Mack: 1 Week Old Today!

I mean honestly, could time go by any faster?

It's weird, time has flown by, but yet every day has felt so long and I've been able to enjoy lovin' on this cute boy.

I decided that it was important to write about Mack's first week because it marks his first week of life here on this earth, but also my first week as a mom....ever. I'm not going to lie to you and say that it's been a breeze, but I will say that every bit of it has been worth it!

He wanted to eat, so that's why he gave me the dirty look. Haha. 

Let me just tell you how things have gone down-

The first night we were home, Mack had his schedule totally flipped around. He was up the entire night and all he wanted to do was eat. I was so exhausted and I didn't know how I could possibly keep my eyes open for another minute to try and soothe this hungry baby boy. Thankfully, Cam took his fair share of holding, rocking, changing diapers, and helping me help Mack. I felt so completely inadequate and so unsure of what I was doing. At one point in the night, Mack started doing that choking thing that he did in the hospital, only this time he was turning really red and not taking in a breath- I started freaking out! I didn't know what to do. Cam jumped up, and calmly took him from me and held him on his side, while I syringed out his excess spit. (Apparently, in the little book they send you when they go home, that's what they tell you to do if something like this happens) Cameron had already read up on it and was completely calm and confident in what he was doing. Well, here I am, hormonal and exhausted and felt like I was about to lose my baby (a little dramatic I know) with the baby crying in Cameron's arms, and me crying next to Cameron. Haha. I thought I was going to throw up I was so afraid. And then it hit me like a ton of bricks- this boy was mine and all I could think about were all of the horrible things that could happen to him and I started feeling really inadequate about being his mother. It was such an unwelcome feeling.. So, after Mack was able to settle down, I asked Cameron to give me a Priesthood blessing. I knew at that moment that was the only way I was going to feel peace amidst all this anxiety I had started to feel. It was a very sweet moment for the both of us- here we were at 3 in the morning with this brand new baby, and we were able to call upon the powers of Heaven to help us through this new challenge in our lives. The instant he finished, I felt such tranquility. When Cam finished, he looked over to me and said, "That's the second time you've asked me to give you a blessing since we've been married..." I hadn't even realized it, and it made me a little sad that I hadn't reach out to Cameron more often for that help when I know I've surely needed it. That blessing though gave me the strength and inspiration to push through the night and to know how I could help Mack get to sleep. Finally, around 7 that morning I got him to go down and I was able to get a few hours rest to revamp.

The second night was very similar to the first. Mack was still switched around and Cameron and I were up all night rocking, cradling, calming, feeding, and changing diapers. Even though those first two nights were long, I was so incredibly grateful to have Cameron's help. I seriously don't know how I would've done it without him.

Slowly, but surely, Mack has gotten into this routine the last few days of sleeping for about 3 hours and then feeding and being alert for an hour. I know a lot of that has to do with the fact that my milk has come in and he's finally feeling fulfilled when he eats. The poor guy always acts like he's famished haha. The last 2 nights, he's actually slept about 4.5-5 hours straight! And then he'll eat, and go back down for another good 3-4 hours. It's been such a miracle!

Yesterday, he had his first drs appointment, and he did so well! But, they totally got his birth weight and his height wrong when he was born. How disappointing right? Apparently, they are assuming he actually weighed around 7lbs 10oz and he's really only 20.5in long. They said that it happens all the time, and I'm thinking...You think they would try to be the most accurate considering it's such a monumental announcement.. When they told us that, I looked at Cameron and said, "Well, he really is going to be a little mini Cam. (Cam weighed 7lbs 13oz when he was born and was 20.5in long).

I'm sure there's more I wanted to write about with this being Mack's first week, but with all the lack of sleep everything has run together and I honestly can't think of what else may have happened. The first night though was definitely one to remember. Overall, I've equated this new experience of being a first time parent to the first weekend in the MTC. All of you who have served missions will know what I'm talking about when I say that the first weekend in the MTC feels like forever. It's so long and exhausting and such an adjustment you feel like it's never going to end and you'll never get enough sleep, but by about the 1 week mark you're totally in this groove and you can't even remember what life was like before you came. That's exactly what being a first time parent feels like the first week. I can now say that things are going better, he's eating well, sleeping better, and I'm starting to feel more comfortable with this whole mom thing- my next feat is accomplishing more in the day than feeding Mack and sleeping. I'd really like to take him for a walk. Hopefully, that's something I can do his second week of life!

And now- here are some more pics of my Mackey boy...

This pic is horrible lighting, but I love his face here! On our way to Dr. Kaddu's

Mack with Great-Grandpa Bechtold

Look at that hair! Mack taking a sponge bath- they aren't his fav

 Oh how I just love this boy of mine!