Still growing!

Just a quick update on my growing boy. We took him for his 2 week check up and he has been packing on the pounds. He's up to 9 pounds, 10 oz. after just two weeks! I feel quite accomplished since he is solely a breastfed baby. He eats all the time and is already one third Izzy's weight. The doctor said he is doing great. The only thing out of the ordinary was mention of being slightly tongue tied but she didn't feel it was severe enough to warrant surgery. Obviously, it hasn't affected his ability to nurse. Here's another picture of him sleeping. Strangely, he does not like to be swaddled when he sleeps. He loves to stretch out. I think this is because he was so cramped in my tummy that he is relieved to be free...a feeling we share! It feels so great to no longer be pregnant and to be able to hold him in my arms. I'm feeling more and more like myself every day and haven't had to battle post partum depression this time around. I truly feel Sean and I are able to savor every moment since we're not first time parents. We definitely are more confident this time and much more relaxed.

Grandma time!

Fortunately, my mom was able to come and stay with us the first week out of the hospital. She did a great job of entertaining Izzy and keeping her smiling and laughing. They had a blast together as you can see by this picture. Sean and I are still amazed my skinny minny mom was able to lift her. Izzy's almost as big as she is. I'm sure Luke will outweigh her in a few months-ha!

Sleepy time

So I've taken a million pictures of Luke sleeping because he looks so relaxed and adorable. I just love to watch my little guy. Here is just one of many photos of him counting sheep.

Reunited

Izzy loves holding her baby brother. She's so happy to have him and mommy home at last!

Long overdue cuddles

After a painful two days of Luke being in the NICU, he was finally released to my room. This is just one of the pictures taken of us finally getting some snuggle time away from the scary sounds of the NICU. It was so wonderful to have him all to myself in my room and snuggle with him all night.

So Happy Together

Even though children aren't allowed in the NICU, the nurses allowed us to sneak Isabella in to finally meet her baby brother. She was so excited and had frequently asked when she was going to get to see him. When Sean brought her in, she immediately ran up to us and wanted to hug, kiss and stroke him. She beamed with pride and wonder. She was so gentle with him and I could tell she fell instantly in love with him just as I did. Even though she's only three, I could see her nurturing/motherly instincts kick in. She's going to be an amazing big sister. How lucky Luke is! How lucky I am!

Our BIG leprechaun is here.

Well, after a long and grueling labor/delivery, Luke Gryphon finally entered this world at 5:43 pm on March 17, 2009, St. Patrick's Day. He was whopping 9 pounds 2 ounces and measured 21 inches long! I was induced at 39 weeks (even though my doctor's tried to talk me into waiting one more week--he would have been 10 pounds! Thankfully, they came to their senses). I was in labor for about 24 hours and pushed on and off for over 4 hours. Eventually, my doctor decided to do a C-Section due to Luke's position. I had a fever during my labor and had also tested positive for Group B Strep prior to delivery so Luke was required to stay in the NICU for 48 hours to monitor and treat for any possible infection. Being separated from him was excruciating but as soon as I was allowed, I spent most of my time with him in the NICU. You'll notice the IV attached to his head--my poor baby.

The Three Musketeers

One last photo of our trio before going to the hospital to be induced. This picture was taken outside of our friend's Meg's house. We were dropping Izzy off to stay with her...her first time spent apart from mommy and daddy for a night. She did beautifully, thanks to Meg of course, but Mommy is still a little traumatized by the separation! As I look back at this picture, now that Luke is finally here, I am reminded of the fear I felt regarding bringing a new life into what I considered a perfect little family dynamic. I was so worried about Izzy's response to having to share mommy and daddy's attention for the first time ever. Thankfully, she has adjusted better than I could ever hope for. She continues to amaze us both. She makes me so proud and already adores her little brother. She constantly checks on him and often reminds me to be gentle with him. If she doesn't immediately see him, she will quickly ask, "Where's my baby brother?" She's such a phenomenal big sister! How lucky we are! We now have two amazing children.