Bringing Bailey Home

We were finally released from the hospital on Monday around 3:00 pm. We were so excited yet terrified to leave. It was such a crazy feeling being wheeled out of the hospital with the baby in my lap just like in the movies. Then even crazier to place her in our car for our trip home! I sat in the back seat with her just in case she needed me. When we got home, Andy carried her car seat upstairs to our living room and set it down in the middle of the room. She was sound asleep so we just sat there on the floor and stared at her. Neither one of us had a clue what to do next. It was really amazing thinking that all of these months wondering and dreaming about what our baby would look like and how it would feel to have her at home with us and now here she was, as beautiful as ever sleeping peacefully in her car seat.

The next few days were both wonderful and exhausting! Andy was off work until Thursday so he was able to help out as much as possible. We were up all night and slept a lot during the days. It was really fun when we gave her a bath for the first time. She was so cute and tiny so we bathed her in the kitchen sink. Unfortunately Andy had to go back to work that Thursday and I was so scared to have her by myself at home. Thankfully my sister Niki came over and stayed the night with me just to help out and offer advice. My mom stayed the next night and my other sister stayed another night! I'm so lucky to have family like that is willing to come over to help me out (even if it is to see Bailey and not me :))

I had to take Bailey to the pediatricians 3 times in the first 2 weeks. I know that its normal for babies to lose weight at first but she lost weight over the course of 2 visits so I had to keep going back. I was having trouble getting her to latch on one side and was worried that she wasn’t getting enough to eat. She was eating almost every hour which is so exhausting because by the time she is done eating and I change her; I have maybe a half hour before she is ready to eat again. By the 3rd visit she had gained a little bit of weight so we were no longer worried. Breast feeding is so tiring and I was almost ready to quit a few times because I felt like I couldn’t do anything and that I wouldn’t ever have a life! Well that is somewhat true at first but I have to say it is the best feeling in the world! It does make it difficult to go many places because by the time you get anywhere she is ready to eat again and then trying to find a place to feed her is even harder. But in the long run it is so rewarding. I love the time I get to spend with her cuddling her and the sweet faces she makes at me while she is eating makes all the trouble worth it. They are only little for such a short period of time. I'm going to do my best to pump while I'm at work but if it doesn’t work out then on the bright side, Daddy can help out more too :)