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Daniel and I are so proud to announce the birth of our son, Oliver Alexander Deane on October 6th 2017 at 5:25pm. His name means “Peaceful Warrior” and we couldn’t have chosen more appropriately. We want him to grow up to stand up for what he believes in, in a kind but strong way. We have waited for you for a long time Oliver and we are so thrilled to take care of you as best we can. We love you with a fierce, unconditional love already.
How Far Along: Baby Oliver was born at 39 weeks 5 days at Novant Presbyterian Hospital. The water birth at Baby + Company “went down the drain” (see what I did there?) but it was the perfect birth for you baby boy. The walk in the Harvest Moon gave Oliver the motivation to get himself outta there!

Thursday 10/05/17 9:00pm. Three hours before I went into labor!
Size: 7lbs11oz, 20inches long.
Mama’s pregnancy weight gain: 24-26 lbs.
No-baby bump: I think my post-partum bump after a week is about the same size as week 18/19 of pregnancy. The body is so amazing. Daniel is making me laugh so much so I get a lot of light ab exercise everyday!

I’m going to laugh my tummy back into shape!

Thursday 10/05/17 4:45pm (about 8 hours before I went into labor!)
Exercise: Ummmm, walking around the apartment is enough for now, but we did just take our first walk as a family around the apartment community yesterday. We used the bassinet and loved it- many more walks to come. Also, we have become 100% more popular pushing Oliver around. Seriously, no one used to stop and talk to just Daniel and I on the way to the pool. Rude. But last night, Oliver was attracting people like bees to a flower. It suits me just fine because I LOVE talking to people and I have a serious case of cabin fever at the moment. Daniel, not so much.

Our first stroll as a family
How I’m feeling: Ouch, ouch, ouch. Pushing out a baby is soooooooo painful. Extremely rewarding, but ridiculously painful. Trying to sit afterwards is torture. Have I not done enough? I had a second degree tear so I’m supposed to take it easy so it can heal. That’s really hard for me to do, especially on beautiful days like today. I overdid it two days in a row at an appointment and then BuyBuyBaby (I couldn’t help myself). That just made it worse, so I put myself on house arrest to get “back on my feet” soon.
The hormones! Oh! The hormones. I had no idea that post-partum hormones were even more intense than those of pregnancy. Obviously it’s different for every person though. Me – I cry when I hear a beautiful song, I cry when I watch TV, I cry when I pray for Oliver, I cry when I sing to Oliver, I cry when my mom takes Oliver for a walk and I miss him. I.cry.a.LOT. But it’s beautiful tears of gratitude that I have an amazing husband who is such a great dad already, and we have a beautiful son who we get to call “family.”
Cravings/Aversions:
I am so excited that I don’t have acid reflux any more!! Whooohoo! I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want (even right before going to sleep!) with no consequences. #freedom
I still don’t feel like that peanut sauce but other than that I love food! And I had a very small glass of wine! Ok, well it was more like 5 sips then I knew I was done. Haha, lightweight. Oh it was so satisfying.
Food: We are eating like Kings and Queens over here! I’m sure Oliver will be back to his birth weight in no time. Thanks to Anna for organizing the Meal Train for us! Some things we ate this week –
- Cauliflower and lentil soup (Thanks Ensley)
- Loaded couscous and salad (Thanks Mom)
- Veggie Stew with rice (One of the meals I made and froze)
- Corn and fresh herb soup with delicious bread sticks (Thanks Aunty Cheri)
- Cinnamon rolls (Also Aunty Cheri-delish!)
- Muesli
- Cucumber avocado sandwiches
- Fruit (bananas, apples, strawberries)
What I miss: Oliver has been out of the womb for a week now and I have 3 pimples. Whaaaaat?? But I’d rather have three pimples and his sweet cheeks to kiss than have him back in my tummy.
Nursery: Oh dear! The nursery went from a beautifully decorated and organized room to a disaster zone. We have our queen mattress on the floor next to his crib mattress (also on the floor) and it’s been working so well but the nursery’s lost it’s minimalist vibe with all our stuff in there.
Baby Purchases: We went to BuyBuyBaby this week and I could finally go to the boys section and pick out some clothes that weren’t gray or yellow. I’m surprised I didn’t cry because it was so cute to imagine Oliver in all those cute little outfits (that are NOT cheap by the way, even though it’s like a quarter of the fabric than an adult garment. Go figure!)
Can’t wait for: It to be comfortable to sit again. I also can’t wait to go to church and show our baby off to all our friends. The Hospital’s discharge instructions were not to go out into crowded places for 6-8 weeks. I know Oliver’s immune system still needs to develop but that’s a long time folks! How long did you wait?
Thanks for reading along with me during my pregnancy journey! I have loved the comments and really appreciate your support! So, what’s next now that I’m not pregnant anymore?
Much love,
Come follow me on Pinterest + Instagram
Read Oliver’s Birth Story here.
Please carry on! I really enjoy reading your blog!
Thanks Amy, that’s so sweet! We appreciate it! Have a great week! xox
Very interesting, as always! Loved your comparison of your baby bump and postpartum bump. Saw you moving in your singing video on FB…tho’t you were moving very well, in spite of your soreness. It is interesting how everyone loves a baby! Now you will make many new friends, just because you are new parents!
Continue to enjoy Oliver, and keep the pics coming. Eager to meet him! We love him…and you and Daniel.
Thanks Aunty Carol, yes I’m starting to move better at different times during the day. Ya the body is amazing, and Daniel has me in stitches as we learn from our mistakes and navigate how to be parents to this cute precious child. Thanks for reading Aunty Carol, looking forward to coming up to visit in December! Love Kendra
Being a parent certainly makes you part of a club. Michael and I are super socially awkward but when we’re with other parents we’re suddenly in the “in crowd. ”
I waited a few weeks to take my kids out but not long. I’ve always let them get exposed to germs and they’re almost never sick.
Hello cute baby!
I would never call you socially awkward Melanie! Good to know, I’ll come out of my cave soon – I literally can’t wait! Are you still at Chantilly? – K
Being social, I always had cabin fever & was always excited to show off our babies. I needed to get out!! Never sat at home too long either. I always thought we’re bringing these babies into our world…the sooner they’re acclimated to what we do, the better.
The soreness -this too shall pass. Remember vividly the anxiety of ‘getting back in the saddle’ again after that 6wk clearance from the Dr. Follow your instincts. Trust yourself. Love the team you & Daniel make. Can’t wait to squeeze your beautiful baby in December!! so
-HJW
Ya that’s true – let’s get this one used to his new world! I think I’m just waiting till I feel more comfortable to move around and sit in chairs without carrying my pillow around with me, like at Dr. appointments 😉 Haha. Thanks Heidi, can’t wait to see you all in December! It’s going to be a very different kind of drive up there this time but it will be worth it to introduce Oliver to you all and see Daniel’s parents too! (Think they might be crashing the Miller party hehe). Love all the encouragement and support! Keep it coming! Lots love Heidi, K