Moo...

It was an eventful day here. Not because we took Claire to her first bar for Happy Hour, or because we unofficially started sniffing around the Georgetown/Round Rock area for homes, but because Claire took her first bottle... like a pro. She is such a champ!

Daddy is excited to get in on the dinner time action!

I could totally stop the post at that, but that would totally bypass the part about me pumping for the first time... which was an experience. I remember when I was about 12, my dad took me to a dairy farm because I loved cows. The black and white kind... the kind that makes milk. I remember seeing the workers hooking up these horrid sucker thingys to the udders and thinking it was the strangest thing I had ever seen. Never did I think I would be hooked up to a similar contraption. But, there I sat this afternoon, hooked up to my spiffy Medela "Pump In Style" pump. Let me just say, there was nothing 'stylish' about feeling like a cow. Moo.

3 weeks of motherhood...

We often think of the new mother as gentle, loving, and selfless, but the new mother is also tough. She delivers a baby and then cares for it around the clock. I takes tough-minded resolve as well as love and tenderness, but the rewards are incredible and unlike anything else in this world...

Secret Agent Claire...

Finding a Rhythm

At two-and-a-half weeks, it feels like we are starting to find a rhythm... not a rigid and completely predictable "schedule", but we are all learning each other and what works:

...my time to get things done around the house...

...gives me just enough time to make it to the bathroom... 

...looking cute when Chris comes home...

Week 2: Our Precious Pink Piglet

So, we just got back from the doctor's office for the 2 week check up. I can't express how blessed I feel that she is healthy and growing. Actually, growing faster than the doctor could believe (But not faster than I can believe because I am constantly feeding the sweet thing). At birth, Claire was 7 lb 8 oz. At two days, she had re-gained her birth weight. Today, Claire was a beefy 8 lb 9 oz. Yup, you did the math right... That is more than a pound of growth when most babies are still trying to recover the weight lost in the hospital. But you don't have to convince me... I know she is an eater!

big news!

on saturday evening (after recovering from a yucky tummy bug), we packed ourselves and baby in the car and headed to didi and pop's house because kevin (chris' brother) and becca (kevin's gf) were in town to share their big news... THEY ARE ENGAGED!!! we could not be happier for them!!! they have the cutest engagement story ever, and becca (my awesome future SISTER-IN-LAW!!!) recounts it perfectly in her blog at http://beccalincecum.blogspot.com/. :D i am so insanely excited about the wedding! oh, my, goodness. it is going to be gorgeous. and chris and i are stoked about being in the wedding party. HURRY UP AND GET HERE, JUNE!!!

in other news, max met claire on saturday. he has been living in college station for the past 2 weeks because he was hanging out with kevin and helping him plan the engagement (max had a role in the event, see becca's blog). we re-claimed him last night. he is terrified by every move claire makes and runs off any time she makes a noise. he will get used to her... eventually.

love day

this has been the most wonderful and least eventful valentines day of my life. i woke up to this sweet card (yes, i cried) and 3 beautiful *pink* roses. claire and i had a pretty relaxing day doing the normal things... eating, sleeping, and diaper changing. when chris came home, i gave him a card and 5 full service car wash vouchers. we warmed up a frozen lasagna, sat in front of the TV, and watched 4 episodes of "Community". simple and sweet with the two most precious people in my life.

The Many Faces of Claire

The Daddy Daughter Connection

There is one relationship unlike any other in the world: the daddy-daughter connection. It has been so amazing to watch Claire and Chris bond from the start. I know it is something special that just the two of them share. Claire is so blessed to have such an amazing Daddy!!!

SNOW!

I was born on one of the snowiest day Dallas had seen in a long time, and Chris was born on one of the snowiest days Austin had seen in a long time... Well Claire was born on a warm February day, but today, around the time she was born a week ago... SNOW!

Our Family of Three... The First Week

The first week of parenthood in a few words...

Nursing-it is incredible how exhausting both physically and mentally this is. NOTHING prepared me for it... it has been one of the hardest things I have ever done (of course behind labor and delivery)! And also one of the most rewarding when Claire gives me her little butterfly smiles. We started off rough, but I kept telling Claire that we would get it. And Chris helped out so much, too. Every bit of his help was needed. It really did start off as a two-person job! But, every day gets a little bit better...

Cuddling-I can't begin to express how good this feels. Skin-to-skin or wrapped in a blanket. Either way, Chris and I could spend forever cuddling with our little bundle of baby smelling goodness.

Cluster feedings- Cluster feedings are when a baby eats again and again and again... feeding after feeding. This means no rest for mom for hours. Boy, does this baby eat! She already surpassed her birth weight by day 4, when the average baby takes 10-14 days! Sometimes I wonder if she will just keep eating forever?

Diapers- It is as fun and exciting as it sounds... just not as smelly as we were lead to believe. We have had a few blow-outs that require a complete outfit change. I would post a picture, but I will save you the misery!

Maternity care- Not only am I caring for this sweet baby, but I am also caring for my healing body. Just a word of advice: Don't ever let soap get in your stitches. It will hurt for days!

Emotional moments- Sometimes I cry because Claire is so beautiful. Sometimes I cry because I love her so much. And sometimes I cry because I know that Chris will be going back to work soon and we won't be able to cuddle Claire together all day long. What happened to the Natalie who hardly ever cries?!?

