I had decided during my pregnancy that I really wanted to breastfeed Bennett as long as I could, because I had learned so much about the benefits to his development from those nutrients. And also? It's free! and readily available! Or so we thought. My supply dried up pretty quickly and we were only able to nurse for about two and a half weeks. I was pumping like mad and only getting a tablespoon after fifteen minutes on each side. We decided to stop that madness when it started to feel like a full time job. He'd gotten the good stuff for a while, we didn't want to stunt his growth by not supplementing. He transitioned to the formula quite well - and luckily, we were able to use regular old formula - nothing special. It seems our guy has an iron-clad stomach.
I had also done a lot of reading about what to do when it came time to feed him solids. It seemed to me that the most logical option was making his food myself. Early on he just got single veggies steamed and pureed.
Bennett started solid foods around four months or so. He was showing serious interest in our plates and the eating process earlier than that - but we decided to follow doctor's orders and wait until 4 months. We tried rice cereal first and had some 'meh' results. He wasn't all that interested. So, we slowly started introducing other "safe" solids. First up - sweet potatoes. YUM! Gimme more, mama. He loved the sweet potatoes. Great! What next?
We made carrots, corn, peas, green beans . . . you name it, he ate it. He especially loved zucchini! That was a huge surprise to me because I do not care for the squashes. When we gave him blueberries for the first time it was like we'd given him chocolate! I wish I had video of the energy boost it gave him. I couldn't stop laughing. He also really liked apples and pears.
Around eight months, we moved to more complicated meals - and added yogurt. He likes chicken and pork and turkey. He eats things with leeks and onions. He chows down on greek yogurt every day and he's eating oatmeal and cheeries every morning. At this point, he's eating four solid servings a day (oatmeal and fruit in the am, greek yogurt after his morning nap, a veggie of some sort after his second nap and then a "meal" around dinner time). Soon enough, we'll be able to give him smaller portions of what we're having for dinner.
He has also eaten bread, small pieces of steamed carrot, little pieces of cantalope, watermelon and strawberry, as well as little sips of my cereal milk. He begs for the cereal milk anytime he sees me with a spoon! We are trying our very best to avoid giving him sugary treats and he does not eat processed foods (except for the puffs that he had for a couple of months to work on his pinchers). He also refuses to drink juice, but drinks about 24 extra ounces of water each day (this is in addition to the 24oz. of formula!). He is certainly hydrated.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Grandparents
I'm going a little out of sequence here, but I had some thoughts I wanted to share about the people in Bennett's (and our) life/lives.
Brian and I are both fortunate to have both parents still living and *gasp* still married to each other! That's two sets of functional grandparents for Bennett. We used to live close to the Erlandson grandparents, now we live close to the Allman grandparents. (For the record, we do not live near either uncle.)
Both sets of grandparents love to visit, which is wonderful, because Bennett is getting to take full advantage of these relationships. Granna and Daddy-o live in North Carolina, which is far away from Buffalo! For the first three weeks of Bennett's life, my mother - Granna - was able to stay with us in Virginia to help Brian and me get settled into our new life as a family. It was such a relief to have someone with experience and patience there to take the early morning shift and to help me stay sane when my milk ran dry. She cooked, she cleaned, she ran errands, she held baby. Daddy-o came for a few days as well, both right after the birth and then later in November for our move up North. We were quite thankful to have a doctor in the house during his visits!
We are also lucky to have another medical professional in our cadre of grandparents. Brian's mother, Doris, or Oma, is an obstetrics nurse. YAY! She provided countless hours of support during my healing and post-partum days. When she and Leonard, Grandpa, came to visit the weekend after Bennett came home, our house overflowed with love. It was obvious that the latest addition to our families was lighting up every heart in the room.
Now that we are in the northeast, we are able to travel to Canada for monthly visits with the Allmans, and have even been able to meet extended family. Bennett loved spending time with his little cousins Korbyn and Kayden. Brian and I were overjoyed with Bennett's laid back attitude to these new folks. He played very well with everyone.
We were also able to take a trip to Georgia and North Carolina back in late June/early July. Again, Bennett wowed us with his social skills. New people were coming at him left and right every single day. For the most part, he just rolled with the punches and threw smiles to everyone. The only squawks came when Gene Jones surprised Bennett from behind when in the middle of a very large crowd of adoring fans at Elkin First United Methodist. Granna was proudly showing him off to all her friends. He was able to calm down quickly, and continue to meet his fans.
