Settling In

At the moment my days are still spent on the couch with Orion as I wait to heal up and feel better. I'm just starting to feel less sore, but boy those stitches just suck, and that's all there is to that. I'm looking forward to being more mobile, though I know that once my mom leaves I'm going to be here alone with baby most days, and that things will be tougher without the extra help. For one thing, I'm going to have to put him down once in a while! We've 'practiced' taking showers and baths with him in the bouncy chair in the bathroom with me, and so far he's been a good sleeper through those experiences. I'm learning to just get him fed and content before I try to do anything - and have managed to eat and even tie a few hemp bracelets with him nursing away on the Boppy pillow.
Although it's going to be tough on us financially, I'm really glad I have the 12 weeks of maternity leave to take care of our little guy during his first three months. I imagine by the end of that time I'll be quite glad to go back to work, though it'll be hard to leave him!
I'm still sort of processing the fact that I'm now a mother - sometimes I look at Orion and realize that I'm going to be oriented to this little person for the rest of my life. I think that's awesome, but it's also sort of overwhelming. Things will never be the same, but I believe that's a good thing! I've wanted to start a family forever, and I'm really glad to have Russell in my life to do it with. He's the best partner I could ask for, and we sure made a cute baby.
On top of that, I still haven't quite processed the fact that I actually gave birth - this blows my mind. Since it was really up in the air until the very last minute whether I would deliver at the BC or have to go to UNC (or even have a c-section), I suppose I hadn't really settled into the idea that I was going to push this baby out the natural way. Even as I was doing it my brain sort of shied away from the fact that I was in labor, even up until the point that Orion was laying on my chest all slimy and still attached to his umbilical cord! Now I look back and think, wow, I did it. Supposed to be the hardest and most painful thing, and I did it - without any interventions. Wow.
And here I am on the couch with him sleeping next to me, making calls to my insurance company and Medicaid to get him all covered and legally registered, etc. It's official now, folks - Russell and Sachi have swelled the ranks of hippie families by one sweet baby boy!