It has been 4 weeks since Baby Jade was born. Needless to say, the days have been flying by. I am feeling more and more like myself again. I finally felt somewhat normal today and had some time to do my 1st post since the big day...
Jade was born on August 4th at 9:42am weighing 5 pds 14 ounces. This was after 42 hours of being in the hospital. I was completely worn out by the time she came. The entire experience of her birth was the complete opposite of Marcus' birth. The hospital started Cytoattack (spelling??) induction on Monday, the 2nd (my birthday...not a very fun bday for me). After not progressing quickly enough, we decided to proceed with the Pitocin induction on Tuesday evening. By 11pm Tuesday, I didn't think I could withstand much more so I opted for the epidural. Good thing!!! After the epidural shakes and 2 panic attacks passed, it was smooth sailing. I got about 4 hours of sleep...yippee!! They broke my bag of waters around 8 am and within 40 minutes I went from 5 to 10 centimeters. I pushed about 6 times and delivered a very healthy (but tiny) little angel!! If you are curious why we decided to induce, please just ask...too much to explain in a blog.
We have been blessed with so many family and friends surrounding us during this transition period for our little family. At times it has been a little overwhelming for me since I was still recovering. We've had out of town visitors and many people bringing us meals. It has been awesome! All in all, I would not have exchanged it for ANYTHING.
The past few weeks, Marcus was busy playing with his cousins and aunts while I tried to stay focused on resting. For those of you that know me, allowing myself to relax (even after a surgery or birth) can be rather difficult. I was struggling with that normal guilt of not having enough energy or time for Marcus. He has been handling it just fine though. He loves his baby sister and is so tender and sweet with her. He calls her "cutie pie" and loves to look at her, give her kisses, and rub her head. 
This is the first time Marcus saw Jade!
The first time he held her!
Jade is an amazing baby!!!! She is a GREAT sleeper and eater. I've had to give up quite a few foods and am eating a pretty bland diet to keep belly aches away. Other than that, she goes about 3 to 4 hour stretches between night feedings. That is something I didn't experience with Marcus until he was almost 2. They are quite different in that sense, but have quite similar features. I think she looks just like Marcus did as a newborn. I often catch myself calling her Markie. Be your own judge...enjoy the pics!!!
