We Need a Montage: Oscar's first week

I'm going to come clean. Jason and I agree - the first week of parenting has been one of the best weeks of our lives. Bonding with our baby and becoming a parent is totally awesome. We think Oscar is an exceptional baby. So far, everything has been easier than we had hoped or prepared for. I keep thinking "this is just too cool - when does it start to become the hellish experience that other parents speak of?" I'm sure that day will arrive, but for now we are just plain enjoying Oscar's presence in our lives.

In the hospital - we all look good because this is the
day after giving birth, and after showering.

To recap, Oscar Odin Vogel was born on Sunday, August 11th at 11:58 pm after about an 8-hour labor. Everything went great with his birth, and he has his mom's long fingers and toes. Lots of people say he looks like me, but Jason and I think he looks like every other newborn baby... except cuter. Only time will tell which Bilich and Vogel features he acquires.

photo: Brenna Britton

Oscar spent the first 1.5 days of his life at the hospital, a short stay because he had a fuss-free birth and passed all his exams and tests with flying colors. We gave birth at a baby friendly hospital, which meant Oscar was by our sides the entire time and was never sent to a nursery. We had visits from countless nurses, doctors, and lactation consultants, all of whom helped us get off to a great start with breast feeding. We had visits from our friends Keith, Sue, and Katie, and got started with middle-of-the-night feeding sessions. When things got really rough (parents running on 1.5 hrs of sleep in 48 hours, such is the nature of giving birth 'round midnight I suppose), a wonderful nurse named Kit wrapped Oscar in a warm blanket and rocked him in the nursery for a couple hours so Jason and I could get some sleep. Stellar care all around.

After checking out of the hospital, we had a short cry-free car ride home and then began some of the most pure, simple, enjoyable days of Jason and I's lives. As Jason put it, allowing our little 3-person family to bond for a few days without other distractions was an amazing vacation. In short order, Jason and I fell thoroughly in love with our little man, and discovered a new layer of love for each other as parents and care-givers. Jason is impressed by my ability to feed Oscar and be his 'home base', while I'm floored by Jason's absolute adoration for his son. Jason is already making up stories and songs for Oscar's entertainment... already an amazing dad.

photo: Brenna Britton

breakfast in bed with Oscar - thanks Jason!

home office a la iPad

I have been soooooo lucky to have such wonderful support from Jason. Every day, he has worked his little ass off jumping at my beck and call, making sure that I would rest and heal as quickly as possible. From the start, Jason established himself as the champion of burping and diapering so that I could rest in bed. Laundry, cooking, keeping me hydrated and fed - who needs a postpartum doula when you've got the world's best husband?!?!

Another way I'm lucky - my body is settling into post-partum pretty nicely. I'm about 8# over pre-pregnancy weight and looking better than I have any right to (as told by numerous people). For shits and giggles I put on my pre-preg jeans and they fit, that ain't right. Also, breastfeeding is going really really well, with plenty of supply and no need to pump... a home-visit nurse midwife told us Oscar is off the chart thriving and I should be careful not to brag about my supply for fear of making competitive Boulder moms jealous (ok, I can brag a little bit, she said). The baby blues are manageable so far, but damn am I looking forward to feeling good enough to start taking long walks with Oscar, so I can make some nice endorphins. I did decide to encapsulate Oscar's placenta and have been taking the pills on occasion, hoping this bit o' hippie magic helps to stave off post-partum depression.

Oscar gets to co-sleep with us, pretty tight
in a queen bed but still totally awesome

Oscar has packed a number of important milestones into his first week of life:

peeing on his own face (at least 3 times, we are apparently slow to learn this particular diaper-changing lesson)
peeing on another person (Oscar thanked our neighbor Mary for a nice backrub by decorating her t-shirt)
getting held by lots of visitors
sponge baths (turns out daily sponge baths still won't fix the stench of an umbilical cord stump - Oscar was referred to as Stinkbug until his cord stump fell off)
graciously accepting gifts of food for his mom and dad, so they would continue to feed him in turn
working it during a professional photography session (a friend stopped by and brought his girlfriend, a pro photographer - great shots of our little gnome! - but he was asleep the entire time)
dinner at home with friends Katie, Sean and 1-yr-old Ella
meeting and charming his grandparents (Tom and Georgeann arrived on day 7 to cook and clean and hold the baby for 10 days)
partying like a rockstar (at Chappell and James's baby shower)
walk with Dad around the neighborhood in a baby sling
hanging in the backyard with Mom
getting licked by Romy the cat ... a very important familial acceptance ritual
being tortured by Dad in the name of breakdancing (tummy time that went too far)