I can't believe it's been two weeks, and at the same time I can't believe it's only been two weeks. I can't say we've settled into a routine just yet, but we are all learning how to live together and it feels like forever since I've been pregnant. As strange as it sounds, I'm sleeping better with a newborn than I had in the past few months as a pregnant woman, plus, I can sleep on my back and don't have to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom! It's the small things.
Natalie's transition to home has gone well. She knows night from day (from day one!) so she sleeps for four hours at a time at night and we feed every three hours during the day. It's strange to know what I'm going to be doing every (EVERY) three hours, but strangely I don't find myself frustrated with her very often, even when she's fussy during feeding. Sometimes feeding her is rewarding, and sometimes it seems like a chore, but I'm sure that's how much of motherhood will feel. I remember the first few nights in the hospital I would wake up before the nurses were supposed to bring her in for a feeding, so excited to see her again and looking forward to the time I got to hold her. Every night, my bed (which seemed so uncomfortable in the past few months) is more and more comfortable and I have a hard time motivating myself to get up and wake her up to eat. She's sleeping so peacefully (and so was I), why wake her? I'm really not that tired and find that I usually only take one nap during the day, though I do sleep in later than I used to in the morning. You adjust to what works for you, I guess.
She's also a pretty well-tempered baby. She has a few hours of alertness in the mornings after we move downstairs for the day (we have a pack-and-play in the living room) and really only fusses when she's hungry. Today we had a big day out--the doctor and a breastfeeding support group--and it seems that big days make her a little cranky, but we'll get there. Aside from visitors and a Christmas a few days after we got out of the hospital (we had a bit of a meltdown) we have had pretty quiet days. I'm sure that will change soon, but if it keeps her happy for now it keeps me happy!
Strangely, adjusting to my body was harder than adjusting to the little one. The c-section recovery has not been as rough as I thought it might be--my biggest problem was not realizing what day of the week it was and didn't get my refill on Vicodin when I ran out on a Sunday (which also happened to be the day that we had a lot of visitors--bad day). My incision isn't sore anymore and I feel pretty good post-surgery. My biggest issue was severe engorgement when my milk came in, and with a lot of help from a lactation consultant we almost have it under control. Although I was very uncomfortable for a week or so, I have saved a lot of milk for daycare already! It's funny the things you will try when you are desperate--for a week or so I walked around with crushed cabbage leaves in my bra to help reduce the swelling and provide relief. There's a reason some old wives' tales exist. This week is much better but it amazes me what my body can do--not only can it create a tiny human, but it can also provide more than enough to sustain her!
Rick goes back to work next week; we'll miss him around the house, but I think we'll be ok on our own during the day. Luckily work is close so we'll probably see Daddy at lunchtime every day. The girls will rule the house during the day. Now to get the camera and Photoshop up and running.
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