Rebecca 1 Week Old

How is she a week old already?!

She's my little angel.  A true gift and I'm so very blessed to have her as my daughter and to be her mama. 

Rebecca's First Bath

All things considered Rebecca handled her first bath like a champ!

Prepping for Rebecca's First Bath

Well the first day of having all three kids was.....let's just be honest.....it was hard.  Trying to feed Rebecca with Julian's assistance is next to impossible.  Isaac has been going to school everyday which has been a huge help.

I'm riding the postpartum hormone train full of migraines and night sweats.  I've felt fairly awful but I have lost four pounds of water weight which is good.  Another bonus to our new family dynamic is Isaac has managed to sleep ins room for two consecutive nights!!  That's a huge win in my book.

Once papa was home from work it was time to get Rebecca ready for her first bath!  And I love that Frazer took such a precious picture of all of our hospital bracelets together.

She's so precious!  I'm absolutely in love!

I can't get enough of her tiny hand wrapped around my finger!

My laid back little babe tossed up the peace sign!

Love.  Love. Love

Mama's First Day with All 3 Kiddos

Today has been interesting.  This is my first morning having all three kiddos to myself without any assistance.  Julian isn't sure what to think of Rebecca and Isaac has been acting up since all the attention isn't falling to him.

Rebecca has been awesome with the exception of breast feeding.  In the beginning her latch was poor and caused a bit of damage.  This is the part of motherhood that no one bothers to share so for the sake of posterity I feel as thought I need to be candid.  My nipples were cracked, bleeding and hurt like hell.  Each time I look at the clock and notice Rebecca's feeding time is approaching I cringe at the thought of the sharp shooting pains down my spine as a result of her latching.  The thought makes my spine wiggle.

However, I was able to find a lactation consultant who surprisingly lives in our neighborhood and was kind enough to stop by on such short notice last night.  I optimistic the new game plan will be successful!

Rebecca spent a good part of the day napping and I tried to nap along with her when I could.  Once papa came home from work we ventured out for our first time as a family of five!

Thank goodness for minivans!! We made a successful trip to Target for some essentials and each of the boys got to pick out a new toy.  I think it's safe to say we were all worn out by the time we made it home!

The Boys Meet Baby Sister

The boys came home today!!  I was so excited to see my boys and give them big hugs.  I was also very excited for them to meet their new baby sister.

Isaac did a great job holding his baby sister and Julian was very curious.

Isaac kept a close eye and kept peeking at Rebecca.  It was so cute. 

Missing my Boys

As much as I've loved spending time with Rebecca I've certainly missed my boys!  I know they've been having a great time with Nana and Grandpa.

I also can't believe how much bigger they seem to be now that Rebecca is here!  My goodness it's as if they've grown several feet in comparison to their baby sister.  I'm certainly curious to see how Julian interacts with his baby sister. 

Rebecca's First Checkup

Frazer and I started our day taking baby girl to her first check up.

Baby girl is healthy in all regards however she's still losing weight.  She's down to 7 lbs 15 ounces compared to her birth weight of 8 lbs 6 oz.  I'm having the same problem with Rebecca as I did with the boys.  Even though I've been attempting to breast feed Rebecca my supply is limited.  I was surprised her weight was down since I've been supplementing her with formula too. 

After her appointment Rebecca and I went home to enjoy some bonding time while papa was busy running errands to rent a breast pump for me.  While he was gone I got to enjoy one of my favorite moments of motherhood.  Skin contact with my baby girl.  There's just nothing better!

First Outing with Rebecca

Rebecca was all bundled up and ready for his first car ride.

Before heading back to Tennessee we made a quick stop for a late lunch and a quick visit with a few friends who couldn't make it the hospital to meet our sweet bundle. Michele, Lori and Lucy came by to meet Rebecca.  Eliza was not happy about hanging out with Ms. Michele while her mama held Rebecca.

Once we were finished at Cue in Alpharetta it was time to head home and we were Tennessee bound. 

Getting Ready to Go Home

It's a bitter sweet day.  I'm so excited to be going home but at the same time I know this is my last baby so I'm savoring every last moment of this process. I feel like I've blinked and it's already time to go home.  I've truly cherished the alone time with Rebecca.

 

The pediatrician came and gave Rebecca a clean bill of health.  We were scheduled to be discharged early afternoon so it was time to get packed up and get little Rebecca ready for the outside world.

Evening Cuddles with Rebecca

After visiting with all of our friends during the day it was time for baby girl and I to snuggle up and get some rest. I simply can't get enough of this precious girl.

Rebecca took 5 ml of formula and it made her very happy and very sleepy!

Each time I would try to burp Rebecca she couldn't be bothered and wanted to sleep.  So far she's a laid back baby with the exception of burping.  In that department she's a bit stubborn.

By 10:00 pm Rebecca had finished 15 ml of formula which was great considering she was down in her over all weight.  She had lost just a touch over 5%. When it came time to get her bundled up for the night I made a switch from the swaddle blankets, which she constantly kept kicking out of, to a sleep slack with a zipper.  She wasn't too sure about the new contraption.

It wasn't long before she adjusted and she was to dream land.

Visitors for Baby Girl!

The greatest part of delivering Rebecca in Atlanta is being able to visit with friends that I've missed so much since moving to Tennessee.

Ellen was our first visitor and she brought wine!!  It was so wonderful to visit and catch up.  Maura was our next visitor of the day and I loved the big monkey balloon and pink champagne from her and Aime.  

Catherine stopped by too and brought the happiest flowers from her and the girls that were just perfect for a little girl! 

I think Rebecca loved all of the attention too!

Our next visitor to wrap up the day was Jennifer who brought the most nourishing dinner for mama.  

In keeping with tradition Jennifer also brought Rebecca her first cupcake to celebrate her "birth" day. :)

Morning Snuggles with Rebecca

Papa's are the best for snuggles!  Nothing warms my heart like watching Frazer snuggle with his daughter.

Despite having just given birth I actually felt really good!  It was so nice to bend over and see my toes and bend at my waist again.   More than anything I just enjoyed spending time with Rebecca.  It's one thing to experience a baby moving in my belly but holding her is an entirely different experience.  So much love!

This little girl loves to be snuggled too!

No words.  Just love.  Lots of love.