Even though we do not live in the same city as our families, a phenomenon that most of Buffalo does not know about, we are so fortunate to have families who love us and travel to spend time with us. We look forward to spending more time with each of them so that Bennett can learn where he comes from.
Brian and I are both fortunate to have both parents still living and *gasp* still married to each other! That's two sets of functional grandparents for Bennett. We used to live close to the Erlandson grandparents, now we live close to the Allman grandparents. (For the record, we do not live near either uncle.)
Both sets of grandparents love to visit, which is wonderful, because Bennett is getting to take full advantage of these relationships. Granna and Daddy-o live in North Carolina, which is far away from Buffalo! For the first three weeks of Bennett's life, my mother - Granna - was able to stay with us in Virginia to help Brian and me get settled into our new life as a family. It was such a relief to have someone with experience and patience there to take the early morning shift and to help me stay sane when my milk ran dry. She cooked, she cleaned, she ran errands, she held baby. Daddy-o came for a few days as well, both right after the birth and then later in November for our move up North. We were quite thankful to have a doctor in the house during his visits!
We are also lucky to have another medical professional in our cadre of grandparents. Brian's mother, Doris, or Oma, is an obstetrics nurse. YAY! She provided countless hours of support during my healing and post-partum days. When she and Leonard, Grandpa, came to visit the weekend after Bennett came home, our house overflowed with love. It was obvious that the latest addition to our families was lighting up every heart in the room.
Now that we are in the northeast, we are able to travel to Canada for monthly visits with the Allmans, and have even been able to meet extended family. Bennett loved spending time with his little cousins Korbyn and Kayden. Brian and I were overjoyed with Bennett's laid back attitude to these new folks. He played very well with everyone.
We were also able to take a trip to Georgia and North Carolina back in late June/early July. Again, Bennett wowed us with his social skills. New people were coming at him left and right every single day. For the most part, he just rolled with the punches and threw smiles to everyone. The only squawks came when Gene Jones surprised Bennett from behind when in the middle of a very large crowd of adoring fans at Elkin First United Methodist. Granna was proudly showing him off to all her friends. He was able to calm down quickly, and continue to meet his fans.
Even though we do not live in the same city as our families, a phenomenon that most of Buffalo does not know about, we are so fortunate to have families who love us and travel to spend time with us. We look forward to spending more time with each of them so that Bennett can learn where he comes from.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Ten Months
Dearest Bennett -
I'm writing this post on August 14, 2010, two days AFTER you celebrated your ten month birthday. I thought it would be prudent to document some of the amazing accomplishments you've made in ten short months. Most incredible is your gross and fine motor skill development. When we build towers out of your blocks, you delicately pluck one off the top rather than barreling into the tower to knock it down. You love it when we knock it down, sure, but you like to remove the blocks one at a time. We're still working on getting you to build.
You're days away from walking by yourself! You have been pulling up on us and the furniture for a while now, but in the last two weeks, you've started cruising forward rather than sideways, and you're beginning to step on your whole foot instead of just your toes. We are so proud of you!
You love to eat, son. We've tried to offer you a wide variety of fruits and veggies and so far, we haven't found anything that you flat out refuse. There was that one time you didn't like the applesauce that i made with cinnamon, but in general - you're pretty sophisticated in your palate. Lately you've been eating a lot of oatmeal with cherries, cauliflower (!) and chicken with mixed veggies (including leeks and onions). I make all of your food except for the oatmeal, which we get from a powder. You don't like juice, which is a bit inconvenient because you are frequently constipated. I think it's the iron in the formula, so we have cut that back a little bit and make sure to give you plenty of fruits and lots of water throughout the day. In a couple of months, we will begin to wean that formula totally. I'm looking forward to your being able to have cow's milk!
You cut your first tooth on your five month birthday. Your second tooth came the next day. Your Granna was quite surprised when she was letting you teethe on her finger and you bit her with your sharp little fang! By now, son, you have EIGHT teeth. Four on top and four on the bottom. They're perfect, according to the dentist. Yes, you've been to the dentist already. Of course, you charmed everyone in the office. What's new?
