A Not So Instant Replay

It's another week in stay at home dad land and I can't believe that the boy is about a week away from being 10 months old! The time has gone by fast in most ways, but I can remember every single thing that happened leading up to the birth. So, I thought I'd take today to recap some of the missing information from the blog and what kept me away.

The birth process itself was very trying, as I believe I reported before my hiatus. After numerous medications, pushing for hours, and finally having a c-section, my wife welcomed our little man to the world...while I was out in the hall trying not to keel over. Only after we were back in the room did it occur to us that I hadn't eaten anything for almost 24 hours! So, a tip to you dads is to bring snacks! In truth I did bring food, but in that moment when your wife is in pain and you are focusing on what she needs (and doesn't need), everything else pretty much fades away.

When we got home, I think my wife and I were in shock in addition to the obvious exhaustion my wife was feeling. I wasn't feeling especially spry myself, but I was the only one allowed to do stairs and I wasn't in any pain. Well, except for a pain in my ass, but I'll leave that for another entry! ;) My parents were here for awhile which made the situation both easier and harder at the same time. You obviously appreciate them being there for support and to help you troubleshoot if anything goes wrong. However, I think both my wife and I wanted time for just the three of us. In the end, my parents didn't have to do much more than be there for moral support since the boy slept at four hour intervals from the day we brought him home, but we so appreciated them just being there. To this day we get no sympathy because he sleeps so well, but I suppose that's to be expected. :)

After a couple weeks, the boy wasn't just sleeping at four hour intervals, but through the night entirely. He also took naps in the morning and afternoon and what I wouldn't give sometimes to get that time back since now he sleeps much less during the day. Well, that's true from a "getting things accomplished" standpoint, but I also wouldn't give up the time I've spent with him these months for anything. I have loved reading to him, helping him learn to flip and crawl, and just spending time with him. I suppose that's something that most dads don't have time to do or frankly don't want to do, but I think that's beginning to change.

During all this time, the boy had significant problems with acid reflux. Even at the hospital he was spitting up a large portion of his formula and we were concerned that he wasn't getting enough nutrition. The doctor assured us that he might grow out of it as most infants do, but he was below the average weight which seemed to us like a bad sign. We know now that although he was under weight, he was and is above average in height, so taken together it now seems very logical. He was also consistently gaining weight at the pace he should have which he wouldn't have done had there been a real problem. Eventually, after trying many different formulas, changing medications, and going for tests at the hospital, he slowly outgrew it and appears to be absolutely fine. However, we didn't know that at the time and it left us stressed and worried.

So, as you might expect, blogging wasn't high on my priority list, especially since we kept in almost daily contact with family and friends. There was also a time that I felt guilty for not having kept a record of the boy's development, so I ended up avoiding it for awhile. But last week I just felt compelled to go back to it and hopefully the last few entries are a sign that it will stick. I won't be trying to write a saga of the boy's life over the last 9 months as I post in the coming days, but will add tidbits here and there as the blog goes along. Here's to hoping I can keep it going! Cheers!