The easy silence

Callum's sleeping right now - he's done a lot of that in the last couple of days. I'm using my time wisely: blogging, laundry, filling out tax forms, eating breakfast. I was worried when my husband went back to work on Monday - it was so great having him home with me the week after Callum was born. He was a lifesaver more than once, helping with anything that needed doing and encouraging me to be easier on myself when things weren't going well. It's amazing to have that kind of support, so I was not looking forward to him not being here. But it's been okay, actually. Callum and I are still getting to know each other, so every day is new and brings new challenges and new joys. Take yesterday, for instance: Callum laughed in his sleep - it was a full chuckle with a huge goofy grin. Priceless, especially since my camera was in the kitchen at the time! I've since moved it back to the living room coffee table where it belongs, ready for the next smile. On my list of things I'm looking forward to as a mom, Callum's first real smile is at the top. His gassy smile is adorable, so seeing that directed specifically at us for the first time is going to be an awesome moment.

Callum Asher Scott Charles

A new phase of our lives started on January 15, with the birth of our first child! He's a beautiful boy, if we do say so ourselves. Although we'd been planning a home birth, we ended up opting for an elective c-section when we were told that his estimated weight was 12lbs 2oz. He was born at 10lbs 11oz; but our decision was validated when it took 3 people to pull him out. He would not have fit the natural way. We are so glad that he is healthy and have been spending as much time as possible getting to know him. It has been challenging at times (days 3 and 4 featured a very frequently crying Mommy and a Daddy who was doing his best to keep us both calm); but we worked as a team to resolve our feeding issues and have been doing much better since then. Callum is now back to his birth weight on day 10, which is great!

I have to say that I didn't think I would be an over-emotional rollercoaster rider when I had a baby - just goes to show how little we can know about ourselves before these huge things happen in our lives. I thought I knew a lot about babies, since I have lots of nieces and nephews and lots of friends with kids; but all of that knowledge did not fully prepare me for being a mother myself. During this adjustment time, which will continue indefinitely, I've had great support from my husband Scott and from countless friends and family members who have shared their stories, cooked us dinner, knitted us hats (well, just for Callum actually) and just lent their support in so many ways. We are truly blessed to have such a solid circle of friends. They say that it takes a village to raise a child and I believe that to be true! I do not know what I would do without people there to talk to, people who will actually listen as I babble on about every little nuance of my experience as a mother! I'm sure that I'll ask their opinions as each new experience comes along; and they will continue to encourage me to trust my instincts and to focus on the joys of being a parent. This is the most challenging, amazing, emotionally important thing that I've ever done!