Living on Infant Standard Time

Note: I wrote this on Monday night, but couldn't post until Tuesday afternoon...duty called. Sorry for the delay!

Danny, Tyler, and I made it home from the hospital Sunday night around 7. Since then, I have slept about four hours total-and that was in 15 minute spurts. Every time Tyler moves, makes a noise, sneezes, or whatever, I am jumping up to check on him. I just can't settle down. I am so nervous that something is going to happen to him. Welcome to motherhood, I suppose!

I have already broken two of my own rules regarding Tyler's care: one, no formula and two, no pacifiers. The child has a desire to suck like no other child I've ever seen. Since I am still without milk, he has been consuming colostrum every hour to two hours for most of the day. In the middle of the night, I couldn't take it anymore. I was so sore and so tired, so I gave him two ounces of formula. I was about to cry the entire time I fed him because I felt like such a failure. It did help him to sleep for several hours, so I was impressed with that side effect. Too bad it didn't work for me! Anyway, this evening I gave him another bottle that was a little less than two ounces and still felt terrible. This time, it didn't have quite the effect, but at least he got a little more nutrition. The pacifiers were introduced to Tyler while he was in the NICU, so that was beyond my control. However, they really seem to help him go back to sleep if he seems restless, and he always loses it before he wakes up. I don't want it to become a permanent fixture in his mouth, but I'm willing to use them if they help us for a few weeks.

Other than these complaints, I am thrilled with the little guy. He is so beautiful! Every time I look at him, I just can't get enough of him. He has been covered in millions of kisses already for sure. I just can't believe that I have an ultrasound picture of him from when I was seven weeks pregnant and he was only one centimeter...so crazy how all this works. You must be a believer in God if you've ever had a child. I feel truly blessed.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all of the kind words that you posted on our blog during the delivery process. It was special to read all of your posts when we got home. A huge thank you and enormous hug to Joy for being faithful about updating the blog and for calling at all hours of the night and morning to check on us. Bless her heart for enduring all of that with us!

Here are a few photos I thought you'd enjoy. Please remember that any and all pictures of me come with the disclaimer that I had just had a rather traumatic child-birthing experience and I wasn't too concerned with my looks in most of them. Hopefully, I'll be able to shower and put on make-up in the same day again soon! Of course, more pictures will come soon. We have plenty to share!

Right out of mommy's tummy!

First family photo in the O.R.

Bathtime at the hospital!

All plugged up in the NICU. I had to work on my lungs and get my roar in gear!

Daddy and the Ty-man in the NICU.

Bonding with mommy!

Kisses from Daddy

Our homecoming

Mommy and me

The Watson Family

Mamama and me

Papa Joe and me