Anyway, Analiese has been keeping us quite busy: nurse, sleep, stare at in awe, repeat. The nights have been rough, but she’s allowed us to get enough sleep to function the next day and do it all over again. The response from most people is to “get through” this part. And although I am definitely one who loves my sleep and a routine, this is the only time Analiese will ever be this small, this dependent. We just want to make sure she’s healthy, comfortable and happy.

I’m not sure if you can tell from the pictures, but she’s a little jaundiced, so we’ve been paying close attention to that. Ross has been “sun bathing” with her in her room each day. The jaundice could also be due to her eating habits, which have been a challenge. I do not want to supplement with formula, so making sure she’s getting the nutrients she needs from her mama is important. We’ve been recommended by Mary, our midwife (who I just love!), to a few different specialists (who fully support my decision to breast feed only) to help both of us through the learning process of breast feeding. It’s meant taking a lot of trips this past week, but I feel like we have so many great resources at our fingertips – from having our pediatricians cell phone number to sending messages back and forth over Facebook with Mary to, of course, the love and support of our families and friends.

Ross returns to work on Monday, so that will take some time to get used to. It’s been so great to have him home this first week of our new lives, but alas, we both can’t stay home forever…bummer. Thankfully, reinforcements are coming to visit.

And so, I leave you with photos from last night – dancing with Daddy – it got a little crazy. Yes, there’s one with a dip (a gentle dip with head fully supported)…and a slow dance…too precious.

Today is what Ross termed a “pregnancy day”. With the way we’ve had to devote our attention to the house renovation in order to keep things moving along, preparing for Missy Miss’s arrival has taken a back seat. I so wish her future room had a crib, dresser, curtains and a chandelier in it rather than a mattress set on its side and two of our dressers holding them up.

Enough complaining.

My morning started out with a 3-hour glucose tolerance test. My glucose level came back heightened after the 1-hour test last week. This test will determine if I have gestational diabetes. I hope I don’t. And it’s easy for me to pray that I don’t. But really, I know that God is a sovereign God, completely in control of my health, the baby’s health and the delivery. (If I have gestational diabetes, the baby will probably be bigger, which could derail my plan to deliver naturally in the ABC Unit.) So, my prayer is that God’s will would be done and that I would trust him completely with the results. 

In fact, the news of my first results served as a wake up call to me in some ways. We really have been so consumed by getting the upstairs done – both by accommodating the contractor’s needs to have certain items picked out by a certain day and painting which is the one area of renovation we decided to do ourselves – that other areas have suffered: quality time with each other and with God. We’ve spent a lot of time together over the past few weeks…painting together…oh so romantic, right? Once Missy Miss is here, I know our time will not look the same so we need to take advantage of some opportunities to get out together (i.e. not going to Lowe’s). At the same time, I know this baby needs to be covered in the Word of God daily. So, remembering that God is, in fact, the one in control here, is helping to bring me back to him and to rely on him rather than myself to have a healthy baby.

In between the blood tests, which were taken on the hour for three hours, I started to read What to Expect the First Year. (You may remember my review of What to Expect When You’re Expecting.) There were sections I could skip over (i.e. circumcision care), but other sections I found particularly insightful (i.e. sleeping, feeding, bathing, changing, etc.)  and will most likely reference back to once the baby is here.

Then, later today, Ross and I will attend our first childbirth class! Should be fun!