The first month

We've made it to week four - baby is one month old today. I've had more help than any new mom could ask for. After my parents and C.J.'s mom left we were blessed with another pair of hands when my sister-in-law Shantell came from Texas for five days. She went home yesterday, and I miss her already.

I really can't believe how lucky we have been to have all this great help. It has made life so much easier. I didn't plan to have this much assistance so I'm grateful that our families had the foresight to plan for me. I didn't know how tiring a newborn can be, and I think I've kept my sanity because of all our visitors.

Also, I would be remiss if I did not mention one of the most awesome things of all time - my friends who have provided meals for us. For three straight weeks - every other night starting the day he was born - hot meals were delivered to us.

We've had pasta and chili and pork and chicken and breakfast tacos and casseroles and salads and desserts. This was the greatest gift and an incredible help when we didn't feel like opening the fridge much less cooking.

Besides "it's different when it is your kid," the overused statement on parenting I hear all the time is "it's the hardest thing I've ever done, but it's also the best thing I've ever done."

Now that I'm a new mom, I've been thinking on this a lot - the "hard" part especially. I agree having a baby is hard. But the word "hard" doesn't really quantify the experience.

I mean, in some ways it is not hard. There is not a lot of pressure involved - like the pressure you feel about a big project at work. It is not mentally difficult - taking care of the baby involves simple tasks.

What makes it hard is the lack of continuous sleep at night. And the frustration of a baby crying when you don't know why. And the feeling like you're in Groundhog Day when the same schedule restarts every three hours - feed, burp, change diaper, hold, short break while baby sleeps. And then trying to fit in all your old tasks in that short break which is also the time when you're supposed to be "sleeping when the baby sleeps."

I find the hardest part is the crying when I don't know why. We've developed our own list of tricks to soothe the crying baby which we refer to as the five Bs - the boob, burping, binky, the burrito (aka swaddling), and butt patting while in the cradle hold.

Any combination of these tricks seem to calm him down. Sometimes. Or not.

And then there's the sleep v. productivity struggle during those breaks while he is napping. I have to force myself to lay down instead of check emails, clean, etc. If not, the sleep deprivation catches up with me. So I have to just let some things go, like this blog for example.

Anyway, all you moms out there are saying "uh, huh, join the club." Nothing earth shattering about these observations. I have a new appreciation for all the parents I know.

And I have a new appreciation for that statement about a new baby being the best thing you've ever done. So many times every day I look at Liam and am in awe at how beautiful he is and how much I love him.

Aunt Shantell to the rescue

The great thing about living here is how we've really paired down our belongings. Oh wait, what's all this stuff? This is all for a 9 pound baby??
First beach day
He's a natural

Nana, Liam and I at the beach. Liam is really impressed with the Caribbean waters.
Angel face
Awake time

Nap time - hurry Mommy, take advantage of this

Liam Christopher's first two weeks

Liam is almost two weeks old already, I can't believe it. They grow up so fast.

We've spent a lot of time in the apartment which I am now referring to as the Mommy Cave. Liam's favorite things so far are eating, sleeping and making dirty diapers. He also likes sucking on his pacifier and burping.

Besides these normal baby activities he is wowing us by holding up his own head for brief periods. He could do this from day one - the doctor commented on it in the hospital.

He is also starting to focus and follow things with his eyes. Obviously, he is destined for greatness since he already seems advanced for his age. Or all that extra time in the womb makes him essentially a one-month old not a two-week old.

In between long stints in our pajamas, we've had some big adventures. First, we already had a professional (as far as I'm concerned) photo shoot. Lucky for me I have some fellow SOs, Lexi and Sara, with lots of talent, very nice cameras and some free time.

They were excited to photograph a newborn, so we got some beautiful pictures of Liam. They set up a little "studio" in Lexi's apartment, and he was a supermodel for a day.

You can see their photographs at http://shaefferphotography.blogspot.com/ and http://saraweirphoto.blogspot.com/.

I thought it was so cute when they were taking pictures that I had to take my own photo of them.

Baby's first modeling session

I learned two important things during this event. One, Mommy takes really lame photos, and two, never go anywhere with your newborn without the diaper bag.

This seems so obvious, I'm not sure why I thought I could jaunt down the hall (Lexi lives in my building) with just baby in my arms. We had to make a few runs back to the apartment for extra diapers, etc. I get it now, Mommy equals Pack Mule for the next few years.

We also had a big day when we went to get Liam's birth certificate. They don't issue this at the hospital, you have to go downtown to the courthouse which is an adventure in and of itself.