Ah, sleep! You have been sleeping through the night for about a month. It is so nice to know that we can put you down (around 8p) and you will sleep until about 6:30a or so. Every now and then you might cry out, but you're definitely able to put yourself back to sleep. You're so good at it by now, that I have turned the sound off on our monitor so that dad and I can sleep well too. Thanks so much for this gift! Your naps are regulating, as well. You take two each day. Each is at least an hour, most of the time they're closer to two hours each. It gives me a chance to get some quiet time because when you're awake, I like to be playing with you.
Both your dad and I love to snuggle with you. You have become a super affectionate little boy. The look on your face when you hear dad's keys in the door each evening is pure unadulterated love! When you hear that rattle, you drop whatever you are doing and look straight in the direction of the door, and freeze. As soon as you hear his footsteps coming up the stairs and his keys rattling, you crawl as quickly as I've ever seen you crawl to the gate at the top of the stairs. You then try your damnedest to climb the gate to get to your dad. He is grinning just as widely as you are. Whenever you are excited about something, whether it's seeing one of us, one of your grandparents, or feeling proud of something you've done, you buck like a little horse. It's a lot of fun to watch if you are sitting or standing at the rails of your cage . . . a little more treacherous if you are in one of our arms. We have to squeeze you extra tight!
You have also really taken to the water. We go to a swim class on Saturday mornings and you just love the water. You've put your face in voluntarily and don't fuss when we have you "jump" off the edge. You like to "swim" to me or your dad. I really hope that this comfort level continues as you get older. Being able to swim and finding enjoyment in it are great tools!
We are both so proud of you, Bennett. You are gentle with other babies. You are charming with most adults. You are so easy to get along with, it's a bit alarming! We are very much looking forward to seeing the boy you'll grow into.
Love you,
Mama
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| Playing in the pool in London, ON |
You're days away from walking by yourself! You have been pulling up on us and the furniture for a while now, but in the last two weeks, you've started cruising forward rather than sideways, and you're beginning to step on your whole foot instead of just your toes. We are so proud of you!
 |
| Eating blueberries in April, 2010 |
You love to eat, son. We've tried to offer you a wide variety of fruits and veggies and so far, we haven't found anything that you flat out refuse. There was that one time you didn't like the applesauce that i made with cinnamon, but in general - you're pretty sophisticated in your palate. Lately you've been eating a lot of oatmeal with cherries, cauliflower (!) and chicken with mixed veggies (including leeks and onions). I make all of your food except for the oatmeal, which we get from a powder. You don't like juice, which is a bit inconvenient because you are frequently constipated. I think it's the iron in the formula, so we have cut that back a little bit and make sure to give you plenty of fruits and lots of water throughout the day. In a couple of months, we will begin to wean that formula totally. I'm looking forward to your being able to have cow's milk!
You cut your first tooth on your five month birthday. Your second tooth came the next day. Your Granna was quite surprised when she was letting you teethe on her finger and you bit her with your sharp little fang! By now, son, you have EIGHT teeth. Four on top and four on the bottom. They're perfect, according to the dentist. Yes, you've been to the dentist already. Of course, you charmed everyone in the office. What's new?
Ah, sleep! You have been sleeping through the night for about a month. It is so nice to know that we can put you down (around 8p) and you will sleep until about 6:30a or so. Every now and then you might cry out, but you're definitely able to put yourself back to sleep. You're so good at it by now, that I have turned the sound off on our monitor so that dad and I can sleep well too. Thanks so much for this gift! Your naps are regulating, as well. You take two each day. Each is at least an hour, most of the time they're closer to two hours each. It gives me a chance to get some quiet time because when you're awake, I like to be playing with you.
Both your dad and I love to snuggle with you. You have become a super affectionate little boy. The look on your face when you hear dad's keys in the door each evening is pure unadulterated love! When you hear that rattle, you drop whatever you are doing and look straight in the direction of the door, and freeze. As soon as you hear his footsteps coming up the stairs and his keys rattling, you crawl as quickly as I've ever seen you crawl to the gate at the top of the stairs. You then try your damnedest to climb the gate to get to your dad. He is grinning just as widely as you are. Whenever you are excited about something, whether it's seeing one of us, one of your grandparents, or feeling proud of something you've done, you buck like a little horse. It's a lot of fun to watch if you are sitting or standing at the rails of your cage . . . a little more treacherous if you are in one of our arms. We have to squeeze you extra tight!
