We’ve started printing out some of the photos from the birth and the first few days of her life. They help to make the birth seem that much more real in my mind but I know I still haven’t totally grasped the entirety of it all. Eventually when I am feeling less depressed and emotional I’ll watch the birth video and take stock.

It’s crazy how I was there birthing her totally unmedicated and I still don’t have a complete grasp of how amazing and crazy it all was. Our bodies truly are equipped to get us through intense situations because my hormones and adrenaline sure made it all “tunnel vision” for me if that makes sense.

I’ve chatted with N and my mom about the birth. They each have different moments that stand out in their minds and they have different perspective on it than I do. For N seeing Everly’s head emerge was a wow moment. I am sad that I didn’t get to see her coming out, that is my one regret.

My mom is still in awe of how peaceful and alert Everly was immediately after she came out. I guess my mom expected her to be blue and lethargic. She says Everly’s eyes were just darting all around taking it all in while the umbilical cord was still pulsating.

For me I can’t really pin point one moment since it’s all a blur still. I know that when they placed her on my chest right after she was out I was in awe. Someone captured a great photo of me looking at her for the first time, it really does speak volumes (I just don’t have much memory of it all).

I am pretty much totally healed from the tear now and feel like my body is doing great. I’ve pretty much lost all of the baby weight and you wouldn’t know I was 3 weeks postpartum looking at me today. My appetite is way down which kind of worries me since I’m breastfeeding.

The breastfeeding is still going fine. Everly latches on well and her feedings are beginning to last longer and longer. It appears she now weighs like 9-10lbs based upon my bathroom scale.

Over the weekend I added dairy back in my diet as we shifted to eliminating another possible culprit and Everly went berserk yesterday with major fussiness and apparent tummy pain. I think it is a result of the many glasses of milk I enjoyed over the weekend.

Now I am back to avoiding milk and dairy products. I also gave Everly a tiny bit of the digestive enzyme that the nutritionist/ chiropractor said I should try.

The idea is that her digestive system is not mature enough yet to process the proteins in milk and dairy but digestive enzymes do the digesting when given or taken with meals. Hopefully they’ll help her in the meantime until all the dairy is out of my system.

Yesterday was another rough day. She fussed and cried for about 5 hours straight. Nothing I could do would make it better, I went through the list of possible things I could do to make her happy and more comfortable. Nothing worked. Holding her did allow her to doze off a for a few moments here and there. I only cried twice yesterday during her fussing so that is a small sign that I am beginning to move closer to normalcy.

The digestive enzymes I gave her in some breast milk did help calm her in the evening and she slept pretty well though the night. Today is much of the same, I’ve only cried once so far today.

Even though I know her fussing/ crying is something I can’t always help I still tend to get frantic trying to soothe her and make her happy. Even after I’ve tried every possible thing two and three times with no luck. Not being able to calm her upsets me and I tend to dwell on not being able to fix it all for her.

Reading Twilight (that Krystal gifted me) helps to clear my mind and refresh me though. It forces me to not dwell on feelings of inadequacy in my parenting skills so that is good. Hopefully the tummy upset will improve soon.

Everly enjoyed her first bath over the weekend. The bathtub (that Donna B got Everly) rocks and Everly loved bath time. She only cried when we were taking her out of the water, guess she didn’t want it to end.

Also, she has begun to be more playful and alert in the last few days. She smiles at you and will mimic other facial expressions like if you stick your tongue out at her.

So things are going well. This parenting thing is still hard and we’re adjusting. We hear it’s supposed to get easier so we are hanging in there though. Besides she is to damn cute to give up on!

The post 3 weeks postpartum: Still in a daze trying to grasp it all. appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.

11:30:11 AM: We are heading home tomorrow and all is going well. The stitches are killing me…

11:31:27 AM: and we are still trying to get the hang of breastfeeding.

11:33:03 AM: It all hasnt really hit us yet. I am looking back at photo and video of the birth…

11:34:47 AM: Still cant believe it all or get my head around it!

11:46:40 AM: Blogged: Baby Everly is 2 days old! http://tinyurl.com/lyw5vc

3:15:09 PM: Woho! Everly just had her first greenish poo! That means the breastfeeding is going well. Woot!