The directions I got for the courthouse: in St. George's, across from the cathedral, on Church Street. Church Street is so named because there is more than one church on it, and we had to stop and ask a few people to determine the exact location. Driving in circles on those narrow streets at the lunch hour was nerve racking to say the least.

At the courthouse I had to fill out all our information in a gigantic ledger straight out of 1933, then the clerk filled out the birth certificate by hand. Sounds simple but it took about 25 minutes. On the way out I had to step around a chicken on the courthouse steps. So that was a little different from America.

Liam's birth certificate

Big news though, the middle name is officially Christopher. When I realized that Christopher Columbus "discovered" Grenada in 1498 that sealed the deal. Named after Daddy and a Caribbean connection. Perfect.

We made our first trip to the pediatrician a few days after Liam was born. Her office is on St. John's street, also in downtown St. George's. The picture below doesn't exactly convey how narrow the streets are, nor does it show the foot traffic and huge gutters one has to avoid while driving on this street. Nana commented that perhaps this street is better suited for golf carts than cars.

Pediatrician's office (where the white sign is)

At the pediatrician Liam weighed 7lb, 12 oz, a whole pound less than at birth, and he measured 22 inches, a whole inch longer than at the hospital. Hmmm, is something amiss? Perhaps the scales were off at one place or another - did you notice the slide scale at the hospital that also looked straight out of 1933?

But the pediatrician here, Dr. Nelson, is lovely. She is very kind and professional, so I think we're in good hands. I noticed she had a copy of Baby 411 in her office, which is a book on newborns co-written by a doctor in Austin. I found that reassuring.

In the first week my parents were here to help. Of course they arrived before Liam did, so I was able to show them around before he was born. They were at the hospital to see him when he first made an appearance, and mom stayed with me the first night in the hospital while C.J. went home and slept before his Immuno final (did we mention C.J. had a final the day after Liam was born? Good timing, son).

The folks were at the house to help me when I came home from the hospital, but they also enjoyed the island a little bit. For their first trip out of the country they were quite intrepid. In between rocking baby, changing diapers and cleaning they managed to see an endangered turtle lay her eggs on the beach, visit waterfalls and go on a snorkel cruise.

Mom and Dad looking at spices in the market

On Grand Anse Beach

At Ft. George, overlooking the capital city

They left on Saturday and reinforcement arrived on Sunday. C.J.'s mom, aka Nana, came down to help and thank goodness because I was/am still sore from the C-section. She's been cleaning, doing laundry and tending to all Liam's needs besides feeding.

I am referring to her now as the baby whisperer since she is the one soothing Liam when he has some fussy moments. She also gave him his first bath in the kitchen sink. He didn't even cry.

Baby's first bath

Bath time with Nana

Nap time with Nana

I am not terribly uncomfortable but still having some pain, and the doctor lectured me on taking it easy when I went to see him after a week. So, I'm sitting back letting Nana take care of things.
Just as she leaves C.J.'s finals will be over, and he'll be able to help me. Right now he is studying every waking minute for Neuro and Physio finals next week.

More things I am learning about having a newborn:

• It's really hard to get things done around the house. It's taken me days to write this blog for example. I keep getting interrupted by feedings or I just have to take a break because I am tired or someone comes to visit. And I'm not even trying to clean the house or cook yet.

• Don't commit to showing up anywhere at a certain time or at all. I keep thinking we're going to make it out of the house to do this or that, but somehow we end up having to take care of baby and we don't make it anywhere. Poor Nana has not even seen the beach yet.
  

• Wherever you put baby, there he is. I love this. He can't move, so he's right where you left him. Even in my novice mother stage I appreciate this is a good thing that makes life a little easier during these early days.
  

• Four hours of sleep at a time really is good. My expectations about sleep have completely shifted. As long as I'm getting rest in somewhere it doesn't matter that it isn't all in one stretch or at night.
  

• It really is different when it is your own kid. It is so cliche, I know. But I'm like a teenager with a crush. I can't get enough of him. I don't care about waking up at odd hours in the night or being pooped on or crying spells. I just think he is the most precious thing ever.

One of Mommy's lame photos - isn't he sweet??

Liam's video debut

For the family and friends at home, here is some live footage. It took all I had not to babble silly mommy talk while filming this.

I'll spare you the commentary, you can see for yourself he's sweet and cute and perfect and mommy's little angel. And he's just checking things out, saying hi to the world, yes he is! Who's a precious baby boy? Little Liam, that's right. Mommy and Daddy love their little man.