You have also really taken to the water. We go to a swim class on Saturday mornings and you just love the water. You've put your face in voluntarily and don't fuss when we have you "jump" off the edge. You like to "swim" to me or your dad. I really hope that this comfort level continues as you get older. Being able to swim and finding enjoyment in it are great tools!
We are both so proud of you, Bennett. You are gentle with other babies. You are charming with most adults. You are so easy to get along with, it's a bit alarming! We are very much looking forward to seeing the boy you'll grow into.
Love you,
Mama
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Memories (part 2 - coming home)
We were discharged from the hospital after spending two nights. Like I mentioned previously, we were able to stay at the hospital until around 3 or so because it was the middle of the week and there were not many new admissions to L&D. Also, the pediatrician, Dr. Hanzel, was a little late coming to discharge Bennett. No problem, sir. I was willing to take all the help we could get! Bear in mind, I also had no trouble taking all the free stuff I could get my hands on, since we were technically paying for it anyway. It wasn't like they were going to give the next gal an open bag of pads, anyway.
The first few days (read: weeks) at home are kind of a blur now. I was VERY sore from the tears and the attempts at breastfeeding. Thank goodness my mom was living with us for a while. She and Brian were so good at making sure that I took my medicine on time and that I was taking care of myself. I didn't get to lift anything! I barely got to make my own coffee. In hindsight - I shouldn't have complained. I know it will be doubly bad if we do this again since there will likely be a toddler who will be demanding attention!
The key things that I remember from those first weeks were:
1. I was either nursing or pumping every hour on the hour. I seemed to have low supply and was unable to change that no matter what I tried. My nipples cracked and bled and hurt like hell. We kept trying though, because Bennett seemed to figure out how to latch on and I knew that my milk was best for him. After two and a half weeks, though, we all gave me permission to stop. I would pump about a tablespoon each time (if I was lucky) and that was from both sides combined! We'd add that to the formula we made for him in the hopes that he'd at least get some of the nutrients I made in each feeding. Because he was growing like a weed and not losing any weight, we figured he was getting what he needed. What a relief it was to pack that pump away! I will certainly try again if the opportunity comes up, but I will also go into it with the knowledge that formula is not the worst thing I could do for my baby!
2. I do not heal quickly. Not at all. I had three or four 2nd degree tears and LOTS of stitches. I was bleeding for at least six weeks and in the first couple of days at home shed three golf ball sized clots. I am not easily grossed out by biological stuff . . . that not only grossed me out, but it scared me too. I had to show the first one to my mom because I wasn't sure what it was. Ick. Things still aren't 100% normal, but at least I"m relatively pain free now. I'd say that it took about 8.5 months for the majority of the pain to disappear. Next time I plan to do a couple of things differently. First, I've already purchased some cloth feminine pads and will use them for postpartum support rather than the disposable ones. Nothing like paper catching on stitches! Secondly - I will speak with my doctor more quickly about pain management. I waited until we had been in Buffalo for a couple of months before bringing it up.
3. It is not a good idea to move to a different state just after you've given birth. My mom and Brian would spend hours every day packing up our belongings because we moved to Buffalo when Bennett was five weeks old. It's actually rather serendipitous that Bennett arrived early because he would have been even younger for our move if he'd arrived on time. And i would have been in no shape for moving. As it was, I was not able to help with the packing other than to agree or disagree with choices being made by those two.
4. There was nothing more pleasant than having Bennett sleep on my chest. Many hours each day were spent in just such a position. We had a sleep positioner that we used between our pillows for him, but many times, I just had him sleep on my chest when I was in a semi-reclined position. Especially during the normal waking hours. He and I sat in the rocker or our club chairs just snuggling with each other. It was grand! He's still quite the snuggler and I'm so glad! It feels so good to have his little arms around my neck.
Up next: Winter in Buffalo, NY.
The first few days (read: weeks) at home are kind of a blur now. I was VERY sore from the tears and the attempts at breastfeeding. Thank goodness my mom was living with us for a while. She and Brian were so good at making sure that I took my medicine on time and that I was taking care of myself. I didn't get to lift anything! I barely got to make my own coffee. In hindsight - I shouldn't have complained. I know it will be doubly bad if we do this again since there will likely be a toddler who will be demanding attention!