6:26:51 PM: Almost home, sweet home with baby Everly.

11:08:59 PM: Just took a nice warm bath in my own tub, am breastfeeding Everly and relaxing in bed. Finally, home and enjoying the new addition.

12:05:18 AM: OMG! 2 weeks away to home birth baby= 1000’s of emails to go through.

2:30:17 AM: Blogged: Live Vlog Broadcast Info: Everly’s Homecoming http://tinyurl.com/q4t9uk

2:59:44 PM: Everly’s first vlog (Broadcasting live at http://ustre.am/2hKn)

3:02:42 PM: Check out the live vlog and see Everly now! http://www.harvestofdailylife.com

3:18:16 PM: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1720803 (Harvest of Daily Life Vlog live > http://ustre.am/2hKn)

3:35:18 PM: Come chat & see baby!! http://bit.ly/TV5Yb
(Harvest of Daily Life Vlog live > http://ustre.am/2hKn)

3:50:03 PM: @lfineaux you saw that too? We were joking that she made the mahalo sign… (Harvest of Daily Life Vlog live > http://ustre.am/2hKn)

3:51:13 PM: @lfineaux …like a true born hippy! (Harvest of Daily Life Vlog live > http://ustre.am/2hKn)

3:52:13 PM: Baby pooed on me -> http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1720803 (Harvest of Daily Life Vlog live > http://ustre.am/2hKn)

10:30:14 AM: Blogged: Green poop filled BumGenius = I http://tinyurl.com/mpl9bu

The post Baby Everly is 2 days old! appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.

7:45:15 AM: My water broke at 7:30 am! 39 weeks 5 days pregnant. Here we go!

9:40:53 AM: I’ll do my best to keep sharing labor updates. Woot! Baby time!

9:49:13 AM: http://twitpic.com/83ov0 – Just finished the lettering.

10:46:21 AM: Blogged: My water broke at 7:30 am! 39 weeks 5 days pregnant. Here we go! http://tinyurl.com/koqacu

10:48:36 AM: Just had a big breakfast and am now laying dow

10:55:03 AM: Tried to say i am laying down for a nap now…

11:02:17 AM: All i am feeling is what i would call bad period cramps and a lower back ache.

12:44:23 PM: I am almost up to a min long on the contractions. They are coming about every 3 min still.

12:59:57 PM: Making brownies and going for a walk to The Farm store now.

1:38:14 PM: Look at the message in my coffee cup.

3:17:01 PM: N is here with us now. Still at 3 min contractions that are about a min long and are killing my back. Crocheting and doing a crossword. …

[ The next 10 hours are spent laboring, focusing and bringing baby Tater in to the world, read the mini birth story here. She was born at 1:16am on June 23rd.]

June 23rd 2009

3:24:53 AM: Okay on the way to the hospital for some stitches. She was born at 1:16 am. She is big and beautiful!

6:00:51 AM: Just got her blood type at the hospital and my bazillion stitches waiting for my Rhogam shot now.

6:07:16 AM: We’ve named her… Everly Charlotte by the way. ;->

6:08:42 AM: Yep.

10:58:03 AM: She weighed just under 9 poumds

10:59:44 AM: We are all trying to get some sleep. My pain is keeping me up.

2:09:40 PM: http://twitpic.com/87knp – Here is a photo of our little Everly!

The post My water broke, baby is coming. A Twitter live blog appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.

6:19:24 PM: My mom made it here and is going 100 miles a min, thinks that is good for getting labor started. N is finishing his work day

6:21:21 PM: He cant wait too get back here. He also got in a parking lot accident yesterday on the job.

6:23:57 PM: He has whiplash now. I am uncomfortable and am even more ready for Tater to come. Tired of hearing about what I

6:25:07 PM: should or shouldnt be doing to start labor.

6:29:59 PM: It is a hot one here today. I am tired too but gotta have dinner and a shower before sleep.

6:35:52 PM: Tater’s due date is 6 days away… I cant wait for N to come back to the farm tomorrow! Will we have a fathers day baby?

6:36:35 PM: Fingers are crossed!

The post Still not in labor. appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.