Home At Last

It's been 9 days since I last saw Calleigh. My first time being away from her for more than 12 hours. The days went by fast as I was productive working but each night I wished I could be there to see her to sleep. It wasn't until I came home that I realized how much I missed her. Even though it had only been 9 days, CJ changed so much. Initally I was afraid she would not recognize me but once I had her in my arms, I think she knew Daddy was home.

Mom was a rock star as she took care of CJ all by herself for the 9 days. I wonder how I would do if I had her all alone. Now that I am home, Mom can take a break and get some rest and I can continue to spoil my daugher again.

Happy Feet

Two months and three days. 64 days to the average person can mean so little - work, eat, socialize, sleep - but for a newborn, life is evolving. I've seen CJ numerous times and with each visit, there is a new development. Whether it be her weight, her facial expressions, the shrieking cries for food or even her absurd amount of gas, I'm always marveling that this precious little girl can show me new antics that keep me enchanted for hours.

But it's not just her demeanor that warms my heart, it's also the peace I see in her Mom's eyes and the tenderness in Dad's touch. I tend to do the one thing everyone tells you not to do with babies: bother them while they're sleeping. I can't help it, I just want her to be awake for the few hours I see her. So of course CJ becomes agitated and I'm bracing myself for the reprimand I'm sure to get, but it doesn't come. Just a smile from Mom and a quick laugh from Dad followed by, "now you have to entertain her."

I snapped this picture while CJ's Mom was nursing and I can't help but look at it every day. I know it's just her feet but for me, it's 2 perfect little feet. 10 perfect little toes resting comfortably in Mom's lap and it fills me with a sense of peace.

It's only been 64 days. Maybe newborns aren't the only ones evolving.

Failure to Latch

So CJ recently learned how to latch onto Mom's breast. It was a tough road teaching her but I knew eventually she would catch on. She always had the concept down but needed more practice. Each time she feeds is a step towards mastering her technique. How could she complain, it's an all you can eat buffet.

Statistics say many babies take up to 3 months to learn how to breast feed, but I guess CJ has advanced skills and learned a lot sooner. Mom really didn't push it until the past couple of weeks so I have to say CJ learned in 2-3 weeks.

I have to give a lot of credit to Mothers that decide to breast feed. There are so many benefits for the baby but it is such a grueling task which I will never experience. All I know is that it is truly a test of a parent's unwavering level of patience. CJ's mom is truly fortunate because after hours of crying, trying, and frustration CJ is now consistently breast feeding.

I usually post a pic with my post but felt it was a bit inappropriate to post this event on the web, but seeing the bond between the Mom and baby is hard to explain and it's an amazing experience. At least I still have my 11pm to 3 am feedings which allows me to bottle feed and have my own bonding time with CJ, which usually ends up with her on my chest and me playing on my IPad.