The Last 6 Days

I sit now in our living room with Nolan laying across my lap. His tiny hands pulled up around his face. I find myself staring at him in amazement. It's hard to believe that a week ago we made the decision with our doctor to be induced and were admitted into the hospital. We arrived at the hospital at 4:30 pm last Tuesday and by 5:45ish I was in my fashionable hospital gown, hooked up to an IV of fluids and pitosin, and watching FRIENDS episodes with Kevin as we anxiously waited for labor to begin. The nurse came in every fifteen minutes to increase the pitosin and before long I was having consistent contractions that became a bit uncomfortable but not unbearable. Around 9:30pm Kevin's mom arrived at the hospital soon followed by my brothers, Jon and Jeff, my mom and sister, Julia. The rest of the night becomes somewhat of a blur as the decision was made to break my water and labor progressed rapidly after that point with Nolan being born less than an hour later. Labor was like an out of body experience for me and still feels very surreal...all done without medication!! The nurse (and other staff) couldn't believe how fast I dilated and how quickly he came since I was a first time mom. Things happened so quickly in fact that my doctor didn't get there in time for the birth, arriving a few minutes after, but there were several amazing residents who did the actual delivery.

We were in the hospital until Friday late morning/early afternoon. While we were greatly taken care of at the hospital we were all ready to be home in our own space. Kevin and I were ready to have Nolan home where we could really begin to adjust to having him in our lives. It was wonderful having my mom around for the first few days after coming home from the hospital. We have also enjoyed the company of aunts, uncles, other grandparents, and friends. Making the adjustment to having Nolan with us is ongoing and while overwhelming at times he is a great joy and has already brought so much happiness into our home.

In addition, we have already begun to notice little changes in him since he was born. It's amazing!!! his hair has lightened up and he is becoming more and more alert. I love holding him and watching his many facial expressions. One of my favorites that I noticed right away after he was born is that he has Kevin's pouty face....it just melts my heart. At this point Nolan has his days and nights a bit mixed up and does not seem to like to sleep unless being held. This makes getting any sleep at night between feedings and changes a challenge but we are working on it. He is a very good feeder...wanting to eat ALL the time. This can also be overwhelming but I also really enjoy this time with him. We also discovered yesterday that he loves having a bath, especially having his hair washed.

It's hard to believe that tomorrow he will be a week old....and even harder to believe that this wonderful baby boy had been inside me for the last 9 months. Nolan truly is a blessing and has already brought so much joy and happiness into our lives. Thank you God for this wonderful gift of being Nolan's mom.