The key things that I remember from those first weeks were:
1. I was either nursing or pumping every hour on the hour. I seemed to have low supply and was unable to change that no matter what I tried. My nipples cracked and bled and hurt like hell. We kept trying though, because Bennett seemed to figure out how to latch on and I knew that my milk was best for him. After two and a half weeks, though, we all gave me permission to stop. I would pump about a tablespoon each time (if I was lucky) and that was from both sides combined! We'd add that to the formula we made for him in the hopes that he'd at least get some of the nutrients I made in each feeding. Because he was growing like a weed and not losing any weight, we figured he was getting what he needed. What a relief it was to pack that pump away! I will certainly try again if the opportunity comes up, but I will also go into it with the knowledge that formula is not the worst thing I could do for my baby!
3. It is not a good idea to move to a different state just after you've given birth. My mom and Brian would spend hours every day packing up our belongings because we moved to Buffalo when Bennett was five weeks old. It's actually rather serendipitous that Bennett arrived early because he would have been even younger for our move if he'd arrived on time. And i would have been in no shape for moving. As it was, I was not able to help with the packing other than to agree or disagree with choices being made by those two.
Up next: Winter in Buffalo, NY.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Memories (part 1-The hospital)
I thought it might be prudent to make notes of things I remember from the first few months of Bennett's life. That's really the whole reason I started this blog in the first place. I used to be very good about journaling. At points in my life, I journaled daily. Not so much any more. I'm lucky if I stop to write down my thoughts once a month. The hope is that having this blog will provide me a more convenient outlet for those daily (at least weekly) thoughts.
These first few posts may get rather long as I try to cram nine months of thoughts in before leaving out the present day stuff.
Okay - let's start at the very beginning, shall we? Bennett was due October 28, 2009. On the weekend of October 10, 2009, Brian and I started to get really nest-y. We made a To Do list that was a page long and man, on Saturday and Sunday we were checking things off that list like crazy. And thank goodness too! On Sunday night, October 11, 2009, we had Indian for dinner (yum!) and went to bed after checking to make sure that our hospital bags were packed as much as they could be . . . I like to plan ahead, what can I say?
4:30am - I am awakened by a funny feeling and a strange popping sound, quiet, but very distinct. I bolted out of bed (as quickly as a nine months pregnant lady can), which woke Brian out of his deep slumber. As I hobbled to the bathroom to make sure, I called out, "I think my water just broke. Get dressed." We called the after hours number for Dr. Coble and started counting/timing contractions. I think at that point, they were around five minutes apart. We left for the hospital around 6am. I had made sure to eat a big bowl of cereal and take a shower (am I remembering that part right?) before throwing all the electronics into our bag and hopping in the car.
By 7:30 am, I was fully laboring and when Dr. Coble came to visit, I asked for the epidural. It took a very long time for the nurses to finally stick me and then we had to wait an hour for the fluids to flow. When the anesthesiologist finally made it into the room around 10:30, he had to stick me twice before the right spot was found. My mom showed up just after he had left. Thank goodness she was there to relieve Brian for a little bit. And also good that she didn't have to see the hard labor - she is going to be privvy to enough grossness soon, right?
Labor was progressing nicely, but once the epidural kicked in and I was relaxing, it slowed enough for them to give me a pitocin drip. They slowly increased it until around 5:30pm on Monday the 12th, I was ready to push. Mom was on my right, Brian on my left, both helping me hold my legs. Good gravy, I've never worked so hard for something in all my life. I was focused, for sure, ready to push one more time, just one more time. I didn't need a mirror for inspiration (frankly, I was not interested in seeing the inevitable explosion). I simply counted, breathed and beared down with all my might.
Two hours later at 7:25pm, Bennett Charles arrived. He finally squawked, but from moment one, he was the calmest baby I have ever seen. Yes, his head was quite mis-shapen from those two hours in the birth canal, but that righted itself soon enough. His eyes were open, he was staring at all of us and we fell in love instantly.
