Four Weeks

Our little girl is four weeks old! Time is funny with a newborn. It already feels like she has always been with us, and four weeks feels like forever. But at the same time, it also feels like it was yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital. Some days have been long while others have flown by. Each week of her life has been different, bringing with it unique challenges and blessings.

Her first week at home, Matt was off work, and  the boys were with my parents. Before she was born, I thought this would be an "easy" week. After all, I was used to taking care of two kids by myself, and we only had one this week, and Matt was here to help. This week turned out to be one of the most difficult weeks though, and I am so very thankful my parents took care of the boys that week. Adding them into the crazy mix, would have made things immensely more difficult. My mom also brought us dinner every night too, so I didn't have to worry about cooking. They were such a blessing to me and Matt that week. Elisabeth had high bilirubin levels when we left the hospital, and so we spent most of her first week trying to get that taken care of. That included early morning trips to the hospital for lab work, photo therapy lights, and visits from a home health nurse. Thankfully, she only had to be on the lights for about 24 hours, and it cleared up quickly. It was still a stressful week keeping appointments, phone calls from doctors, and worrying about her. I had hoped to avoid the lights, but it turned out to be a great decision. Elisabeth didn't mind them one bit, and she slept so good under them. I don't know if it was the warmth or the white noise from the machine, but she loved it! That first week also brought some struggles with nursing. Honestly, if she wasn't my third baby, I would have probably given up. But I knew that the first weeks were rough and then everything would get so much easier. I trusted the process and persevered when she refused to latch and screamed and screamed or when she fell asleep two minutes after she started eating. We had two really hard days and then things improved drastically, and we have been mostly smooth sailing with her. We are having to supplement some with formula because of milk supply issues. Since she's my third baby, I'm more at peace with that too. I've realized after having the same issues with all three babies, that it's just the way my body is, and it's not a big deal to give her a few ounces of formula a day. I'm not a failure because I can't exclusively breastfeed. I'm thankful that if I was going to have an issue with my body, that it is this. We've been able to get pregnant easily, had healthy pregnancies, carried my babies to full term, and had healthy deliveries. I can handle a few hiccups with nursing.

 Headed back to the hospital to get her poor little heel stuck

 

 We surprised Nathan with a bike when he came to visit Elisabeth one afternoon

 Our light up baby

The boys came home the when Elisabeth was eight days old. The second week as a family of five has been one of my favorites. Matt was still off work, we were done worrying about jaundice, and Elisabeth was eating much better. It was a good week all around. Our Sunday school class provided meals for us that week, so I didn't have to worry about cooking, and we also got to look forward to seeing friendly faces every evening. Since Matt was home, I was able to get a nap most days in the afternoon, so I was feeling somewhat rested. We got out of the house a few times too, which helped me feel more human. We went to the library one evening to get some new books. Elisabeth had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, we went to the mall to get Matt's watch repaired and let the boys play on Wednesday, and we went to Wal Mart and ran a few other errands on Thursday. With Matt's help, getting out of the house felt much more manageable. We had a fun week adjusting to being a family of five.

The next week Matt had to go back to work, and that week was rough. Thankfully our Sunday school was still providing meals for us, but being at home with all three kiddos by myself all day was a little overwhelming and that week was definitely an adjustment period. I don't think the boys cared or noticed many changes, but it was tough for me. Also, that week we had zero plans which made it harder for me I think. We had nothing to do. It was the last week of summer, so our Fall activities hadn't started, and our summer activities had ended. I know it's hard to get out of the house with the kids, but having a few plans and things to do would have helped. We stayed home all week. We got out once or twice for quick errands, but the rest of the time we were home. I love a day where we stay home in our pajamas all day every now and then, but all week was a little much for me. It felt like a really long week. I didn't think Friday would ever come. Samuel caught a little bug that week too, so he wasn't feeling good and was extra clingy. There were times when I felt like I wasn't a good mom to any of my kids because I couldn't give them everything they needed. I had a little meltdown on Friday night (Poor Matt had to deal with me), but by the end of that weekend, I felt like I had a better handle on things. My parents kept the boys Friday night and during the day on Saturday, so I could catch up on some rest and get a few things done around the house. Matt and I even took Elisabeth to her first restaurant for lunch on Saturday. I felt much better by the end of the weekend.

This last week has been really good. I think it just took a week or so, for me to get used to our new normal. There are definitely still a lot of hard times and crazy moments, but we are all figuring things out. Monday being a holiday really helped. Matt had to work, and I was bummed about that. But since my parents were off work, they invited us to spend the day with them. My parents are so wonderful with my kids that I feel like I'm off duty when I'm at their house. They take care of the boys and let me have a break. I love going to their house :). We spent the whole day with them. My mom and I (and Elisabeth) even got some shopping in, and the boys are set with some Fall clothes now. I was hoping that with Monday being a holiday, the rest of the week would go faster especially after such a long week the week before, and it definitely did. We had some plans that week too which helped. Nathan had his first day of school on Wednesday. Even though I just needed to drop him off, it gave us all a reason to get up and dressed and out of the house. I even showered and dried my hair that morning (That rarely happens anymore). On Thursday we made it to Storytime too. I was thinking that Elisabeth's feeding schedule wouldn't allow us to go, but it ended up being the perfect time. This week has been much better. Elisabeth is getting a little older and getting into more of a routine, and I'm figuring out how to be a mom of three. I'm still trying to give myself grace. I know the boys are watching more TV than usual, and our house is dirtier than normal, but we are all adjusting pretty well and loving being a family of five!

Elisabeth's first four weeks have been packed full of so many special memories. I know I'll look back fondly on her time as a newborn even with all the craziness and difficult moments thrown in. We are so blessed to have three wonderful babies to love and raise.