First 3 months

The first three weeks were wonderful, except for all of the catch up I felt had to be done immediately since we weren't quite ready for Andrew Grier. He slept and ate. That was it. While I slowly began to feel more exhausted, I told everyone I knew, "I understand why people get addicted to having babies! He's the most amazing thing in the world and I can't imagine my life without him. He's so easy, I'd get pregnany again in a heartbeat if I didn't know a little about what's to come!"

Months 2 and 3 were a different story. Right at 6 weeks, I hit my brick wall. Everyone said I would, and I slammed right into it with full force. I cried and cried and promptly booked a plane ticket to go see Mom and Dad. Momma can fix anything, right?!? While that's not exactly how it happened, I sure felt that way. Mom had been in the hospital herself the week after Andrew was born and was home recovering from surgery and an infection, but unable to fly. I couldn't stand it any longer, so Andrew and I went to her. At 6.5 weeks, he was a perfect angel. He ate and slept on the flights and that was all. What a dear.

Our trip to Richmond was exactly what I needed. A little TLC from Mom and Dad was all I needed and I loved the introduction. They also introduced me to the concept of rice cereal in a nithgtime bottle, which I loved even more! At 7 weeks, we cut out one middle-of-the-night feeding and never looked back.

Though we started to get into a bit of a routine, our evenings were rough. Nothing seemed to calm Andrew and I stressed that all Michael saw was a fussy baby. In retrospect, it was just exhaustion, but tired parents were very frustrated not to be able to encourage a tired baby to sleep instead of cry.

My time off work ended with a busy streak of family and travel. We went to Baltimore for Memorial Day and enjoyed great visits with the Killians. Susan hosted a fabulous crab feast during which most family and friends were able to meet baby Andrew. The Killian and Ebert little bitties enjoyed trying to help Andrew sleep by tossing all of their stuffed animals into his pack n play:)

Then Andrew and I drove to Vienna for a few days with the Jones. Kate was a wonderful aunt and Chris was a precious uncle:) Sarah and Abby stole the show, though. They were SO excited to help with baby Andrew. Abby, naturally, insisted on picking out his clothes each day while Sarah proved that she was old enough to hold Andrew AND feed him all by herself! They really were cute with him.

Andrew's first introduction to Alex certainly showed a difference a year can make! While the boys weren't terribly interested in each other (just give that some time, I'm sure!), we had a great dinner in Arlington and headed back to Vienna.

Next stop on the tour was Richmond. Andrew began to prove that he was sleep anywhere I schlepped him. We loaded all the cars, aquired Em, and head to Litchfield for a week at the beach. Michael was finally able to join us again and we enjoyed some much more favorable beach conditions than 2007 at Pawley's! Anne journaled that included in our busy week was a baby starting to sleep through the night. 6 hours on vacation (between the beginning of feedings) didn't quite seem like sleeping through the night, but I was welcoming it!

Going Home

Shortly after he was born, Michael and I debated our last two names---fitting disciples Andrew and Luke. While Watson grinned that David was a wonderful name, we explained that David was already the first born boy on one side. Luke being too short to offer Michael the plethora of nicknames he needs, we settled on Andrew. Andrew Grier Killian.

Our days in the hospital were crazy. You wonder where on earth the time goes, but it certainly goes somewhere! Michael slept at home on my orders and was with us except to go to lacrosse practice. The girls wondered where Mommy was, but Dad swooped in to feed them each day and take them to run at practice, so they weren't overly concerned.

Discharge from the hospital Friday was an unexpectedly emotional experience for me. I thought I'd be excited to get back to my own bed, but I was suddenly feeling clueless. What would we do without all of our friends here, all of the people with all of the answers, all of the people that take Andrew away so I can sleep and help me feed him with a tube since my milk isn't in? It's not an easy transition, but Michael had worked hard to get the base in the car that morning and he & Cigna said we were going to use that carseat whether I cried about it or not!

You can't imagine the feeling of walking into your house the first time with your first baby. It's as surreal of an experience as pregnany and childbirth are. Andrew was asleep, so I settled in for a nap, too. The next week is a blur. It was nothing more than cycles of crying, feeding, and sleeping...for everyone. Until my milk arrived for my starving boy Sunday night, feedings were a family affair involving syringes, tubes, and formula. Michael never knew he'd play a role in "breast" feeding! I hadn't realized how early on we would be tricking Andrew in order to protect him:)