1 month

Ezra has hit the one month milestone!

Here are the stepping stones this month:

1 week old:
Ezra had his newborn photo's taken at the photographers studio.  Overall a long day, but we are sooo happy with the pictures she was able to get.  We were all (Mommy, Daddy, Ezra, and Grandma Jolliff) tired after this all day outing...and to be completely honest, I wasn't sure I was ever going to leave the house again afterwards ;)

2 weeks old:
Ezra attended his baby shower hosted by the church family.  He was pretty fussy leading up to the event and crying at the beginning, but after feeding him again, he dozed off for the rest of the event and was passed around for snuggly time by a number of the women of the church.  He is well loved already!  Grandma Jolliff left for home this week, and I especially had some adjustment issues without all the wonderful help and extra set of hands for soothing, burping, laundry, cleaning etc.

3 weeks old:

Moms at feeding time.

The boys, Ezra is sad our friends are leaving.

Our friends the Remple's visited today with their 6 month old son!  Ezra slept through most of the visit as he does most things, including 3 weeks worth of church services.  Hooray!  Although, we still look forward to the day Ezra might sleep though the night, Nate and I have fallen into a evening partnership of Nate getting Ezra up when he is crying and ready to eat, changes his diaper, and then hands him off to me to nurse and then put back down.  I'm especially grateful for Nate's involvement in the evenings.  And Ezra really is (generally) a good baby at night, going down easily after each feeding.   A normal evening has Ezra waking every 3-4 hours to eat.  We have on one or two occasions had a 5 hour stretch.  We have also had some stretches where he struggles through gas bubbles and is hard to calm, but really it's not that often.



4 weeks old:

Our "family vehicle"

Daddy and Ezra getting ready to go out.

Ezra is growing stronger!  He is now 9 pounds 11 oz, a whole 2 pounds heavier than when he was born!  His face is growing fuller and changing before our very eyes.  In the last number of days he has started having longer stretches of wakefulness, and has contentedly sat for 45minutes to an hour in a swing or chair taking in his surroundings or object nearby.  We both love seeing him awake, and happy.  Ezra is also starting to adjust to daily routines without completely losing it every time we strap him into the car seat, take a bath, or change a diaper.  It is so nice.  He does still cry during these transitions, but not every time.  And he has been building a good reputation with his fan base ;)  We have left him a few times now with friends while we went out for some car shopping, and he has done wonderfully.  He stayed with our neighbor for 1.5 hours one day and with some other friends for just over 3 hours another day and did great both times.  He also continues to have a perfect streak in church where he sleeps through service or this past week was awake and quiet for about 1/2 the service before falling asleep the rest of the time.  He has also begun to spit up pretty regularly in the last week.  Not so great for laundry, but it is what it is.  Oh yeah, and we bought a new family car.  We shouldn't get stuck in our crescent this winter!

We are now entering a pretty busy holiday season, and most evenings find ourselves out or hosting at home, but it has been wonderful to connect with so many people who are eager to meet Ezra and spend time with him.  Grandma and Grandpa Wiebe will be arriving in about 2 weeks and will be sure to enjoy the chance to hold and get to know their new grandson.  And Nate and I will look forward to planning a Christmas date night to take advantage of the in-house support again!

Meet Ezra

Ezra Douglass Wiebe is 2 weeks old today.

He arrived in our lives on October 29th weighing in at 7lbs 11oz,  to which I was grateful because I knew I could actually remember that 7-11 number pairing.  He measured 20.5 inches long and Nate had the honor of cutting Ezra's cord.

Nate and I were both relieved he was able to make it through the delivery and stay by my side, as he knows he can get faint from various medical scenarios.  He had no issues through Ezra's birth and was a great supportive partner.

My contractions began at 5pm on Wednesday the 28th and after about 8 hours and various coping techniques and pain management attempts I asked for the epidural to be brought on after finding I was just barely past the halfway mark of dialation.  So thankful for the relief it brought and ability to get some rest as Ezra still didn't arrive for another 11hours.  I honestly can't imagine what I would have done without the help.

24hours after he was born, we were packing up bags to check out from the hospital.  I was expecting I would want to stay longer but I was the one asking when was the soonest we could leave.  The downfall of the epidural was the inability to move around, and the need to be hooked up to monitors etc.  I really did feel like a patient when all I wanted to do was figure out this Mommy thing without so many nurses walking in and out of my room,  being hooked up to IV, and having my blood pressure taken all night.

Recovery has been smooth from what I can tell, and what others tell me.  I keep saying, I don't have any experience to compare it to, so I don't know what I should or shouldn't be feeling or doing!  We have had several outings small and large.  A couple of walks in the neighborhood, and day out for newborn photographs, IKEA shopping, and a short trip to Pigeon Lake to have a coffee and slice of pie.  The short trips have been good experiences.  The long ones make me want to never leave the house again!

Having my Mom arrive within an hour of our return home from the hospital has been amazing with another set of hands to hold, burp, and change the baby, not to mention the hours of laundry, cleaning, and miscellaneous projects she has helped with around the new house.

The church has also been absolutely astounding in their care and going far above and beyond anything we ever imagined.  When we left for the hospital our belongings were still half in boxes and randomly strewn about as we needed to clear areas as the painters were still working in the house.  The roof was still being put on,  and life was a bit chaotic!

While we were in the hospital, people from the church were called and rallied together to come in and  prepare a home for us to return to.  Painters and roofers were lovingly but firmly encouraged to do what it took to get their work done before we came home with baby, and miraculously enough, they did!

We walked in the door to balloons, flowers, and a house that had been put together in our absence.  Overwhelmed, would be an understatement.  Through the following week meals were delivered nightly, and were of holiday celebration quality.  Each night we would sit down at the table with the most amazing meals.

I can't help but to continue to think about the passage where Jesus is telling his disciples about the Father preparing a place for them.  I feel we really have experienced His kingdom here on Earth lived out by our brothers and sisters in Christ, through their love and care...preparing this place for us, providing food and nourishment.  It really is so humbling.

Sweet baby Ezra is entering into a large and loving church family we are privileged to be a part of.