To Zane – Welcome to the World

You in your bassinet, when you were less than one hour old!

So I got this idea from another mommy’s blog that I often read. Each month she writes a letter to her son all about what he has done that month and how he is growing, so that the memories will be preserved for him later on. I want to do the same for you, Zane, because I already see so many changes you have been through and so much growing you have done! You are almost seven weeks old today, so your first letter is a little bit late, but I will do my best to remember all about how you got here and your first few days.

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The way you chose to come into the world was a bit of a surprise. For weeks, we went to the doctor and they told us you were head down, just biding your time getting ready to come out. By 40 weeks Mommy was starting to wonder if you were EVER going to be ready! Then at 41 weeks the doctor finally realized that you were facing the wrong way… “frank breech” he called it. You wanted to come out all along, but you were too big to turn around. No wonder you’d been making Mommy so miserable in your last weeks!

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Daddy got to hold you first – you are two hours old here and Daddy is already so in love he didn’t even take time to change out of his OR scrubs!

Mommy got to be awake when you were born, even though they had to cut you out. Mommy was really scared going into the surgery, partly because I would be awake the whole time and partly because I went into labor that morning! You had finally decided that enough was enough and you were coming out… so we had booked the surgery just in the nick of time! Daddy was there holding my hand the whole time, and when they pulled you out you made just one little quiet whimper and then started crying right away. You sounded like a big boy, much louder than some newborns! You did so well clearing out those little lungs that they didn’t even have to help you along. Daddy went with you to get you cleaned up, measured and tested while Mommy went to recovery. Later he told me that he didn’t like some of the Apgar tests they did with you, so it’s probably a good thing Mommy wasn’t there for them. But since you passed all your tests with flying colors, we knew that you were a healthy, normal baby!

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When we first saw you there were so many things about you that amazed us. You were BIG… 9 pounds and 10 ounces, and 21 inches long. You had hair… LOTS of dark, curly hair just like your daddy. No wonder Mommy had heartburn. I can remember having heartburn constantly for the last three months… and when the doctor pulled you out, it felt like the heartburn went out with you… immediate relief! You were puffy like any newborn but we could already tell that you had your daddy’s eyes too… most babies are born with blue eyes, but yours were already dark brown! And other than the puffiness, everyone said you looked like you were already a month old. As far as your daddy was concerned though, you could not have been more perfect.

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Close up of your cute little face the first day you were out. You were already alert and looking at things… although you still couldn’t uncross your eyes!

You were learning right from day one… everyone that came into the hospital room noticed how alert you were. Instead of sleeping all the time like most newborns, you were awake a lot and you would lie in your bassinet and just look at everything with your wide little eyes. Everything you heard or saw captivated you… while you captivated everyone around you. Mommy and Daddy probably weren’t the most impartial two people in this particular situation, but we thought you were the best-looking baby we had ever seen!

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The days we spent in the hospital were difficult. Mommy was SUPER tired from having surgery after a month of not sleeping well, and you were still on your pre-birth schedule where you slept all day and stayed up all night. So the only time Mommy could sleep was during the day… and every time we laid down to nap someone would come to see us! Everyone told us that we wouldn’t get any sleep once you were born, but they didn’t tell us that all the company would be to blame! It was nice that everyone wanted to see you though. They were very excited and they all loved you from the moment they saw you.

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You snuggled on Mommy’s chest a lot in the hospital. Even when you were wide awake like you are here, it was your favorite place to be… and Mommy’s favorite place to have you.

The thing that I remember most from your first few days is how good you were. It was like you knew what Mommy had been through, and you wanted to be an easy baby so that Mommy could spend time resting and getting better. You were patient when Mommy stressed about motherhood, and when I thought we were having trouble bonding you just looked adorable and reminded me how much I did love you. You fed easily, slept lots, and when you were awake you were quiet and cuddly, not fussy. You didn’t cry when the nurses bathed you for the first time or when they would take you away to weigh you. You let everyone hold and cuddle you and you were a happy baby. Mommy and Daddy couldn’t have asked for a better or more beautiful little boy… in just the few short moments it took you to enter the world, you made us happier than we have ever been. ♥ We love you so much!

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Your measurements when you were born:

• Height: 21 inches
• Weight: 9 lb 10 oz
• Weight on going-home day: 8 lb 11 oz