Bringing Home Baby

You know that show on TLC? The one where they come home with new parents as they transition their life to a +1 with a new baby at home? Yeah, I always wondered what those parents were thinking. As if the experience itself weren't enough, you should also invite cameras into your home to document some of the most tender moments in your life? Not for me. Those first two nights at home with baby are notorious in our family for being sleepless and trying, often with tears of both joy and also frustration as you try to meet your new baby's needs every waking and non waking moment. Not sure I'd want cameras in my house documenting my exhausted look as I get up to change the baby one more time, or struggle with a tiny baby and getting them in the right position to nurse correctly. Not for me, thanks.

I knew that I could leave the hospital on Saturday morning, and boy was I ready. The bed at the hospital was just unbearable and I was anxious to come home to my family. I just waited for the doctors to do their rounds that morning so that I could be discharged and I was ready to go when they did. Freedom!

Morgan and Bennett were sooooo excited to have us come home. I think Bennett was mostly excited to have Lance and I back home, as he seemed to be having a rough time with leaving us at the hospital. Morgan was mostly excited about bringing "her baby" home to become part of our family. They were both awesome on the drive home. They were our eyes on Landon as we made the 20 minute trek home. Should he bat an eye or make any sort of noise, they would let us know. "Mom, he just yawned!" or "Momma, he's asleep."

When we got home, we followed tradition (since it had been the same with the other two) and let the sleeping baby stay in the car seat. Bennett and Morgan immediately got out their new toys, compliments of Landon, and started playing. As if we hadn't just brought home a new baby. It was actually reassuring to me, seeing them continue with life as normal.

It seems that there is some amazing ability babies have to sense that they are no longer at the hospital and what they had been doing (sleeping non-stop), no longer applies now that there are no longer a team of nurses standing by to take the baby to the nursery if you need a moment of sleep. Ahh, the joys of bringing home baby. 

By now, with my third I'm aware of many of the pitfalls of newborn life. Not eating, not sleeping, etc and with Landon I'm anxiously looking out for the signs of either. The first two nights at home proved to me that he could eat and the first two days at home proved to me that he could sleep. Only need to get the daytime and nighttime in the right order. :)

I reserve the right to change this statement later, but as of now, this child appears to not have the eating issues Morgan had as a baby or the sleep issues Bennett had as a baby. Perhaps, just perhaps, this is my mellow-go-with-the-flow third child. If only I'm so lucky! I'm looking forward to finding out more how this little guy is going to fill in the pieces of our family.