The Duffy Family

So keeping up with this blog while being a mommy has proved harder than I thought it would be! Mainly because my computer is SOOO slow and pictures take forever to download. Plus, Ben has been writing a paper for the last several days, and I have not been able to get on.
I had originally planned to give a little day-by-day account of life with Nate, but the last eleven days have all started to run together! So I will just hit the high points.

We arrived at the hospital at 4:00 am on March 26th and the nurse started my pitocin at 5:00. April was our nurse and she was fabulous. My contractions weren't too painful for a while. Dr. Chauhan came and broke my water at 7:00, and immediately my contractions came on full force about every two minutes. I did not hesitate to ask for my epidural on advice from the nurse, and I'm glad I didn't wait! It took about two hours to get the epidural to fully kick in. Apparently my mild scoliosis was a factor. But once we got it working, all was well and I rested for a while. It didn't take too long to get to 10 cm, then it was go time! I only had to push for 20 minutes. Overall, the labor and delivery was a much more pleasant experience than I ever imagined it could be, thanks to the drugs and awesome care we received.

Nathan is the most beautiful little baby I have ever seen! He looks just like his daddy (in my opinion) and he is such a sweetheart. We both cried and cried when we go to hold him for the first time. He is feeding like a champ and his little cheeks are starting to fill out. He even woke up this morning with a double chin! His first pediatrician appointment was last Monday. He had only lost 3 oz. He was jaundiced, so we had to have his bilirubin checked, which turned out to be okay. We were instructed to let him suntan in the window for a couple days. His complexion is now back to normal. He has gotten on a pretty regular schedule and has slept well through the night in his pack-n-play next to our bed for the last six nights! Of course, he wakes up every few hours to feed. He has really been much more alert during the day the last couple of days and already has so many cute facial expressions. He just changes so much every day! Nate got to celebrate his first Easter at Ben's grandparents' house. We enjoyed the day getting out of the house and spending time with family.

Life as a mommy has proved completely overwhelming and exhausting so far, but at the same time completely rewarding and full of joy. I can't imagine life without this beautiful, precious little guy. We thank God every day for the opportunity He has given us to raise this precious gift!