May 15 - Due Date!

Dear Samantha,

Today is your due date. Your mommy and daddy were hoping and hoping that you would be here by now, but secretly thought that you would arrive late. We are so happy that you are already here, and now you are already 9 days old!

Life with you so far has been wonderful. You are such a good baby. You make all sorts of funny faces and make your daddy laugh and laugh. You only cry when you really need something, and you usually calm down quickly. You get up a lot during the night to eat, but you always get a good block of 2-4 hours in the early, early mornings so we all eventually get a little bit of sleep. You are a very good eater, and you already weigh 7lb 8oz. It didn't take you long to get back to your birth weight and then some! You are starting to make lots of cute little noises now, and we catch you with little smiles all the time. You are starting to make noises that sound like laughter, which makes Mommy and Daddy laugh and laugh. You get cuter and cuter and every day, and we have so much fun trying to figure out who you look most like. So far we think you have Daddy's ears and eyes, and definitely his coloring. You definitely have Mom's nose, mouth, and long fingers and toes. You are a very pretty baby!

We love you very, very much, and we are so glad you are here!!!

Love,
Mom

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These past 9 days have been so incredible for me. I can just look at Samantha with awe and amazement for hours on end. I cannot believe that this beautiful little person is the same little baby that was inside me for so long. She grew so perfectly and completely in my belly. It's almost hard to believe that I already pushed her out and that phase of our lives is complete. It's a very weird sensation for me to realize that after 9 months, I am not pregnant anymore. It's actually a very bittersweet feeling. I loved being pregnant - I loved that closeness that I had with my bab. I loved feeling every little movement from her, and knowing that she was always with me and taken care of. I know that it is 100 times more wonderful to have her here with me on the outside where I can see her and interact with her and Mike can also spend time with her now, but I can't help but feel a little bit of sadness that she is not connected to me so closely anymore.

We really have been doing quite well aside from all the feedings, changes, etc. I don't really have the baby blues, but I definitely am feeling the effects of the hormones. I'm so emotional and I feel like crying quite often. The other day I found my Bella Band in my drawer and it set me off crying because it reminded me that I wasn't pregnant anymore. I cry with amazement when I remember the moment Samantha was born. I cry when she is crying and I don't know what she needs. And no matter how hard my days may be, I always cry with joy at how wonderful my little baby girl is. Each day really does get easier and easier. I'm looking forward to spending time with her as she gets older, and as things get easier and easier for us. But at the same time, I'm glad that we are planning to do this one more time so that I can experience the incredible wonder of pregnancy again. I'm so thankful for Mike, who has been extremely supportive of me as I recover from Samantha's birth and go through all these postpartum phases. I couldn't do it without him!

My belly, 1 week postpartum.

My belly is getting smaller each day. The swelling has all gone away, and I can wear my wedding ring again, finally! I can almost fit in my pre-pregnancy jeans now. I'm pretty sure I'll lose all the weight quickly - now it's just a matter of getting my muscle back again! As soon as I'm done recovering and cleared to exercise, I can't wait to get back in shape!