Mitchell Douglas is One Month Old!

Since Mitchell is 6 weeks old today, we are going to have to backtrack a little for this post. Just pretend today is March 13, 2012!

It's hard to believe a month has already past - it has gone by so very fast! Our first month at home has been very scheduled, and I'm loving it! Feedings, laundry, baths, housework...everything has it's time, and everything always gets done!

Nanny stayed with us M's first week home from the hospital. That wasn't the original plan, but due to the scare he gave us in the NICU,  both Chad and I felt more comfortable having someone here with us. She took 2 weeks off work (one while he was in the NICU and then the week she stayed with us), and Chad and I are very grateful for that. She basically did everything for us that week and allowed us to rest and just get used to the fact that we now had a baby around. After Nanny left, it was all up to us, and I think we've done a pretty good job thus far! :) Other than a doctor visit, a couple trips to the drive-through at McDonald's and a few walks around the neighborhood, we haven't left the house. We are being extremely cautious since it's the middle of flu/RSV season. The last thing M needs is more respiratory problems. We've had lots of visitors who are basically greeted at the door with a bottle of hand sanitizer! Sorry if this has offended anyone...actually, I take that back. I'm not sorry. It's our job to protect our little guy. I'm sure we will be a little less cautious as time passes, but for now, we will continue to handle him with extreme care!

Enough with the small talk! Let's get down to the meat of this post!

Mitchell Douglas, at 1 month old, you:

• have made a full recovery! PRAISE JESUS!!!!
• weigh 10.0 pounds. Big boy!
• eat about 3 and half ounces every 4 hours. You'd eat more if Mommy would let you!
• still have a head full of hair, but it is no longer dark - it gets redder and redder each day.
• have a perfect shaped head - the cone is gone!
• look more and more like your dad every day. Good thing he's cute!
• have been sleeping in your room in your crib since you were 2 weeks old. Your first week you stayed in your bouncer in Nanny's room so she could keep a close eye on your breathing.
• are an excellent sleeper. You have slept through the night once, but generally wake up once to eat.
• are beginning to love your bath....now that Mom has figured out what the temp of the water should be. Sorry your first few baths were so cold!
• burp and toot like a grown man - this "talent" comes from your dad and Uncle J!
• enjoy doing your exercises every night with Mommy and are getting stronger each day! (Once a physical therapist...always a physical therapist!)
• are a very content and happy baby!

Everyday, something about him changes. It's so fun to see all these changes, but it's sad to think about how many changes have occurred in just 1 month. I've got to live in the moment and learn to treasure each day. M's first week in this world was not what I expected, but since leaving the NICU, things have been on the up and up! I thank God everyday for placing His healing hands on Mitchell a few weeks ago and blessing our family with such a perfect little boy! We love you oodles and gobs, Mitchell Douglas!

Wet Socks, Spilled Milk, and Missing "Bundles"

You ever have days where you are constantly asking yourself, "Why did I just do that?". I've been having those days for about 6 weeks now! Some days are better than others, but I must admit I've done some pretty silly things since M entered our lives almost 6 weeks ago. I'd like to blame it all on him, but I'm not really sure that's the case. Besides, how can you look at this sweet face and blame anything on him?!

It's no fun to simply laugh at myself (and Chad), so let me share with you some of the lessons I've learned since entering "mommy-world"!

1. Wearing your socks in the shower is not a smart idea. It does not save time and really just makes a big mess.
2. If you don't put all the pieces in the bottle, you end up with 4 ounces of milk all of you, baby and couch when trying to feed baby.
3. Trying to sit a 22 pound baby (Trek) on top of an already top-heavy travel system is a disaster in the making. People will stare intently but will offer no support as the stroller begins to flip. Don't worry, disaster was averted thanks to the quick reflexes of Amanda!
4. Washing your hair with body wash makes for a greasy mess the next morning.
5. Talking into the receiving end of the baby monitor does NOT work.

We have become very schedule-oriented since M has been home. I have an extremely Type-A personality, so this does not bother me, but Chad is still trying to get the hang of things. In an attempt to become accustomed to this new schedule, his sleep pattern has become interrupted...to say the least. Most of the funny things he does or says happen in the middle of the night. Here are just a couple of the conversations we've had recently.

I wake up and Chad is frantically pulling the covers off the bed. This is the conversation that followed:

Me: Chad, what are you doing?!?
Chad: I'm looking. I'm looking.
Me: Looking for what? It's 2 in the morning.
Chad: I was holding a bundle, and I can't find it.
Me: What kind of bundle?
Chad: A bundle of.....Mitchell!

**Sidenote: M has NEVER slept in our bed with us. He was safe and sound in the nursery in his crib!**

This morning, I was in the kitchen fixing M's bottle. Again, it was around 2 am. As I'm walking back to our bedroom, Chad is in the living room. Guess what he was doing? That's right, searching for something! I asked him if he had lost his "bundle" again. He said no. I just left him in the living room and headed to the bathroom before climbing back in bed. When I walked out of the bathroom, he was in bed already, and I asked if he found what he was looking for. He said no. When I asked what it was exactly he was trying to find, he told me "a plastic container." I asked why he needed that and he replied, "I'm cold and need it to cover up with!" All I could say was wow....

As you can see, things have been pretty exciting at the Moreau house....never a dull moment around here with all these crazy happenings. And to think, I have to go back to work on Monday and take care of my patients. Please say a prayer that my socks are dry, I don't have milk all over me and my hair is somewhat clean....at least when I start the day! :)

A Quick Recap

I finally did it! I jumped on the "blogging bandwagon" in order for family and friends to keep up with our crazy life - more specifically Mitchell's life! So let's not waste any time...

On February 13, 2012, our family of 2 became a family of 3 when we welcomed Mitchell Douglas into this world. He was born at 12:31 pm and weighed a whopping 8 pounds,1 ounce and was 21.5 inches long. I know what you're thinking - "How did you and Chad have such a big baby?!" I can't explain his weight other than by saying it must run in the family (if you've met Lo and Trek, you know what I'm talking about!). As for the height, don't be fooled. Poor M was born with a severely cone shaped head and about an inch and a half of his height was because of that.

Mitchell aspirated during delivery and had to spend a few days in the NICU with an IV, feeding tube and oxygen. It was a terrifying experience and was not how I had pictured his first few days in this world. It's not something I like to talk about or even think about. He was so helpless, and I felt even more helpless. There was nothing any of us could do for him...except pray. And let me tell you, many prayers were going up for our little guy! I'd like to thank each of you for praying for Mitchell during his time in the NICU. We could all feel your prayers, and they were appreciated more than you'll ever know. On February 16, M was discharged from the hospital, and we headed home! It's been a bed of roses since then....okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it really has been wonderful welcoming this wonderful creation of God into our family!