So, I haven't blogged in months ... all of a sudden between wrapping up work, going out on maternity leave, and oh, having a baby, I haven't really had a chance.  Drew is home sick today so I have a moment of free time as both he & Cooper are sleeping.

 

So, here is the brief update on life:

11/7/05 - two weeks late and after 32 hours of labor, 2.5 hours of pushing (both labor and pushing with no pain reliever that actually worked), and a c-section, Cooper John McCreary finally made his appearance to the world.  Other than the fact that we have a wonderful healthy son, pretty much everything that could go wrong, did!  We're in love.  He's beautiful. 

 

Today - survived one month with a newborn, Thanksgiving with Drew in Hong Kong for his brother's wedding, and Cooper's first cross-country adventure (San Francisco to Orlando via USAirways) ...

 

Anyway, we bought a condo in Cocoa Beach back in September so last week we were all in Orlando since Drew had to be there for work and started getting the place ready to go.  It's so strange having to furnish a place from scratch - it's been years since I've had to do that - and of course, you forget about all of the little things you always need to buy in order to live :-).  We're heading back there next week for a month - well, kind of a month if you count a week to NC in between.

If you are still reading this, here are a few things that have been on my mind.  First, everyone told me that the first six weeks as a new mom really suck - they were so RIGHT!  Second, everyone told me that I would never understand how tired you are and what it feels like to be a mother until you have children of your own -again, they were RIGHT!  Third, all of a sudden, when having a child, your body has become the property of everyone else and their opinions.  Also, correct.  Between pregnancy and now carrying around a newborn, it seems that the "general public" feels the need to give me their opinions on what I should be or should not be doing.  The biggest area where this is true has to do with how you feed your child. 

 

Also, why didn't anyone really warn me that after you have the baby, you are still huge but not huge enough for most of your maternity clothes but way too big for your normal clothes.  I should have gone shopping for some in between clothes, because now I don't really have the opportunity and of course, between being physically exhausted and trying to take the best care of Cooper that I can, who has time to try on clothes??

 

Plus, can anyone explain why if people have babies everyday, all day, and we continue to populate the earth, that there is no consensus on how best to feed and put to sleep your child??  Cooper, being Colleen's son and all, has chosen to only sleep in his swing, the car, or in our bed.  Now, Drew and I never imagined having a baby co-sleep with us, but when you need to get your child to sleep and you yourself need sleep, you'll do whatever it takes - it's really the hospital's fault since they started him sleeping this way after he was born.

 

I've really enjoyed spending time with Cooper (so cute, such soft skin, and just amazing to conceptualize that he came from my body) but it is the hardest thing I've ever done - and I still can't believe people do this more than once (please, if I hear from one more person that you just "forget" I'm going to puke).  These are the same people who say that "breathing" during labor is helpful.

 

okay, gotta go, crying baby