The Story of Roc and His Sister Calla

Newborns are a lot of work. For the past 2 weeks, Rock has had a 3-person team looking out for his every need, doing laundry and taking care of each other. Today Granny headed back to Hawaii and I felt a rush of sorrow and panic as I dropped her off at the airport. We had a good routine that included at least 1 nap for me each day. Now Rock and I will have to find our own routine during the day, continuing to rely heavily on Dad's care-taking skills in the evenings, nights and early mornings.

Rock is now 19 days old which means that we have changed approximately 170 diapers, fed him 152 times, given him 2 baths (don't worry, he is getting his 3rd tonight!), and I've gotten approximately 95 hours of sleep. We have learned countless lessons- Rock likes bouncing more than swinging, he likes Granny's swaddle the best however sleeps best after Dad swaddles him (Dad's swaddles are significantly tighter than Granny or Mom's), he hates getting dressed/ undressed, he loves to stretch his legs and appears to be getting taller each day, and he loves dancing with his Dad (almost as much as his Dad loves dancing with him).

Below is a list of other thoughts or realizations that have come to me since January 9th.

* My son has much better temperature regulation than I do. We both spend our days wrapped in blankets however his body acts like a little heater when we cuddle.

* Mail delivery is much more exciting when you have a newborn at home. Very few days have passed when Rock doesn't get a card or package in the mail. He feels VERY loved!

* Living in Salt Lake we are isolated from family however we have a wonderful support network of friends and co-workers who look out for us!

* Granny's are invaluable. From the moment I found out I was pregnant I've been excited to introduce my son and my mom. Her visit was awesome.

* I don't wake up easily in the middle of the night. I've always been a 'snoozer' (much to John's distress!) and take my time adjusting to the day. Unfortunately Rock doesn't like to allow me a 10 min 'snooze' before I get out of bed to feed him.

* Having a newborn makes you very germ conscious! We have been hiding out at home since Rock was born, our only trips out of the house have been to the hospital for follow up visits. I have never been so appalled at the number of sick people in the hospital!

* I miss Rock when I'm not directly around him, even if I'm just napping.

* I'm happier and more peaceful than I've ever been- and I'm not even running!

* Babies don't need stuff but they certainly help you accumulate stuff! We now own a sweet lazy-boy recliner, new washer and dryer and upgraded Subaru- all "for the baby"

* I can't imagine John and I not planning on having kids. Rock is amazing.

* I have a new respect for my body. It will be a while until I'm back to 'myself' however I grew a baby!

* John and I have an amazing network of supportive friends and family scattered all over the globe- we couldn't do this without you all!

* A nice warm shower can almost make you believe you had a full night's sleep.

* My love for my husband has grown exponentially from pregnancy to birth to watching him care for Rock. He has been there for me through all my fears and wildly swinging emotions and I love watching his face light-up when he interacts with or talks about Rock. They are quite the pair and I'm a very lucky lady!