It's amazing how slow time can go (like when you are 38 weeks preggers and waiting for your little one) and how fast it can fly by! Vann is already a week old. We have learned so very much since his birth on Monday, August 12th!

This week has been such a whirlwind, but we wouldn't trade it for a thing in the world. Vann was welcomed home by his family. Ryan bought a balloon at Kroger on the way home and clipped it to the mailbox.

What Vann's Up To: He is a sleepy and hungry little boy! He will sleep for 2-3 hours and then wake up and look for food! Vann loves being held and swaddled. We have been giving him a paci to soothe him before his naps. If it's even close to a feeding, we won't introduce the paci. He has been getting sponge baths waiting on his bellybutton to heal up. We get a little peak of a smile when he's sleeping and it's enough to melt your heart! He loves walks. We went on our first one the second night after coming home. It was much shorter than the walks we'd take pre-Vann since I was still recovering, but it felt awesome to get out of the house!

 

Health: We went to the dr. on Friday and Vann was down from 8 lbs at birth, 7 lbs. 10 oz. when we left the hospital, to 7 lbs. 7 oz.. I knew this was a normal occurrence with newborns, but it's so disheartening when you are feeding him all you can. His bilirubin level also rose again. Dr. Johnson told us to continue feeding him and to bring him outside (if it didn't rain...which it did all weekend). He would see us back on Monday and send us home with the "tanning" lamp if it wasn't down. Otherwise, Vann looked terrific. 

Monday was a new day, so we got ready and headed to his doctor's appointment. Vann's weight was up to 7 lbs. 10 oz. and his bilirubin levels had gone down. We were doing something right! Ryan and I felt so much better after this appointment.

 

Nursing: This week was a roller coaster. I was loving nursing the first couple of days and THEN my milk came in. Engorgement is no joke. It feels like you are carrying around boulders, and the "girls" are literally so hard and heavy. Vann couldn't even latch on to one side. This didn't help with my frustration about his weight loss either. I felt like it was all my fault. I messaged Danielle because I remember her struggling with the same thing and took some advice to grab a heating pad and ice packs. After Vann's appointment on Friday, Ryan dropped me off at WalMart to grab some nursing tanks, heating pad, and something I had read about and is now my  favorite thing...nipple shields. If I were Oprah, I would give them away on a Mom's Favorite Things episode. They are incredible. Read: ALL NEW MOMS GO GRAB SOME NOW! Thankfully they had it all at WalMart. SIDENOTE: I can hear every baby cry right now. I swear there were 10+ screaming babies. I just knew Vann was screaming in the car with Ryan. Thankfully, when I got to the car all was calm! I immediately hopped in the backseat, we pulled in a quiet parking lot, and I nursed my baby without any pain. Happy tears were streaming down my face! This helped the engorgement go down SUPER FAST! **Sorry if you are uncomfortable reading that, but if I can help another mama that's what it's all about!**

Baby Stuff We LOVE: Fisher Price Rock 'N' Play Sleeper, Miracle Blanket Swaddle, Lansinoh Lanolin, Pampers Swaddlers, baby gowns, Medela Contact Nipple Shield, Boppy pillow, our parents for helping sooo much, and awesome dinners made by family and friends to help us during our adjustment phase!

{Papa and Nannie seeing Vann for the first time. It was so special for me to see Papa holding Vann and rubbing his back. They are precious to me.}

{Daddy and Gran}

{Uncle Greg is in love! Just wait til his little girl arrives in Dec. Grandpa holding Vann below.}

{Gabby, Easton, Mom, and Vann}

{Natalie and Aunt Ginger}

{James and Malorie}

{Halee and Clayton}

{Anna Beth and Adam}

{Kenlie, Julie, and Carrie}