Thinking

It has been interesting getting used to Jeffrey's schedule...which seems to consist of eat constantly no matter what! :)

I've been thinking over the experiences that I've had with each of my kids. They were all different as newborns.

Harrison had acid reflux really bad, and would cry and cry for hours on end. Talk about stressing out a brand new mom who feels unqualified to deal with a newborn anyway. Good learning period though.

Hazel, I kind of missed out on part of her newborn time because she was in the nicu so long. Having a baby in the NICU is stressful. You want to be there for your baby and do everything you can for them, but you can't. You can't hold them, swaddle them, cuddle with them...for at least the first few days until they are stable. At least we couldn't. I don't think anything is more emotionally raking, then wanting to hold your baby and not being able to.

So, by the time Hazel came home she was on a schedule with the hospital. She woke up every two hours almost as if she had an alarm clock in her! It took us a while to get her to realize that she didn't really have to do that. She could wake up whenever she wanted to. Once she was home, I held her ALL THE TIME. She wasn't a fussy baby though. She didn't like being away from her mom and dad, and if we took her anywhere to be cared for, like either one of her grandparents, she would freak out and cry so hard that Shane's mom was always convinced she had an ear infection. :)

Now, Jeffrey...I don't know if it's just been so long that I don't remember feeling this way or what. I am ALWAYS tired. Always. It's all good though. I don't mind it because I love having this sweet little baby boy. He is a very content little guy, as far as babies go. He just loves being held. When I actually put him in his crib I have to tuck his blanket really tight around him or he just squirms and grunts until he gets to crying because he wants to be held again. As soon as you hold him, he stops crying.

I think, honestly out of all three experiences, the hardest one was Harrison and his crying. It is so hard to deal with a baby who isn't happy no matter what. I remember just holding him and listening to him scream and wishing I knew what to do to help him feel better. Throw in the new mom factor and it's just that much more stressful.

Shane asked me the other day if I thought we would have anymore kids. I told him that I didn't know, but for right now, I was just enjoying having Jeffrey. :)