The First Month

The first month with Al has filled me with joy, self-doubt, fatigue, love, confusion, and confidence.  We are SLOWLY falling into patterns that suit all three of us (at least until I go back to work).  At this point, I can usually soothe Al when he's crying, but find it more difficult to let him "cry it out" when needed.   It's hard - I underestimated how hard it would be - but I love it.

The first few days I was enamored with Mark and Al.  Truly, they were both perfect.  Since then, we've each hit our "bumps."  Luckily, Mark can tell when I'm at my breaking point and comes to the rescue...and I try to do the same with him.  Have we exchanged a few ugly words?  Sure, but we're working on underlying issues and practicing the art of forgiveness (Mark is good at this, as I can say some pretty mean things during tense moments).

Levon has adjusted well, as I assumed he would.  He's mostly just curious and smells Al as much as possible.  He has been getting less attention, but he's never required a lot and enjoys doing his own thing.  If anything, I think this will work in his favor since we will probably put up a fence...finally.

Living in the same city as our families has been amazing.  Mark's mom helped me clean the house one day (though, you wouldn't be able to tell now) and kept Al so Mark and I could go to Bree's shower.
My mom comes over most days to visit or let me out of the house.  It's amazing!  She LOVES Al, and I'm pretty sure she's already his favorite person.

I've also been blessed by some great friends, who have made us dinner, brought gifts, and visited Al and me numerous times.  It's hard spending most of your day meeting the demands of someone else, who can't speak.  But my friends have helped me stay positive and have encouraged me to get out of the house some.  And, they are even thinking about us when we aren't with them.

Some people ask how I spend most of my days right now.  I'd say that this picture is a pretty accurate portrayal:

But we've also been to see both grandparents, Brookwood Mall, Panera, Krispy Kreme, and numerous walks.

I only have 2 1/2 weeks left of my maternity leave, and I'm looking forward to spending lots of time with this guy:

Mark Allan Pridgen, Jr.

On December 22 around 3:45pm, Mark and I were getting ready to brave the holiday crowds at the Summit to look for a new bed at Pottery Barn.  I went to the restroom before we left, and pop!  Was that my water?  I had "false alarms" before, but this had to be the real thing.  I called my doctor and she told me to go ahead and come in.  I snuck in a quick shower and sent Mark to the grocery store - I had heard that you can't eat before delivery and might not be able to find anything decent for hours after either.

We calmly packed our bags and I got in the car while Mark took our dog, Levon, on a quick walk.  Then...chaos - Mark returned from their outing with an empty leash and said "This is Bad."  Yep, Levon wrapped himself around a tree and wiggled out of his collar.  Bad timing, Levon.  Luckily, I was able to head-off Levon in the car while Mark chased him on foot...only losing about 15 minutes.

Once we got to the hospital, I had a pretty "by the book" delivery, so there's no need for details.  Just this beautiful face staring at me at 3:19am on December 23:

8lbs & 2ozs of perfection!  Welcome to the world, Mark Allan "Al" Pridgen, Jr.