little person. I have had a great life, and I have been fortunate to experience a lot of different things, but this is, by far, the most important thing I've ever done.