Things

Things I didn't like so much surrounding Klein's birth:

• the tingling of the epidural
• the swelling of my body and face (even more than it was) resulting in me being the ugliest I have ever been in my life. period.
• waiting to dilate past a 4 for 17 hours
• the news that I would need a C-section
• the shaking due to labor/epidural
• wanting to sleep so bad but being so uncomfortable it was impossible
• throwing up from the medicine
• being told that Klein would have a cone head because I wasn't dilating and his head was just sinking further and further into a place that wasn't accommodating him (it really wasn't as bad as they thought, thank goodness)
  
• being the ugliest I have ever been in my life. period. (did I say that already?)
• the jello belly I had after he was born (I looked like Santa just in time for Christmas!)
  
• the first couple weeks of breastfeeding (2 lactation consultations later, even though one of the consultants came in and saw Klein eating and exclaimed, "he has a text book latch, text book...")
• not showering for 3 days
• not having a room with an ocean view... :(
• Klein losing 10% of his body weight and freaking me out half to death (because I wasn't having rational thoughts)
• my irrational thoughts freaking me out half to death (he'll die if my milk doesn't come in... he's sleeping too much, etc)
• having to wake Klein up to eat every 2 hours, and keep him awake to "eat"
  
• Being separated from Klein for his circumcision (and thinking how much pain he was in as they brought him back in to my room with a little pacifier next to him that had been used to comfort him during the procedure)
• Levi and Bailey not being able to come meet Klein because of flu season (hospital policy)
  

Things I rather liked surrounding Klein's birth:

• Aunt Annie driving through the nite from Utah, making it into town just in time to see me labor and hear the nurse decide a C-section would be best
• the fact that Grant and I were at Claim Jumper eating a chocolate chip calzone when I decided that I was in labor
  
• Grant making brownies at 1 in the morning for the nurses (a Hypnobabies suggestion) while I was upstairs listening to my hypnobabies cd waiting to go in to the hospital (the nurses were obsessed with him for the brownies that were amazing)
• the nurse that took care of me and all the staff at Hoag
• the fact that I had gone into labor on my own
• having Klein on his due date
• Having friends and family come visit and meet Klein
• the flowers that Grant's parents and my brother John sent to us
  
• the pain meds that made breastfeeding and moving possible
• the sponge bath that the nurse gave me (seriously)
• finally being able to take a shower and do my hair
• the electronic adjustable bed
• the tv
• the meals that were brought in
• getting Klein dressed to go home in his outfit that we bought him when we found out he was a boy
  
• Grant staying with me 24/7 in the hospital and afterwards

Things I loved surrounding Klein's birth:

• watching Klein be born (the anesthesiologist convinced me to watch Klein come out during the C-section stating that it wasn't going to be "that bad" and that I wouldn't see myself cut open, just the baby. I first saw his dark hair and then they pulled his little body out and held him up to the mirror so I could see him. I saw his little face for the first time as he was crying like crazy and I immediately fell in love and started crying out of joy. Probably the second time in my life I have cried out of joy. That moment was probably the best moment of my life.
• Hearing Grant say, "he looks like you! He's a Bench." about Klein right after he was born
• Hearing everyone else say he looked just like Grant, including my own mother
  
• Seeing Grant hold Klein as he brought him over to me while they were stitching me up. I just saw the back of Grant's head as he was enamored by Klein, rocking him and trying to hold him as close to me as possible so I could get a good look at him
• The doctors and Grant's reassurance that Klein's ballistic crying after he was born was really good, and Grant looking at him and telling me, "he's turning pink really quick"
• Hearing the nurse refer to me as Mommy to Klein for the first time right before she put him in my arms
• Having the moment with my mom when she came back to see Klein and I was holding him and feeding him (he rooted the second he was on me so I started to feed him right away) and she said, "Callie!" and put her hand to her mouth and we both started crying
• Anne coming back to meet Klein in the recovery room
• All the nurses and doctors telling us how beautiful the baby was and how he didn't "look like a newborn" and saying that "most the time, newborns aren't this cute"
• having him room in with me and holding him constantly
  
• Noticing Klein's dimples
• Our first moments together as a family
  
• Grant reassuring me that everything was going to be perfect while I was having my meltdowns and being there for Klein and I without fail 24/7
• the drive home from the hospital where I was sitting in back with Klein and Grant was driving and noticing Grant tear up as he was talking about looking at "that little face"
  

All in all, it was such a great experience that Grant and I will treasure forever.

Guess what Santa forgot at our house...

and when he found out, he had a hissy fit.

then Oma talked to him and he calmed down a bit.

she showed him the gift that Santa left for him.

Daddy talked to him and after much consideration...

He decided to stay.

Tubby Time

Klein got his first tubby last nite. It was fun and he seemed to like it. The picture on the top left is him right when he got in. He's deciding what he thinks about the whole bath thing. It was fun as Grant held his head straight and I cleaned him. We tried to quickly dry him off so he wouldn't get cold. It was a fun Family Home Evening activity.

It seems that when I gave birth, I entered into the Twilight Zone. Nothing is normal yet and taking care of the little man has proved to be a taxing task. Although, I really love it. There are so many wonderful things about being a new mom, but so many difficult things as well. The hardest part, you guessed it, the lack of sleep in the night. In the hospital, we had to wake him up to eat, but now, he has certainly mastered the task of waking me up to eat. Grant takes the first shift in the nite, from 10 to 3, and then I take over after that.

I am just so grateful for a patient partner, who does so much to help, who has really embraced his role as a father, but hasn't forgotten about being a husband.

Nothing to complain about, just a lot of things to get used to. Klein is such a good baby and makes the funniest faces to entertain me during the day. And I love his squeaks. And when he straightens his legs right out when I change him. Also, when he goes cross-eyed and sticks his lips out like a fish. He is a fun little guy. He will be three weeks on Tuesday and we are the happiest family living in the Twilight Zone.

Check It Out Klein

Check out a glimpse of Klein's first professional photo shoot here at Danielle Locken's Photography Blog. Danielle is such a talented photographer. I'm so glad she was able to do these. They are just perfect, same as my little man. If any of you want yours or your little one's photos taken, call her! She's amazing.

Kleiners

Grant was so happy about our new arrival that he blogged for the first time. Thanks to all of you for your congratulations and love! We are so blessed to have so many friends and family to share our joy with.

I will write soon about all the details but I wanted to share a picture of the cutest face I've ever seen.

Introducing...

He's here! Klein Richman Lippard arrived yesterday at 2:01pm, weighing in at 7 lbs, 8 oz and a lanky 20.5 inches. He has momma's chin and ears and daddy's dimple and long fingers!

Here he is in the incubator right after he was delivered. He was super calm and happy right from the start.

I think he takes after the Bench side but Callie, Oma Ludloff, and a lot of the nurses think he looks like daddy. What do you think?

After 17 hours of labor, Callie had a C-section as the labor failed to progress but she was happy to meet our little guy sooner rather than later. Baby and mom are both doing wonderfully. Klein has been perfectly content and has passed all his tests with flying colors and he's already flirting with all the nurses.
We are very proud of him and can't wait to take him home on Friday or Saturday! We'll post more pics soon!