OUR FIRST WEEK WITH LITTLE JUDE

The first week...it goes by so fast and yet at the same time, looking back it feels like an eternity ago that I delivered him.  I'm always so emotional about my babies turning a week old.  I don't know why?  Maybe it's because I spend almost an entire year dreaming of what they will look like, smell like, feel like...and then all of a sudden they are here and time seems to fly by so quickly and I just want to keep them little forever.  

But no amount of wishing time would slow down actually does make it slow down and so here we are one week after Jude's birth.  It's been a good week.  We spent most of our time at home except for a quick trip to Target and a 30 minute play at the park, a quick run to Wal-mart, and a much needed lunch at Chick-fil-a (treat from my Dad & Step-Mom) with a Frosted Lemonade, fries & all!  And then church this morning.

I was feeling pretty good up until Friday night and then my back really started hurting.  I think I just overdid it because I thought I was feeling so good and now my back hurts so bad it's quite painful to move around.  I guess I need to take it a little bit easier the next few days.  

Ruy left for Mexico for his aunts wedding the night we came home from the hospital.  He'll be back on Thursday and I can't wait.  I've been missing him tons and I really can't wait to spend time with all four of my kiddos together.

Our days this week have gone a little like this...
Alanna and Liam wake up between 7 & 7:30am which wakes me up, which wakes Jude up.  I get Alanna out of bed, then get Liam and take him potty.  Then the four of us go sit on the couch and snuggle for a minute.  I nurse Jude for 15 minutes or so while the two littles sit on either side of me.
 (Word of advice, don't sit on the end of the couch when you have two little ones fighting to be near you...sit in the middle so they both can be next to you.  I figured this out the first night I was home.)  
After I nurse Jude, I get Alanna dressed & put her hair up.  By that point it's close to 8am and the kids are begging for breakfast.  I'm still not ready for the day (which has been difficult for me because I'm used to being ready for the day before I start making breakfast) I make breakfast, we eat, and I might get breakfast cleaned up before Jude is ready to nurse again.  Sometime around 9 & 10 I've been getting myself ready for the day.  10 is snack time, then finding something to keep the kids busy.  Playdoh, coloring, sticker books, potato heads, blocks, etc.  And then it's probably time to nurse Jude again.  I nurse based on when Jude wants it and am not on a strict 2-3 hour schedule.  Unless he's gone 2.5 hours without eating I will wake him up to eat.  But if he just nursed an hour ago and wants to nurse again, I nurse him.  11:30am start working on lunch.  12 eat lunch and nurse Jude or eat lunch while nursing Jude.  Yes, newborns = lots of nursing!  After lunch maybe get the lunch dishes washed before taking the kids outside to play for a bit.  1:30 bring kids inside to get ready for nap time or quiet time.  2-4 Alanna naps, 2-3 Liam's quiet time & 3-4 Liam's tv time.  I get some laundry done or more likely sit on the couch with the heating pad and just relax for a bit. 4pm Alanna wakes up and Jude wants to nurse again.  Snacks for the kids and a little snuggle time with Alanna on the couch.  About 4:30 start working on dinner.  About 5:30 eat dinner.  6pm Nathan and I clean up the kitchen then play with the kids.  7pm get all the kids ready for bed & read books or wrestle with Daddy :)  7:30 prayers, songs & bedtime for Liam & Alanna.  8pm nurse Jude & then I take my shower while Nathan snuggles with Jude.  About 8:45pm I sit down to relax...either watch tv or do something on my computer.  9:45pm nurse Jude again.  10:15 Jude & I snuggle in bed and go to sleep.  I co-sleep with my babies until they either want to be in their crib or once they turn one I move them into their crib.  Jude has been waking up to nurse every 1.5-2.5 hours.  But since he sleeps next to me I just nurse him while we're laying in bed and we both fall back asleep together.  Then I switch sides the next time he wakes up.  I don't get to fall into a deep sleep but I feel pretty rested considering I have a week old.  And then at 7-7:30am it starts all over again! :)
And that's how our schedule this past week has gone.  This morning I was able to get up at 6:50 before any of the kids were awake and got totally ready for the day before they woke up.  It was so nice and really made my day flow better!

Our schedule/routine will change a little once Ruy gets home and we start back at school.  We won't have school all this coming week and I might take the next week off as well but if I'm feeling up to it, we will start back on the 26th. 

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from our first week at home. 

 I'll share Jude's One Week Old pictures later this week. 

Hope everyone had a wonderful Sunday!