Days 181-183: Plugging Along

Once you are past the newborn phase, you remember vaguely how rough it is, but you don't remember just what a beatdown it can be to consistently fail to sleep for any stretch of time and to have your body become nothing more than a recepticle for caring for others--and in some painful ways.  It's God's way of helping to make sure that procreation continues on Earth I think.  Otherwise we would all be like the Chinese and only have one child.

That said, there have obviously been some amazingly sweet moments throughout these past 9 days as well.  --Like when Olivia went to go try to hug Jefferson to soothe him when he was crying and sad yesterday.  Or when George wanted to invite several friends over to meet the new baby.  Or like when Barney not only cooked me a steak dinner last night but cleaned up the entire mess, including emptying and re-loading the dishwasher last night.

Those moments really help to make up for the other moments--like when I called the nurse today because Jefferson hadn't had a dirty diaper in two days only to be told I should stick a thermometer up there and twirl it around or when I was spared that indignity because Jefferson decided to have the world's biggest dirty diaper all over me tonight or when I am up at 3:00am and in tears because sometimes breastfeeding just plain hurts, especially when you are tired.

One thing I know for sure though is that I could not be doing this without Barney.  While the lion's share of caring for Jefferson is falling to me these days, he is doing so much with Olivia and George.  And, he pulls out some awesome favors sometimes with Jefferson today too, like getting up with him at 6:45 this morning and letting me sleep until 9:00.  That was amazing.  He also went grocery shopping for me today.

In turn, tomorrow I am sending him to golf with the boys, and next Sunday he gets to go play paintball with his brothers.  But, first he has to get up super early to take George to a baseball game while Jefferson and I hold down the fort at home.  My parents and brother/sis-in-law will be there as well though.  Really, it should be a fun day all around.  Now if I can just get enough sleep tonight to enjoy it.