Napping-It's a nice thought, but let's be honest, what new parent has time? Between visitors, feedings, burping, diaper changing, taking care of ourselves, insurance and disability paperwork, endless loads of laundry, taking pictures, and enjoying this time with Claire, it just doesn't happen.

Sleep deprivation-Brings out the crankiest in us. But the make-up hugs and kisses and moments in each other's arms remind Chris and I what this is all about...

The 10 most precious things about Claire...

10. The fact that she is a precious little girl... and that means LOTS of PINK!!!

9. The way she curls her fists one finger at a time and caresses us with her little fingers when we cuddle with her.

8. Her animated facial expressions. She is her momma's girl!

7. Every little gurgle, coo, and piglet noise that comes from her. There is something about it that makes me want to kiss her on the forehead every time.

6. The way she curls into a ball and sleeps on my chest. I could stay this way forever.

5. Her big, beautiful, alert Thompson eyes. It must be a dominant trait!

4. The way she has her daddy wrapped around her finger... already. And the way she makes me cry because she is so beautiful.

3. Her long floppy arms and big animated hands. I call her my little Gonzo.

2. The way her reddish-brown baby hair smells. I could kiss it all day long.

1. The fact that God made her and entrusted Chris and I to raise her.

Let the party begin!

Saturday, February 4 at 7pm: Chris and I bundled up and headed to the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate his birthday with the Hubert Family. I had been having contractions that evening, but nothing can keep me from Cheesecake Factory! We ate a ton of food and enjoyed the time with our *crazy* family :) It was the usual Hubert celebration extravaganza with plenty of awkward 'brotherly love' moments... except for the fact that I was a little bit distracted by the contractions. But I had my eye on the prize... to get the staff to sing Happy Birthday to Chris. SUCCESS!!!

11pm: I can't sleep. My contractions require a little bit more concentration and I tell Chris. We time them, and they are regular and 4 minutes apart. We both think this is it!!! We grab our bags and head to the hospital!

Sunday, February 5 at 1am: We arrive at Scott and White Labor and Delivery and we are happy and ready!!! 10 minutes later, we are told it is a false alarm. My contractions almost completely stopped and I had shown no progress or dilation. Performance anxiety, anyone? I was sent home with 2 Tylenol for the pain. How nice.

2am: I lay in bed awake and breathe through the contractions. I tell Chris to go in the other room because I felt bad to keep him awake.

4am: Still awake and the pain is getting harder to handle. Maybe the Tylenol is wearing off. I start having really bad lower back pain and tell Chris to come rub my lower back really, really hard. over. and over. and over. Can't believe he still has hands. We discover the shower gives great relief... Ahhh!

6am: I relieve Chris from his duties and tell him to go eat something. I feel bad that he is having to help me so much. What a man!

8am: I wake Chris. I need more lower back rubs! Shower, back rub, shower, back rub, shower, back rub... Notice a pattern?

10am: The contractions are still 4 minutes apart. Showers are no longer helping, and I can barely breathe through them. Chris suggests we go to the hospital. I can't imagine trying to get ready and out the door and to the hospital just to be sent home again.

11am: Chris calls the hospital and asks the nurse what to do. She tells us that if we want a drug free birth, we need stay home until the contractions are closer together. I am in the shower at the time, and I notice a strange urge to push. I get out of the shower and onto the floor on my hands and knees and push again. Chris tells me to get dressed because he is worried and wants to just take me in. It takes me forever to get dressed because I am in so much pain. No sooner do I get my pants on "SWOSH"... my water broke! Are you kidding me? I just got my pants on. Chris throws a towel my way, and I push again. My contractions are now 1 minute apart. So this is the real thing... I agree we need to go in. Chris calls the nurse again to tell her we are coming in. It takes me forever to get dressed between the pain and pushing. We make it out the door and down the first flight of stairs. I take a moment to get on my hands and knees once more and let out a nice dying cow impression. I'm sure the neighbors appreciated the performance. 

12:30: Situated in the car, we speed off. Over speed bumps. And around sharp corners. I push again in the enclosed car. Don't worry, Chris did not loose all of his hearing. At the hospital, Chris pulls into the emergency driveway, opens my door, and runs in to get a wheel chair. I am pushing and screaming in the car. With the door still open. I guess it would be fun to remember the reactions of the people going in and out. 

1pm: I get wheeled up to the L&D wing and save a really good, loud push for as soon as we reach the automatic doors. I figure these people won't be offended. I get wheeled straight into the room. The nurses swarm to my room, pull my pants down, put me on the bed, and check me. All systems go! Except the doctor is not there. I hear frantic calls to the doctor and pediatric doctor. I hear phrases like "moderate meconium" and "ready to push". They tell me I have to stop pushing and that they will help me breathe through the contractions. They can't be serious. Chris arrives, and is welcomed by the news. An eternity passes, and then the doctor arrives. The team of nurses and the doctor were amazing as they coached me through the whole process. My dear husband was at my side, holding my leg, and encouraging me the entire time. 

February 5, 2012 at 2:02pm: Our precious daughter Claire is born. They take her away for a moment to make sure she did not swallow meconium and then bring her to me. We snuggle and look at Chris. Once we saw her beautiful face, we forgot everything else in the world. God is so good.