Can you believe it? Baby B. is 3-weeks-old already! Family and friends seem interested in his comings and goings so here's an update on some frequently asked questions:
Q. How is Baby Stark?
A. He's doing good. He lost more weight than normal after we brought him home from the hospital, but he's gained it back and is over 7 pounds now! He doesn't like to poop (his face turns all red and he holds his breath when the buggers are coming out) and farting scares him. He sleeps with his arms in the 'stick 'em up position', which cracks his dad and I up.
Q. How is Momma Stark?
A. Happy. Tired. I'm taking meds for my blood pressure and anemia, but neither are serious. Some days I think I'm starting to get the hang of this mom stuff and the next day, it all kinda falls apart. (That's normal, right?)
Q. How is Pappa Stark?
A. Amazing. He is by far, hands down the best dad in the whole world. He took to fatherhood like a fish in water. It's been amazing to watch.
Q. How was delivery?
A. It's easy to say now, but being induced, getting the epidural and delivering the little guy were all easier than I expected. I set myself up for the worst and was pleasantly surprised.
Q. What are you calling the little guy? Why is his middle name 'Alan'?
A. I've been calling him Baby B., but he's 'Billy' to friends and family. Alan is my brother's middle name and I wanted to include a name from my side of the family. I'm really glad my brother's middle name didn't end up being 'Eclipse' all those years ago.
Q. How does he sleep?
A. Great during the day. Crappy at night. I hear this is pretty common, but it's taking its toll. I've been told to keep him awake longer during the day and to give him his bath at night. Any other ideas?
Q. Does Devo like his baby brother?
A. We think so. When Baby B. cries, Devo checks on him. He's also been sleeping in the nursery.
Q. Does Baby B. have any special talents?
A. Well, he farts like a champ and has great neck control. It's amazing how well he can hold his head up. He also always sneezes twice in a row.
Q. Do you have any funny stories to share?
A. Of course. And would you believe they involve poop? The other day, while at B.'s grandma's, I heard B. yell from upstairs, 'He's pooping on me! And it's still coming out.' I couldn't stop laughing! Baby B. has also peed on his dad, which B. thought was hilarious. The way we look at it, we, our clothes and our belongings are all washable so why stress?
Q. Anything else you'd like to add?
A. Baby B. went on his first walk Tuesday. We think he liked it and can't wait until the weather gets better so we can go on daily walks. He also met his dad and I's coworkers yesterday. I think he was a hit.
Q. And, finally, where are new pictures?
A. They're coming. We need to scan his first professional ones in and we need to decide on a photosharing site for the ones we're taking.
Some Random (and Long Overdue) Thoughts
Things are slowly falling into a rhythm at the Stark household. It goes a little something like this: eat, poop, sleep, repeat. Sometimes, just for fun, we mix it up: poop, sleep, eat, repeat. If only mom and dad were sleeping as much as Baby B.Since I'm not at the top of my game (and don't expect to be for years to come), here's my best attempt at a post:
- Having your doctor tell you to go straight to the hospital from his office is scary.
- Having an IV sucks. Having two IVs sucks more. I'm pretty sure I'll be sporting bruises for weeks to come.
- Having to wear a blood pressure cuff, and having your blood pressure checked every 15 minutes, sucks. So does having readings of 150+/105.
- Being induced wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it was going to be.
- The epidural didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would.
- No one told me that some women feel contractions in a place that's not their abdomen.
- The action really starts when you hit 10 centimeters, huh?
- Having a good nurse in the delivery room is key.
- Hearing B. say, 'It's a boy', is the single most happiest moment of my life.
- Holding Baby B. for the first time felt surreal. I still can't believe B. and I created this little guy.
- Those first few days at home are terrifying. Who am I kidding? They are still terrifying.
- I wish someone had told me what to expect from my body those first few days at home.
- Devo is getting used to his baby brother. He gets concerned when Baby B. cries. He checks on him when we do. If only he had opposable thumbs and could help with feedings ...
- Nursing is hard.
- I'm starting to think the lactation consultant is a little coo-coo ... although Baby B. is loving his Moby right now.
- B. is the best dad in the world. He's as or more exhausted than I am and I wish I could do something about that.
