Home at last!

We are all home now and starting to get settled into our routine. Evan is doing excellent! He dropped almost a pound from his birth weight, but he managed to gain 3.2 ounces over the weekend. The doctor hopes to have him back to his birth weight by the time he is two weeks old.

Nothing can quite prepare new parents for the hectic, sleep-deprived routine that ensues once you bring the baby home. Plenty of our friends and family warned us about the tumultuous schedule that newborns necessitate (I often think that they even relish the thought of sharing that pain with someone else…the “sucker effect”). However, the crazy sleep schedules and poopy diapers are all worth it once you hold that little bundle of joy in your arms.

We were fortunate to have Amy’s mother, June, stay with us for the first few days. She helped keep us sane by feeding us, keeping the house clean and the laundry washed. She even gave us a few extra breaks for quick naps. Her extra help really allowed us to settle into our routine rather quickly.

The Rozek Clan (part of them) is visiting now. When we called them with the word that we were ready for Round 2 of guests, they immediately started packing the car and were en route only a few hours later. Needless to say, there is no shortage of arms to hold little Evan. There is currently a waiting list!

Like all other new parents, our schedule now consists of feedings and diaper changes every three hours (until he is back to his birth weight). Because he stays sleepy 90% of the time, the administrative functions of changing and feeding often run at least 60 minutes each time. That leaves less than two hours for sleep. After taking care of a few items for ourselves, we are usually left with about an hour and a half for sleep before it is time to wake and repeat. Short of the military or fraternity hazing routines, I am not sure much can prepare you for this deprivation except parenting itself.

We are still trying to keep up with the pictures and emailing them to friends and family. Unfortunately, we are running a little behind (some things just get triaged). I have managed to post about 60 pictures of Evan on Picasa. When you have a minute, stop and take a look.

Again, thank you for all of the well wishes and supportive comments from our friends and family. They (and Evan’s cute face) are what keeps us going during the waking hours. We cannot wait to get out soon and show him off!