Adventures and Shenanigans : January 2013

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Birth story and Parenthood

Wow, I can't believe it. I am a mother. After years of praying and waiting, my little girl is here. After a very wonderful pregnancy, I had an even better birthing process. On December 11th, Carlos and I went to have a nice relaxing evening with our friend Catherine at her place. After some great discussion and snacks, we arrived home and my water broke. What a confusing phenomenon. After about an hour, I woke Carlos up and informed him we needed to go to the hospital. At midnight, I was making Omaha! Omaha! texts to our BFFs and family letting them know I was getting admitted into my room with contractions in full swing.

Contractions hurt. I mean this is a whole new level of pain. Just think about that little human trying to make her way out. Oh, and this little girl wanted to come out quickly so the pain was progressing quite rapidly. After a few hours of contractions, the push pain began. I got very good at pushing for a few hours only to be told to not push because the doctor on-call was doing a C-section on someone else. I laughed. Really? You want me to just not push this baby out. Have you lost your mind lady? Get a doctor. Any doctor! And then the man walked in and contractions stopped. Oh crap, I promise I was pushing like crazy! After a 3 minute delay, which seemed like forever, we were a go again for contractions. And at 10:00 am on 12/12/12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, little Arianna Clare was born. She was so very tiny at 6 lbs 3 oz. I couldn't believe they were handing her to me. And now, I had my precious daughter. Looking at my husband with such a happy face, our family was finally here!

And I can't believe my little girl is one month old already! When we brought her home, I thought that my world had stopped. Emotions flying up and down with fear and utter joy. Worry to lay her down and everyone go to sleep. I never put so much thought into someone else's sleeping patterns and eating schedules. Sleep was now not an option and man, do I LOVE sleeping. I believe the hardest part of this transition to motherhood has been the lack of sleep. The fact that my bedtime is no longer 10:00 pm with the hope of sleeping eight straight hours. Now, I go to bed and hope I get to sleep just 3 hours straight! My days and nights now stream together in a never ending pattern of changing diapers, feeding a baby and then putting that precious blessing to sleep.

37 weeks

Waiting to open our Christmas present!

Arianna is here!

Carlos is one happy daddy!

Tiny feet

First family picture

Precious little angel sleeping at the hospital

Happy exhausted family getting ready to go home.

Arianna and her first month

I cannot believe a month has already passed. The feelings have of most fears have passed to the total exhaustion and amazement at being a mom.

Things Arianna can do at one month old.

Arianna is able to lift up her head and hold it for a few minutes at a time. She already rolls onto her side which she shared with us her first night home! Her cry is adorable unless she is really mad then she just holds her cry in until it is ear-piercing. Her favorite thing to stare at is the living room lamp. Her favorite activity is tummy time so she can stare at her favorite lamp. She hates to get her diaper changed but is quite content when it is done. Loves bath time but does not enjoy getting out of the tub into the cold air. She gets the hiccups all the time which do not bother her but sure does drive her daddy crazy. She enjoyed her first Christmas Eve Mass (which she slept through). She slept through her first Christmas with us and the Lee's. Felix almost stole her presents since they were not as interesting as sleeping under the tree. She has met a ton of people that love her so much. She grunts and makes noises all night long.

She is the most precious gift and blessing in our lives.