We Survived!!!!

Intense. That sums up how I feel about the first month. Intensely joyous. Intensely painful. Intensely sleepless...difficult...emotional. You name it I felt it that month. It was more difficult than anything I had ever imagined or experienced. Labor was nothing compared to that first week. In fact the next day I couldn't even remember what labor pains felt like but I can still tell you how much it hurt to breastfeed. Funny! I certainly was not prepared for any of it. She made it all worth it though. So sweet and beautiful. Every new sound or action was a delight. We just couldn't believe that she was ours. The game began to find out who she most resembled...we are still adding up scores on that one. Everyone has their own opinion. In fact...that became one of the most difficult challenges of the first month...too many unwanted opinions.

Even little old men in restaurants chimed in. In the same day in the same outfit one group of people would set about to inform me of all the myriad of maladies Rachel could get from being too cold, including hiccups apparently, and then the next group would tell me that just looking at how warmly she was dressed gave them hotflashes. People I love with all my heart I could no longer stand to be in the same room with. So I came to the only conclusion I could...listen only to professionals and even then...only what they are professionals at in the first place. At least that way if she is screwed up in the end I can only blame the professionals.