Changes

A little over 7 weeks ago our lives changed forever. Our family dynamic shifted. And the earth moved under our feet.  Our baby boy was born.  He was a healthy 8 pounds 6 ounces and 21 inches long.  He is a beautiful baby, calm and peaceful. 

The week leading up to his arrival I will never forget.  The Friday before he made his appearance I was admitted to the hospital for high blood pressure.  So much for my mile long list of last minute nesting!  I was discharged on Sunday with strict bed rest orders (yeah right, I do have a 4 year old at home, doctor).  I was scheduled for a c-section a week later.  I didn't want to wait, I wanted this baby on a particular date and apparently he knew that!  After 3 hours in Labor and Delivery in the middle of the night Friday July 26th, I was sent home (despite having contractions 3-5 minutes apart).  By 9 am the next morning, my water broke and back to the hospital we went.  Jordan arrived at 2:22 pm on the day I was so hoping to have for his birthday.  

Some things we've learned about him are quite amusing.  He won't tolerate a wet diaper for more than 60 seconds.  He likes to have his head rubbed and he loves the sound of his big sister's voice- instant calm!  He hates to lay flat and he's a cuddle bug, for sure.  He makes the funniest barking noise when mommy walks out of the room and then gives me the stink-eye when I return. He makes a snorting sound when he's hungry (did this on his very first night).  He has a scream that would send the ghosts and goblins running!  He has the sweetest smile (probably just gas, but melts my heart anyway).  And he is so loved and we feel so blessed. 

But we've known these feelings before.  It wasn't vastly different when we went to China to bring our Acadia home.  But what we hadn't experienced before was helping an only child transition to becoming a sibling.  As much as we thought we had prepared her (and us), there's only so much you can do until you're actually going through it!  And it was tough.  On the day we brought Jordan home, Cadie cried the entire car ride, from hospital to house.  We went straight to the playroom where she sat next to me on the couch and just cried, for what seemed an eternity.  Her little world had been rocked!  She screamed every time I nursed the baby, including all through the night.  And she refused to let Daddy comfort her.  She threw herself on the floor and asked us "why don't you love me anymore?" [insert the sound of my heart breaking right here]  It still makes me cry when I think about her screaming those words through her sobs.  But eventually, we helped her find the words to express herself and give her a new confidence about her place in the family.  She loves this baby brother of hers now (though she still asks if we can make a baby sister next- um, NO), and has become extremely protective.  We are very proud of our little girl and are continually amazed at what a strong soul she has.

 
We are one lucky family! 家族