Sunday, August 19

The Hardest Thing I've Ever Done.

The real reason I didn't get around to blogging before my leave was over was that well, we had a rough start.  Parenthood knocked Joe and I are on our asses.  It was, and still is, the hardest thing we've ever done.

The first two weeks after Miles was born, Joe's mom Sandi was in town from Michigan along with my mom.  First of all, let me just say - we could not have done it without them.  Period.  It was the most emotional either of us have ever been in our lives.  It was the most physically and emotionally exhausted I have ever been.  I truly had moments where I thought I could not do it. Thankfully, we had Sandi and Sammy - the dream team - to pull both Joe and I out of our depressions.

The reasons for our rough start were due to the following:

colic - in. intense. Miles started his colic period during the second week and would just cry and cry.
sleep deprivation - in. tense. Joe & I were more set in our ways than we realized before Miles arrived. Evidently, we need our sleep more than we thought because it rocked our world running off of fumes.
recovery - I had to recover from the delivery.  It took shorter than anticipated but hurt in a different way than I expected. I had to get stitches and was just sore in my muscles, sore in my spine from the epidural.  Just sore in general.
breastfeeding - NIGHTMARE! I have actually grown to really love those moments when I get to nurse him and bond with him.  They are some of my favorite times together.  But at first, it was awful. AWFUL! I was in so much pain, frustrated, crying all of the time, no sleep. Truly, terrible.  After I healed from those first two weeks, we really got the hang of it.
change - Joe & I have been together for 7 years and lived together for 4 years. We are used to each other, our idiosyncracies.  We love our friends. We love our life. We love each other's company.  Even though Miles was not planned, he was a part of the plan.  Or so we think!  But the initial change of our entire lives was a shock to the system and inevitably changed our relationship.  I think our connection is deeper now. We are learning to work as a team.  Every day there is a challenge but it is really a work in progress... a masterpiece in fact.
baby blues - real and terrifying, I felt very depressed after two weeks and having Joe go back to work.  I felt overwhelmed and out of control. Thanks to my friends and mom, I was able to see that it was just a hormonal imbalance that eventually corrected itself and I eventually got back to feeling like myself.  Special thanks to Virginia for texting me back at all hours and being encouraging throughout!

Anyway, after about 5-6 weeks I started to feel like I could get a handle of my emotions finally.  To be sure, it was a rough ride.  But we love him more every day and he of course is so so so worth every awful moment of frustration or pain.

First doctor's appointment. 

Newborn screening at the hospital.

First stroller ride.

guy time.

Joe's chest is perfect for Miles naps.

Love this sleep face.  3 weeks here.

Working through the colic.

Meeting our little boy & leaving the hospital!


Miles was born at 8 pounds 5 ounces and was 20 inches long.  His feet were HUGE, the nurses kept saying so that his feet were like monster-truck baby feet.  

He was so healthy and in such good condition (as was I) that we left the hospital a day early.  Coming home was so exciting/overwhelming.  You think everyone is going to run into you on the drive home!

Elliegirl did SO well with Miles.  She was way excited and kind of losing her mind but she was obedient and listened to us when we said 'okay Ellie, chill out'.  

Bringing him home was so weird, it felt like we were going to sit on him or squish him somehow because he is so tiny and his world is so limited.  His tiny fingers would clutch onto your hand and squeeze as if he was afraid you'd let go forever.  Its so funny how this tiny, tiny human changed everything so quickly!  

Here are some of the photographic memories.  It was so fun to look back at these and see just how much he's grown in just 6 weeks!







first car ride!
home at last and checking on fantasy baseball stats with dad.

love his sleep face.




Monday, August 6

The Arrival of Miles Oliver

Sorry for the hiatus!  Apparently newborns are a lot of work?

Miles Oliver Cloud Gibb was born on June 22nd at 3:27pm.  After stubbornly waiting until 41 weeks and 4 days to come out, he arrived and he was PERFECT!  We couldn't imagine him being any cuter or looking any more like his pops!

The labor lasted 17 hours and was well, laborious.  They induced me at 7:30 the night before.  We made snacks at home, my parents were at our apartment taking care of Ellie and we headed off to the hospital.  We stopped at Chipotle along the way for Joe to get a burrito (he needed to be prepared for all the hard work he had to do).  When we got to the hospital they gave me meds to start the process of labor.  We watched the NBA Finals while we waited (the Heat won) and tried to sleep.  I got in a few hours of rest but Joe literally didnt sleep a wink :)

Once the contractions hit, it was a whirlwind from there.  My sister showed up right in time when the action started.  She had to run out and get Joe because he was shmoozing in the waiting room with family members and everything started to happen.  My mom, sister and Joe were in the room with me when Miles finally made his debut!  They were a stellar support team!  By the way team, Joe cried... no sobbed... the last 30 minutes.  It was pretty adorable if I do say so myself!

Here are the initial pictures from Miles' birthday:

this is what 41 weeks & 4 days looks like
last time at home with just the two of us
heading into the hospital with all our gear
Joe's zone


after-induction waiting picture


proud papa
sad Joe haha.
pissed!

in awe

happy grandpas
much ado about such a tiny human








Auntie B!
Grammie Sammy!
G!