A Baby Story: The Aftermath of Aiden

Immediately after Aiden was born, the doctor was concerned because I was bleeding more than I should - not necessarily an alarming amount, but more than is considered "regular." That meant a lot of pushing on my uterus to try to stop/slow the flow. It was uncomfortable, and hurt some of the time. It took maybe 5 minutes and then that worry was done.

No one tells you that nurses come in periodically through the day and night to push on your uterus to make sure everything's still going alright. It is not pleasant; especially if you've had a C-section. Seems minor after delivering a baby, but after the 8th time they've done it, I've usually had enough.

My mom was staying with Asher at our house, and she brought him by that evening to meet his brother. I was so excited to see our little big guy because I had never been away from him for too long, and was missing him! He walked in with my mom, and I was still hooked up to IVs, although I was able to be sitting in a chair . . . and Asher didn't want to come near me. He started crying when my mom and Dusty tried to coax him over. Well then I started crying, of course, because . . . Well, I don't know why - I guess my feelings were hurt? So, it fell to Dusty and my mom to comfort me because clearly it was a scary situation for Asher having never seen me like that before. And even though I knew that, it was still sad for me because he was always my snuggle buddy. He warmed up to me again shortly after, but those minutes were heart-breaking!

Checkin' out his bro and making sure he's okay!

Luckily, the rest of the hospital stay was uneventful for the most part. Aiden was circumcised, which I still dreaded, and tended to like to be awake after he ate during the middle of the night (with our second baby we didn't feel as guilty having him go to the nursery after being fed so we could catch up on sleep at night).

Nursing still didn't go as smoothly as I thought it would after how well his initial feeding went, but we powered through and eventually it got a little easier; and, it wasn't nearly as painful as it was with Asher.

When we were home, things fell into place, and it was then that I realized my reaction to this birth was a lot more healthy than what I went through with Asher (I can keep that in my database for future pregnancies/deliveries). Asher gradually warmed up to Aiden, although it was hard for both him and I to adjust because we didn't have as much time together as we used to. I felt guilty at first, but knew it was important to spend that time with Aiden, too. We tried to read books together on the floor, and sometimes he'd sit next to me while I nursed Aiden. Asher got a lot of quality time with Daddy, too, which was good for both of them. And, since Daddy's way more fun than Mommy, it was okay. :)

First family picture!

Dusty was a champ, just as he always is, and helped in any way possible. It's a wonderful feeling to not have to dread your husband's reaction when you ask him to run upstairs to get something for the 10th time in an hour, or if he could run out to the store for something minuscule. He never complained, and never showed any annoyance or frustration. What a guy, what a guy!

Daddy getting in some prime cuddle-time.

Aiden was an easy-going baby right from the beginning, but extremely demanding once he wanted something. He didn't cry frequently, but once he decided he was hungry, he went from 0-10 in about 2 seconds . . . There was no distracting him with a pacifier or walking around or doing silly things. When he wanted to eat, he wanted to eat. He's still like that. :) I think the grumpiness when he's hungry might come from me . . . I've been known to get cranky if I'm hungry.

I was still in pain, of course, after being able to deliver Aiden naturally, but not nearly as much as I had been with my C-section. Everything about it was just better for lack of a better word. I felt better both physically and emotionally, and am so thankful for that because I know Asher would have sensed it if I had been depressed in any way.

Kisses for his brother.

Having the two boys was/is a challenge, but they are the best gifts Dusty and I could have. It's amazing how similar they are in some aspects, yet complete individuals in others. They amaze me each day. I can't believe it's been a year and a half since Aiden was born. He actually just had his 18-month check-up today and was in the 95th percentile for height, 87th for weight, and 94th for head circumference. He's a big boy, just like his big brother!

As I look at him now as he's running around the basement with a grin on his face, looking for mischief, it makes me a little short of breath to see just how fast he's changing and growing. Each stage of his life has been a marvel (with both pros and cons), and we are so thankful to God for giving us our second, healthy, vibrant little boy!

One of my favorite pictures of the boys - Asher's sharing all the books so nicely :)