Sky is an American! He is also legally a permanent resident of Japan. And he's been circumcised. All in a week's time. I've made a half dozen trips to the ward office. Baby boy has behaved amazingly well. I wish there had been another way that would have kept us from having to drag him all over the city so soon after his birth. Friday was pretty difficult. We ended up on a packed out train because immigration took 5.5 hours instead of the 1-2 I thought. Traveling during rush hour became inevitable. Mom was with me the whole time. I am so grateful. The immigration office was completely filthy. We found a nursing room there that was a tiny bit cleaner than the rest of the waiting room filled to the brim with people. We parked in there for most of the time.

Sky continues to delight us. I still can't believe I birthed him and that he's here!! He's the cutest most cuddly little guy ever. I often think about the fact that God really knew what he was doing when he made us to bond so intensely with these little beings so that night after night of staring into their eyes at 3am doesn't bother us at all. And it really is 3am. Every. Single. Night.

I've done quite a bit research today about how to create a schedule for a newborn...apparently you can't. So we will continue like this until he's two months old and sleep training can begin. I don't think we'll go the cry it out route, but we shall see.

Peace to you all! Enjoy a full night's sleep for me if you can.

Tomorrow we go to the embassy to report the birth of our son. Paperwork has taken just about forever to accomplish, it seems. But taking a passport photo for a two week old was the real doozy. Two eyes open, both ears visible, the mouth closed, facing the camera. No small order!!

Today the exhaustion has finally caught up with me. With both Sonny and I. We can't seem to shake the tiredness. Sky stays awake for an average of about two hours when he wakes in the middle of the night. Lucky for us it usually only happens once, somewhere between 2-5. Then he's up again between 6-8. Tired. And wouldn't trade these times for anything.

On Friday we have a doctor's appointment. I think Mom is coming to help me since Sonny will be working. I completely lack the confidence to go out alone with Sky. I still get winded incredibly fast when I walk for more than a short distance, though I have regained my ability to sit for short periods of time. I am grateful for the improvements, slow as they are. I am especially grateful I am no longer in constant pain.

2 weeks

I wanted to get Sky’s birth story written before I posted anything else, but I’m not quite done with it and so much is happening that I don’t want to forget. 

We’ve been home for 10 days. Sky is 2 weeks old today. The three of us have gotten to know each other so well. Sky has adjusted to us and us to him. He is a wonderful wonderful boy. He started rolling over at 5 days (back to stomach) and has done it a few more times since. He has a huge array of facial expressions that I am ever trying to capture on camera. He nurses incredibly well. He's put on weight. I'm excited to find out how much. I love chunky babies!

We’re not really trying to create a schedule just yet so much as we are just adjusting to being here together. We have some “ground rules” that we try to follow. Lay him down when he goes to sleep, wake him every three hours during the day to nurse (this is more for me and my milk supply), as much interaction when he’s awake as possible. We read to him a good deal. He’s begun to make eye contact, he smiles from time to time in response to our voices. He is simply wonderful in every way.

We're working tirelessly on his paper work. It's a lot to register your "baby born overseas." So many little things that have to be done. I called the embassy this morning to find out if we can get the quotation marks put in his name like we want. The lady on the phone thought it was the strangest thing, but seemed willing to work with us. So it looks like "Sky" will be matching with "Sonny" after all.  

I am finally healing enough to get up a bit. We have had one visitor besides my mom since I started going down hill last Tuesday. Tonight I had the slightest twinge of feeling like myself. Just a twinge, like a faded memory or something. 

It reminded me of when Sonny kissed me the day we got home with our baby. I had forgotten that part of me in all the events that happened. It’s like that. I can’t really remember what it’s like to be with energy, to want to do something besides care for Sky and my husband and take naps, to be able to walk around without pain or exhaustion setting in so quickly.  

I am looking forward to the rest of me coming back. And I can't wait to be able to sit without pain. The strange things we take for granted.