We were all able to go to our regular room around 10pm and Brian ordered pizza to be delivered. It had been so long since I'd eaten, but I didn't realize I was hungry until the pizza actually arrived. I had been so focused on other things, that it didn't cross my mind. I guess it helped that I had an IV in all day. Boy, was I relieved to have that thing (and that god forsaken blood pressure cuff, too - obnoxious) removed. The nurse had stuck it in the side of my wrist, just under my thumb, which meant that the sensor went off every time I bent my wrist in a certain way, such as to push myself up in bed.
My mom stayed in the hospital with me that night while Brian went home to get his last "full" night's sleep. He sent an email announcement out to all our friends and family and hopefully got some shut eye. He returned the next day, later in the morning. My dad arrived that evening (Tuesday) and he and mom went back to our condo to sleep while Brian and I spent the night admiring our son. OUR SON! Holy shit, what have we gotten ourselves into . . .
My favorite memory of the hospital is when Brian and Bennett were sticking their tongues out at each other (see left). I think they could have done that all day long if the doctors hadn't interrupted.
On Wednesday, October 14th, we were discharged from the hospital. Because they were not that busy, we were able to stay until about 3pm. We had to wait for the older hospital volunteer ladies to come and wheel me down the hall. They were indignant when we got to the exit and there was no car. They turned to Brian (who was behind me carrying THE BABY) and asked, "Where's the car?" He replied, "Over there." (We could see it - it was maybe twenty yards away.) And the oldest lady said, "Well, I don't know what to do. Usually the car is right here." I told her that I was more than okay to walk to the car myself. She really didn't want to let me do it. I must have looked especially fragile, I guess? I convinced her that my legs worked and she finally released me to the wild. I thanked her for her kindness and off we went.
Brian did a great job driving us home, despite my father's best efforts to derail him (with his sense of humor). We even stopped at the pharmacy to get my pain meds filled and pick up some other stuff. Daddy-o and Bennett hung out in the car and got better acquainted. We finally made it home. Mom had picked up and the place looked great. I was so excited to have my baby home with me. The next week or so is really a blur of sleeping, eating, pumping, feeding, changing diapers and packing - oh the packing! That's another post, though.
Brian's parents, Oma and Grandpa, were able to come down for the weekend. They brought fresh/rested hands and plenty of presents. Oma loves to shop and having a new grandson was the perfect excuse!
One thing is for sure, Bennett. You are loved. You got and gave more cuddles in your first few hours of life than any of us could have imagined. Despite waking up at all hours of the night - you brought an exponential amount of joy into our family. You really made us into a family, kiddo. We are so glad that you're here.
These first few posts may get rather long as I try to cram nine months of thoughts in before leaving out the present day stuff.
Okay - let's start at the very beginning, shall we? Bennett was due October 28, 2009. On the weekend of October 10, 2009, Brian and I started to get really nest-y. We made a To Do list that was a page long and man, on Saturday and Sunday we were checking things off that list like crazy. And thank goodness too! On Sunday night, October 11, 2009, we had Indian for dinner (yum!) and went to bed after checking to make sure that our hospital bags were packed as much as they could be . . . I like to plan ahead, what can I say?
4:30am - I am awakened by a funny feeling and a strange popping sound, quiet, but very distinct. I bolted out of bed (as quickly as a nine months pregnant lady can), which woke Brian out of his deep slumber. As I hobbled to the bathroom to make sure, I called out, "I think my water just broke. Get dressed." We called the after hours number for Dr. Coble and started counting/timing contractions. I think at that point, they were around five minutes apart. We left for the hospital around 6am. I had made sure to eat a big bowl of cereal and take a shower (am I remembering that part right?) before throwing all the electronics into our bag and hopping in the car.
 |
| Laboring - texting mom and dad |
By 7:30 am, I was fully laboring and when Dr. Coble came to visit, I asked for the epidural. It took a very long time for the nurses to finally stick me and then we had to wait an hour for the fluids to flow. When the anesthesiologist finally made it into the room around 10:30, he had to stick me twice before the right spot was found. My mom showed up just after he had left. Thank goodness she was there to relieve Brian for a little bit. And also good that she didn't have to see the hard labor - she is going to be privvy to enough grossness soon, right?
