3 days old :)

Miss Paisley is now 3 days old, and each day it is getting a little easier, but each day I fall more and more in love. Let's just say the first day (Wednesday) I was an emotional, raging, just out of recovery pregnant woman. Jaris probably had NO IDEA what to do for me, or what to say. But he was amazing, and just encouraged me and loved me even though he probably thought I was crazy.

Like any NEW mom, I'm sure you can relate to me when I say the first day your child is born, you have NO CLUE how to be a Mom. Yep, that was me! Of course I waited 9 months...ok just a little shy of 9 months to meet baby girl and we were both so excited, but when the day finally arrived, I thought to myself how in the world do I be a mom?! I was an emotional basket case! No lies! I kept telling Jaris I had no idea what I was doing and that I never wanted him to leave my side. Yep...crazy lady right here!! Thursday was a MUCH better day and even Jaris said I was like a completely new person, thank goodness...but the hormones of after pregnancy are just as crazy as the ones while you are pregnant. :)

What did I determine from these last 3 days: It's so crazy to think that you truly do learn something new almost every hour, even minute of being a new mom. And the first day, I learned a heck of a lot. We had so many visitors the first 2 days and of course Jaris and I were grateful for everyone to share in our excitement, but by the end of the day, we were exhausted! Not from feeding or caring for P, but from all the visitors that we had in and out. Today was a much more chill day with just 3 people coming to see us and it was nice to have some alone time with Paisley. We can't wait for more people to come see us once we get home. (Which by the way, we go home tomorrow!) Our small group has been absolutely amazing and set up a meal plan for the next couple weeks for us. That will help out so much, and we are so grateful for them!

About Miss Paisley Grace...she is absolutely the most adorable thing I've ever laid eyes on. I know every parent says that about their child, but it's true. I've never been the "baby" type until I got pregnant. Every time one cried, I always gave it back to the mommy or daddy (truth). But this is different. She's mine! I get to love on her, care for her, feed her, change her, kiss her, stare at her...all of the above. Jaris has been an amazing dad throughout and I can just see how much he melts at the sight of her. She does look a lot like Jaris which makes me a little sad because I wanted her to look like me! :) But she's still so dang cute, and hopefully she gets both of our features as she grows up. At time of birth she weighed 4 lbs 15 oz., and is now down to 4 lbs. 10 oz. I get sad hearing that she lost weight, but all the nurses say that's normal. She never had to go to the NICU, and passed all her screenings and tests. We couldn't believe it, she was so dang strong and such a healthy baby, we thank God for that! As of right now, she eats, sleeps, and goes to the bathroom. I know she will gain weight as the days go by, but she is just a little peanut!

As for me, I'm recovering pretty well. After the c-section, I was able to get up within the first few hours to take my walk around the unit. The next day I took off the bandages and was able to get my IV out. The staples and scar are pretty crazy and a bit bruised, but I know it will heal and it was all worth the pain to have my little girl. I am still on pain meds right now because if I lay for a longer period of time, I get very sore!! We are scheduled to be released tomorrow (You betcha I took all 4 days in the hospital to heal) and we are excited to go home. We are also VERY nervous as well, because that's basically when reality sets in. I am so thankful that I am on summer break and have at least 6 weeks of uninterrupted time with Jaris and baby. I will celebrate my 30th birthday in 2 weeks and I can't wait!

Life is now about my family. They mean the world to me, and it's amazing to see how you transition as a person once you bring a baby into this world. I have even surprised myself these last few days, but I wouldn't have it any other way. We are so blessed for all the love and support we have gotten from family and friends. I'm sure we'll be calling many of them for help, advice, suggestions, or even to watch her for a couple hours while we catch up on sleep! Please continue to pray for P to gain weight and continue to show how healthy and strong she really is. We love her to the moon and back!

Here's a few pics from the last couple days...