NAVY JO FRIEDLI IS HERE!!!

Navy Jo FINALLY came to our little family on Monday May 12th at 10:30 a.m. and she couldn’t be more perfect!! She was 7 lbs 12 oz and 19.5 inches long!


Few hours after she was born. She was so alert and awake!!

I started contractions and went in on my own and was able to have a VERY successful VBAC!! I will blog about her birth story later when I have more time! But all I can say is it couldn’t have gone any better!!


Zach and I getting SUPER excited. Mind you this was after I got the epidural! There were no smiles going on before then! ;)

Time is definitely not on my side now. ;) I thought I was busy before but now a spare minute is hard to find, and if I find one, I am usually soaking in the tub or taking a nap! ;) So sorry for this long delay of her announcement!!

The first week I would title as ADJUSTMENT! Dakota’s birth was SO different because it was an emergency c-section and then for 2 weeks it was visiting him in the NICU…I never got to take him home and experience “normal” newborn life with him.

Physically I can’t even remember the healing aspect of it because I was SO focused on Dakota and him getting better I didn’t have time to think about me. Nursing was also different because all I mostly did was pump and give away that white gold to the nurses to give to Dakota. It wasn’t until I got to take him home 2 weeks later I experienced the real nursing experience.

So this go around has been completely different. Experiencing the physical aspects of labor and healing has been tough. Trying to nurse a baby who wants to sleep ALL day every day has been tough. I have resorted to a spray bottle to try and keep her up and even that doesn’t always work (mean I know! ;))

Adjusting to the emotional roller coaster that first week was quite different for me too. I’m not much of a crier or even very emotional but about day 3 and 4 I would just cry…for no particular reason at all. I would look at Zach being the cutest dad and cry. I would cry because of how much I love ms Navy Jo and then turn around and cry because I was unsure how in the world I was going to take care of Dakota and Navy by myself when my mom leaves. I would cry because how grateful I was that the VBAC went so smooth and then I would cry because I wasn’t able to pick up Dakota yet. It was all so weird and I was feeling like a crazy person. Luckily my sister and friend assured me that as normal and that they cried too! Zach wasn’t so sure it was normal! ;) I don’t remember feeling like that with Dakota but I’m sure I was…it probably just made more sense because he was still in the hospital and it manifested itself “seemingly” more normal! ;)

It has been an adjustment just managing 2 kids. I change a TON of diapers now and juggle trying to give Dakota enough attention between the millions of feedings that Navy needs. Dakota has his last day of school this Friday and I’m not sure how this summer is going to go but I sure hope I can entertain him enough with a little sister in tow!

Week 2 has already been SO much better! I feel like a “normal” person again!!! Physically I feel SO much better and emotionally I think I’m back to normal! ;)

Navy truly has been such a sweet, happy, and content little girl and I thank Heavenly Father every day for hearing my “order” I placed for a good baby and blessing me with one! By the 2nd night she was already going 4 hours at night between feedings and now has consistently been going 5 hours and even then, I am trying to wake her up to eat. She is pretty much just happy and content in her few moments in the day when she is actually awake! We think she is just gorgeous as ever but of course we are her parents so we will think that! So far most people think she looks like me but I can never tell when they are so tiny. I did look at a baby picture of Dakota and think she looked like him except for the eyes!


It’s crazy how fast they change and grow!!

Dakota first met her in the hospital (don’t have that picture yet) but he didn’t really have much response to her.

When we got home he was kind of the same way. Slowly day by day he looks at her a little more. I’m sure he is wondering why I am always holding her on the couch so much (feeding her!) ;) He has started to smile at her sometimes though. I can’t wait for the day when she will just light up his world. I’m sure he is just waiting for her to wake up and play!!! ;)


He stared at her on the way home from the hospital…thinking who in the world is back here with me! ;)

 
He sure makes Navy look so tiny!! I feel like he has grown SO much since she has come!!


His first smile at her! Having someone on the floor with him is pretty fun!! ;)


We try and let him snuggle her as much as possible! We have to really make sure he doesn’t stiffen up with her in his arms or wave his arm and smack her! ;) Pretty soon she will be tough enough to take him though! ;)


Sure love these 2!! I’m excited to see all that the future holds for them and to see them grow to love one another!!


I can’t believe we are a family of 4 now!!!