Labor was progressing nicely, but once the epidural kicked in and I was relaxing, it slowed enough for them to give me a pitocin drip. They slowly increased it until around 5:30pm on Monday the 12th, I was ready to push. Mom was on my right, Brian on my left, both helping me hold my legs. Good gravy, I've never worked so hard for something in all my life. I was focused, for sure, ready to push one more time, just one more time. I didn't need a mirror for inspiration (frankly, I was not interested in seeing the inevitable explosion). I simply counted, breathed and beared down with all my might.
Two hours later at 7:25pm, Bennett Charles arrived. He finally squawked, but from moment one, he was the calmest baby I have ever seen. Yes, his head was quite mis-shapen from those two hours in the birth canal, but that righted itself soon enough. His eyes were open, he was staring at all of us and we fell in love instantly.
 |
| Bennett Charles Allman - 7lb. 10oz. 20.5in |
We were all able to go to our regular room around 10pm and Brian ordered pizza to be delivered. It had been so long since I'd eaten, but I didn't realize I was hungry until the pizza actually arrived. I had been so focused on other things, that it didn't cross my mind. I guess it helped that I had an IV in all day. Boy, was I relieved to have that thing (and that god forsaken blood pressure cuff, too - obnoxious) removed. The nurse had stuck it in the side of my wrist, just under my thumb, which meant that the sensor went off every time I bent my wrist in a certain way, such as to push myself up in bed.
My mom stayed in the hospital with me that night while Brian went home to get his last "full" night's sleep. He sent an email announcement out to all our friends and family and hopefully got some shut eye. He returned the next day, later in the morning. My dad arrived that evening (Tuesday) and he and mom went back to our condo to sleep while Brian and I spent the night admiring our son. OUR SON! Holy shit, what have we gotten ourselves into . . .
My favorite memory of the hospital is when Brian and Bennett were sticking their tongues out at each other (see left). I think they could have done that all day long if the doctors hadn't interrupted.
On Wednesday, October 14th, we were discharged from the hospital. Because they were not that busy, we were able to stay until about 3pm. We had to wait for the older hospital volunteer ladies to come and wheel me down the hall. They were indignant when we got to the exit and there was no car. They turned to Brian (who was behind me carrying THE BABY) and asked, "Where's the car?" He replied, "Over there." (We could see it - it was maybe twenty yards away.) And the oldest lady said, "Well, I don't know what to do. Usually the car is right here." I told her that I was more than okay to walk to the car myself. She really didn't want to let me do it. I must have looked especially fragile, I guess? I convinced her that my legs worked and she finally released me to the wild. I thanked her for her kindness and off we went.
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| Bennett meets Daddy-o in the hospital |
Brian did a great job driving us home, despite my father's best efforts to derail him (with his sense of humor). We even stopped at the pharmacy to get my pain meds filled and pick up some other stuff. Daddy-o and Bennett hung out in the car and got better acquainted. We finally made it home. Mom had picked up and the place looked great. I was so excited to have my baby home with me. The next week or so is really a blur of sleeping, eating, pumping, feeding, changing diapers and packing - oh the packing! That's another post, though.
Brian's parents, Oma and Grandpa, were able to come down for the weekend. They brought fresh/rested hands and plenty of presents. Oma loves to shop and having a new grandson was the perfect excuse!
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| Oma and Bennett |
One thing is for sure, Bennett. You are loved. You got and gave more cuddles in your first few hours of life than any of us could have imagined. Despite waking up at all hours of the night - you brought an exponential amount of joy into our family. You really made us into a family, kiddo. We are so glad that you're here.
Attempts . . .
So - we're going to try this blogging thing . . . Not sure what direction we'll take, but the goal is to have one place where friends and family can check in to see how the Allman, Allman and Allman clan is shaping up. We'll post about our daily adventures, though not necessarily on a daily basis! It all depends on what I can get accomplished during naptime and after Bennett goes to bed.
First - a couple photos to get you caught up.
Okay - that's good for now. Need to find other photos from then to now to post. Will also tell some stories in next post. If I hope to make it to our music class today, I've got to get ready!
First - a couple photos to get you caught up.
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| Bennett - three days old, holding dad's hand. |
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| Bennett - one month old, meeting self. |
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| Kisses from cousin Eloise. |
Okay - that's good for now. Need to find other photos from then to now to post. Will also tell some stories in next post. If I hope to make it to our music class today, I've got to get ready!
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